Year: 1876




The letter of our correspondent in Indi-
ana will convey lively impression OF the
energy. spirit, scenic claptrap and stump
oratory of the Indiana canvass, as well as OF
the closeness of the contest and the extreme
uncertainty of the result The party lead
ers on each side express entire confidence,
and perhaps more confidence than they
really feel. In every election there is body
Of citizens who hang loosely on the skirts OF
political parties and prefer to vote with the
victorious side if they can satisfy themselves
which it is to be. Hence the simulated
confidence and staggering boastfulness
which are conspicuous features of every
warmly contested election. While such pro-
fessions are always deemed polite in point
of strategy they have also an element of
sincerity. At first view It might seem
odd that capable politicians who have
keeping in constant intercourse with the
people should reach Numerically opposite
conclusions as to the drift of popular senti-
ment; but it is really no paradox, only
natural consequence of the different sur
roundings Of the Inherent orators. Wher-
ever a republican speaker goes he finds him.
self in heated republican atmosphere and
is fed with favorable and exaggerated ac-
counts of the strength Of his party. and all
the democratic speakers have a similar ex-
perience. Both sides are more or less i'm
posed upon by the party zeal and sanguine
hopefulness of the men who crowd about
them in the localities they visit. Add to this
the easy credulity of human nature in be-
ieving what it wishes, and we can under
stand why both parties in Indiana are conf
dent of success.


Our correspondent, who has taken pains
to get clear idea Of the situation, thinks
that the drift Of sentiment in the rural
districts is favorable to the democrats
and in the towns to the republ-
cans Considering that Indiana is in the
main an agricultural State this esti-
mate would seem to foreshadow demo-
cratic success but it may turn out that
large republican majorities in the cities will
more than counterbalance small democratic
majorities in the counties. Our correspond
ent also thinks that at the final pinch the
greenback party will largely desert their
own ticket and that the deserters would be
more likely to join the democratic ranks.
But this is mere speculation, and even if
the greenback party should dissolve we see
no reason why the republicans should not
get the greater share of it. The majority of
the soft money democrats in Indiana are
acting with the regular party, and if the
soft money republicans should get the i'm
preston that the greenback ticket is mere
lure for weakening the republicans they
would be likely to go back to their old asso-
Citations. Throughout the canvass the repub-
ican leaders have dreaded this third party
as tending to WEAKEN them more than their
opponents. There has been no day when the
republicans Of indiana would not have re-
joiced to see the greenback party disbanded,
and if they can now convince its republican
members that their democratic associates
mean to desert they will have fair chance
of recovering all they expected to lose.


Mr.. Blaine is making great impression in
Indiana and is breathing new life and hope
into the republican side. Until he visited
the State the chances seemed to preponder-
ate in favor Of the democrats, and perhaps
they do stal but the scales hang SO nearly
even that it will require but little to turn
them either way.