Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 September 1884 — THE CAMPAIGN. [ARTICLE]

THE CAMPAIGN.

Republicans Thoroughly Alarmed at the Situation in Illinois. The Germans Flocking to the Cleveland Standard by Thousands. So-Called Irish Defection Among the Democracy a Myth—Blaine Bolters. Illinois. The Republicans are thoroughly alarmed at the prospect of losing Illinois this year. A conference of the leaders was held at Chicago last week for the purpose of discussing the situation. Senators Logan, Cullom, and other shining lights of the “grand old party" were present. Logan was told in plain English that Illinois was in a bad fix this year; that the German vote was against the Republicans, while the boasted Irish accessions were at best doubtful, and that the most favorable figuring on the Legislature only showed a majority of two or three bn joint ballot. He was also told 'that if Oglesby was elected it would be by a majority of a few votes. After this information was imparted to him his opinion was asked. The candidate for the Vice Presidency studied the situation, and then replied : Oglesby, he thought, could take care of himself. The rest of the State ticket could run its chances, but the Legislature must be taken care of, and that was the advice which-he gave, and that is the course which will be pursued. A Springfield dispatch to the Chicago Times says: “The Republicans have'but faint hope of carrying the State election. A while ago the gambling men wanted to and did bet that Oglesby’s majority would not exceed 20,000. Now more bets are made even than any other. Many of the German Republicans declare their intention to vote for Carter Harrison.” The Illinois Democratic State Committee claims that with the aid of German citizens Harrison will carry the State outside of Cook County. Democratic clubs composed exclusively of former German Republicans have been formed in many sections of the State. New York. The Democratic State Committee, says a New York dispatch, has begun to receive replies to requests sent out for information exclusively concerning Republicans who will vote for Cleveland and Hendricks. The coirespondenta report a very favorable outlook. From almost eypry election district thus far heard from names of bolting Republicans are given, numbering from six to twenty-six. Another dispatch from New York City says: The Democratic State Committee has received 1,820 reports from the 2,00 u election districts of this State lying north of New York City, and the general tenor is very satisfactory. A majority of these frankly admit more or less disaffection at the present time, but no one thinks it worth more than passing notice. The reports show that from 40,000 to 70,000 Republicans will vote for Cleveland. A peculiar political surprise developed in Syracuse yesterday, when over one hundred Republicans bolted and declared for Cleveland. It was learned at headquarters here that the bolt was caused by the Republican County Committee circulating the Buffalo newspaper containing the Cleveland scandal as a campaign document. Forty of the bolters have heretofore been very aetive in the Republican Interest,

Vermont. Boston special: The Independent movement in Vermont is one of the unexpected features of the campaign. The Green Mountain Republican has always been hard to move from his party moorings, but this year he is very much dissatisfied, not in special parts of the State alone, according to news which reaches the bolters here, but in all the country towns and villages. A prominent Republican from Vermont said yesterday: “1 never expected to see Vermont a doubtful State, but if this thing keeps up for the next four years, there won’t be much left of the Republican majority.” New Jersey. W. A. Colter, a prominent lawyer, residing at Flemington, N. J., has issued an important letter, in which he bolts Blaine and joins the Independents. He has been a Republican all his life. In the letter he declares Blaine a demagogue. He asks if a man of the character of Blaine, if elected to the highest office in the nation, will not be a strong incentive to the youth of the land to follow like practices. The letter closes by stating that the writer is not the only Republican in Central New Jersey who has deserted Blaine, but that there are many who will vote against him, but do not care to stand up and be counted. Gov. Abbett ridicules the idea that Blaine has any chance of carrying New Jersey. He says Cleveland’s majority will be at least 12,000. . Massachusetts. Boston dispatch: The advices received at the Independent headquarters in this city are very encouraging. The reports indicate, the managers say, that they have a fair chance of carrying Massachusetts for Cleveland. Something like a “landslide” is probable, and in some of the villages it looks as though the Republican vote would be annihilated by the followers of Cleveland and of St. John. Ohio.

