Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 225, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 September 1915 — REPUBLICAN SUCCESS FORCASTED BY BURGOO [ARTICLE]

REPUBLICAN SUCCESS FORCASTED BY BURGOO

Early Enthusiasm of G. O. P. Exhibits Optimism For Victory at Election in 1916. Special to Republican. % Indianapolis, Ind., Sept. 22.- —'Enthusiastic and happy republicans to the number of 25,000 or near that number according to estimates made by several, are today eating “burgoo” at the state fair grounds and everyone seems dead certain that they are launching a campaign in Indiana that is going to give the Hoosier state a republican governor, a republican legislature, and send a republican United States senator to Washington. The burgpo is the result of plans made by the Columbia Club, the Inidianapolis republican organization, with a fine home on the circle. This club had a membership of 1,000 last spring and Lucius O. Hamilton, the president, said the membership could be doubled if the republicans from all over Indiana were invited to join. The invitation was given and already the membership has reached 3,065 and they are coming in by tens and twenties eveiJy day. The hope now is for a membership of 5,000 by the first of January. But to get back to the burgoo and republican optimism. The Webster definition of “burgoo” is a sort of oatmeal gruel. But the republican party has given it a new meaning and following a custom of many years has improved upon the commonly accepted definition of the term and today “burgoo” means a mess of meats and vegetables cooked into a remarkkbly delicious goulash and calculated to make all who eat it supinely happy and anxious to get a chance to vote so that they can restore republican prosperity and • republican management of the affairs of state and nation.

Republicans began to gather in IndianapoM Tuesday morning and they kept on coming all day and all night and all this morning. The Columbia Club was headquarters for all who could crowd into it and the Severn hotel was filled up v-ith the overflow. Candidates were introduced as little bunches chatted and laughed in' the most enjoyable manner and there was never a more enjoyable crowd gathered fourteen months ahead of an election. The crowd began assembling at the state fair grounds at IQ o’clock and there were a number of speeches of the happy sort before the wonderful “burgoo” was served between 12 and 1:30 o’clock. Bands played lively music, patriotic decorations gave a charm to the setting and prepared all for the splendid speeches to be made this afternoon, when James E. Watson and others are to speak. The big and happy crowd and the cheerful feeling that a huge republican success is being inaugurated has made the Columbia Club’s “burgoo” a real conquest in the early campaign. Among those here from nearby towns are Lawrence Lyons, of Brook; Ray Cummings, Cbas. Morris, Warren T. McCray, Simon Dodson and Editor Charles E. Davis, all of Kentland.

Mayor R. O. Johnson, of Gary, and a train load of Lake county republicans arrived at 10 o’clock and were met with a band. Candidates were hi great profusion. Warren T. McCray, James P. Goodrich, R. O. Johnson and Quincy Myers, all candidates for governor; Arthur R. Robinson, James E. Watson, Walter Olds and other candidates for U. S. senator; Chas. Leng and Uz McMurtrie, candidates for state treasurer, and many others were at the Columbia Club Tuedsay evening and had brought with them live-wire friends. Mr. MoMurtrie was the only republican elected in Giant county in 1912 and he is a great organizer of young republicans and will have their support in his candidacy for state treasurer. Republicans are coming back because the party deserves to win and Indiana will doubtless return’ the greatest republican majority in 1916 it ever gave. And the Columbia Club "burgoo” will help.