Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 October 1894 — THE M’KINLEY MEETING. [ARTICLE]

THE M’KINLEY MEETING.

A Good Deal of a Fizzle When Everything la Considered. Republicans at the state' capital are not half so well pleased with the McKinley meeting of Tuesday as they might have been. In fact, they may be described in the language of the Bowery as being “dead sore.” There is much reason for their discomfort, too. In the first place, all things considered, the meeting waa not a howling success, though McKinley’s speech was one long howl of the calamity variety. For no political meeting ever held in the state were greater efforts made to get out a crowd. Low excursion rates were secured on all the railroads and members of clubs were carried free at the expense of the committee in order to make a showing. Bands were hired and every effort made to drum up enthusiasm. After these herculean efforts it was small subject for surprise that the Republican managers were disgusted at the small turnout. There were little "pointers” in the failure, too, which had a very disquieting effect on Republican nerves. Chief among these was the failure to work up any enthusiasm in those sections of the state where the old Gresham element is most powerful. Take Fort Wayne for example. Special efforts were made to get a crowd from that point. The best band in the city was hired and transportation waa offered all who would come to Indianapolis. But when the Fort Wayne delegation got off the cars it was found that just 18 people lined up behind the band of 20 pieces. The manufacturing towns of the gas belt also failed to contribute the expected number of enthusiasts and altogether the much heralded "demonstration” came very near proving a fizzle.