Omaha Herald: Gov. Hoadly is so confident that Ohio will go Democratic in October that he talks about 15,000 majbrity. A leading and very influential Democrat of Cleveland writes to a friend in this city in a private letter that, after thirty-five years of active participation in Ohio politics, and from a careful revie.w of thepresent condition of affairs, he believes Gov. Hoadly’s majority will be held, and that the State will be Democratic. Albany dispatch to the New York Times: “Ohio will be the great battle-ground. There the Democratic campaign will be managed by the same men who achieved the election of Gov. Hoadly and Senator Payne, and the same tactics that were so successful last year will be followed. Assurances have been received here from Gov. Hoadly, Col. Payne, and other leading Ohio politicians that the Democrats will surely win in October. The more sanguine put the majority at 15,000. but conservative estimates do not exceed 10,000. The letters from Cincinnati and Cleveland say that the Republicans are becoming alarmed and are making plaintive appeals for money. The German element is a cause of much uneasiness on the part of Republicans. Unless affairs take a turn a large part of the class will go with the Democrats, and in such a number as will make a Republican victory almost impossible.” In Cincinnati the colored men have enrolled 134 names for Cleveland and Hendricks, and more to come. Michigan. Detroit Free Press: The wise action of the Democratic and National Greenback State Conventions in Michigan, in co-operating upon electoral and State tickets, renders it well nighj certain that this State will this year be carried’ against the Republican party. Recent tests of party strength show this. There are more voters by some thousands in Michigan to-dav strongly opposed to Blaine, Logan, and Alger than there are supporters of those representatives of the Republican party. The great bulk of these have been arrayed solidly against the Republican party, and they muster sufficient votes to overcome any force the Republicans can bring into the field. lowa. A German citizen of Council Bluffs, who supports Blaine, has made a canvass of his countrymen in that city, finding only twenty Republican votes where there were 364 two years ago. This proportion is said to hold good throughout the chief cities, while the rural districts show a greater change toward Democratic principles. An Irishman appeared in a recent parade of plumed knights at Sioux City, and attracted considerable attention. German voters to the number of 130, most of them heretofore Republicans, have joined the Cleveland Club in that citv.

There are 160 bolting Renublicans in Des Moines, among them being F. M. Gilbert, Cob Rockwell, ana Dr. Crutenden. One German Republican family in Camp Township will this year give ten votes to Cleveland. The extent of the stampede of the German Republicans-of lowa is evident from the fact that the Turners’ Society of Keokuk have resolved to unite in a body with the Young Men’s Cleveland Club. Kansas. Nearly 20,000 coal-miners in Kansas are disposed to leave the Republican party. The leading Blaine bolter in the State is Sidney Clarke, of Lawrence, who three times represented that district in Congress. A recent dispatch from Topeka says: Among the prominent Republicans in thikState bolting the jingo candidate is Sidney Clarke, of Lawrence, who three times represented Kansas in Congress, and was in 1879 Speaker of the Kansas House of Representatives. Mr. Clarke say sit will be impos-

sible for him ‘to support a man who uses nt« official power and violates a public trust for his own personal pecuniary advancement. I acted with the same party as did Mr. Blaine in Congress for six years,” he says, “and while there I learned the true character of the man. He is a political shyster, and unworthy of the support of anp time Republican. I am a’Republican. and therefore it is impossible for me to vote for him. It would be better for the Republican party if Blaine would be defeated.” Wisconsin. Washington telegram: In W sconsin the German vote is reported almost solidiy anti-Repub-lican, and the Prohibitionists claim 2><,000 votes. The German press of the State is hostile to the reports received at Democratic headouartere here are that the Renublican ticket will be in a*minority of 10,000 votes unless the situation changes between this and November. Omaha Herald-. “In regard to Wisconsin, a leading German brewer recently challenged an lowa Blaineite to a bet of a thousand dollars that the State would go for Cleveland, in the presence of a well-known citizen of Omaha. The challenge was not accepted.”