Jasper County Democrat, Volume 9, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 November 1906 — LOOKING BACKWARD. [ARTICLE]

LOOKING BACKWARD.

If Vice-President Fairbanks hsd got into the campaign earlier it is doubtful if the Republicans would have saved anything out of the wreck.

The Democratic party in the state did well as it was, but if all democrats had gone to the polls and voted the state would have been swept clean. And that is exactly what all democrats ought to remember when 1908 rolls around.

Oklahoma is going into the Union right. The democrats have a large majority in its constitutional convention and will write its organic law. And that is as it should be. Democrats are used to writing constitutions, and good ones, too.

Congressman Fred Landis, who was elected in 1904 by over 8,000 majority, this time did not carry a county in his district and was defeated by about 4,000. What would have happened if Mr. and Mrs. Nick Longworth had not come into the district to help Mr. Landis?

It appears that tne Republicans will have a greatly reduced majority in the next congress, but they will have control and must carry the responsibilities. As far as they are able to do so the Democrats will force reform measures to the front and if they are not adopted it will be no faultof theirs.

President Roosevelt addressed his “standpat” letter to Congressman Watson of Rushville. And yet when the people voted Rush county gave Watson a majority of only ninety-eight where two years before they gave him 42c. And tie entire district which gave Watson 7,000 majority in 1904 this year gives him about 1,200.

Governor Hanly is not disposed to be enthusiastic over the "indorsement” given him by the people of the state. Indeed, it is reported that he looks upon the result of the election as being the next thing to sn approval of the "sham and fraud” proclamation of that vigorous Republican paper, the Richmond Daily Item.

Landis of the Eleventh and Cromer of the Eighth are the most thoroughly beaten men who ever ran for congress in Indiana. But Watson, Brick, Holliday, Chaney, Crumpacker, Foster and "Standpat” Landis have nothing to brag of. Everyone of them barely escaped with his political life and even that was greatly shortened.

Two years ago Cromer of the Eigth district, had over 7,000 majority. This year Adair, democrat, defeats him by 4,000 —a difference of 11,000. That sure is going some.

The democratic newspapers of the state contributed largely to the slump in the Republican vote by telling the people the plain truth about the tariff, the trusts, the evils of Republican politics and the reckless waste of the public revenues.

The Democrats of Marion county elected a part of their county ticket and cut down the Republican majority on all other offices from one half to two-thirds. One more effort will finish the republicans in that county, notwithstanding their 8,000 negro votes.

The Oxford Tribune, although a republican paper, has vicepresident Fairbanks sized up about right. It says: “Charles Warren Fairbanks made his tour of Indiana more in the interest of his own candidacy for the presidential nomination than for the good he could do. He is Harriman’s right bower when it comes to corporations and is an unsafe man for the people. The papers that used the biggest type in lauding his tour are the papers owned by him.”

The people of Indiana are to be congratulated upon the election to congress of such able and excellent democrats as Lincoln Dixon, John A. M. Adair, William E. Cox and George W. Rauch. They will do much to lift Indiana from the dead level which has been its portion since the republicans have bad such a large delegation from the state. It is a matter for regret that Major Menzies, Cyrus E. Davis, B, F. Shively, Claude Bowers, Judge Gavin, Thomas H. Kuhn, Dr. Morr, M. E. Clodfelter and Judge Darroch were defeated after the splendid race that each of them made. There is satisfaction in knowing, however, that though they were not successful this time they did their party and the people a very great service in showing up the bad political records of their opponents and the vicious policies for which the republican party stands.

Unfair and abusive politics do net pay any more, and we are mighty glad of it. As witness the facts that over in Newton county, Graves, for prosecutor, got the biggest majority of any man on the ticket; and in White county, Meeker, for representative, was right close to the head man. The Republican is glad to be able to say that during the whole course of the campaign it has not spoken a single unkind word of any opposing candidates, neither individually or collectively. And we feel sure that our own party has lost nothing thru this pohey of courtesy and fair treatment towards our opponents. Rensselaer Republican.

Indeed. How long since this saintly feeling has come over the Republican? It said nothing against the democratic candidates simply because it could not, but no man ever graced or disgraced the republican ticket, no matter how unworthy he might be or how low in social depths he had fallen, but what the Republican could “heartily and enthusiastically” support him.

Mr. Meeker for his action in supporting the measure to saddle the loss of county funds in the McCoy bank onto the taxpayers of Jasper county, deserved the opposition of every honest taxpayer in this county, and The Democrat is glad to note that he ran 117 behind his ticket here and 85 in White county. Governor Hanly, whom the Republican professes to think is another angel whose wings are well sprouted, said, in vetoing this measure which Mr. Meeker so enthusiastically supported:

* * * In conclusion I venture to express tbtyfcope that there is not a member of the General Assembly, who will be willing to sustain this measure, upon a careful consideration of the authorities cited, in view of the public policy involved, and bis oath to support the constitution of the State. And yet Meeker, if we may believe the House Journal of the Assembly’s proceedings, thought

so little of his oath that with five others he .voted to pass the bill over Hanly’s veto! The Democrat has no apologies to offer for its plain statement of facts regarding Mr. Meeker during the campaign. He deserved to be beaten and it is to be regretted that he was not. If he wanted to do the will of his constituents be would have paid some attention to the remonstrance sent down to the legislature signed by twice as many taxpayers and representing four times the taxables that the petition for the passage of the bill bad.

Regarding Mr. Graves, The Democrat made no fight on him. There were some few things that were not done here that we called attention to. The anti-saloon league of Remington asked this paper to publish a statement regarding his treatment of the people there, which was done. The people who compose that league are among the very best people of Jasper county and of Indiana, and are of all political creeds. As it happens, however, those who wanted the matter, published—or who were most in favor of it, as all agreed to it—were republicans of excellent standing in the party, and against whom the Republican would not dare to insinuate one word regarding their honesty or reputation for truth and veracity. If they were mistaken in the matter of Mr. Graves’ treatment of them we are not responsible for it, although they are considered men of clear understanding and judgment, and honored citizens.

The Democrat has no personal feeling whatever against Mr. Graves, and if he will and wants to enforce the law and perform the duties of his office in an impartial manner, as he tells us he does, he will have no heartier supporter than The Democrat. But we want to see some results, not empty phraseology. No man has ever been attacked by this paper who did not deserve it, and never will be under its present management. But whenever wrong-doing comes to its notice or a public officer or candidate for office—no matter what ticket he is running on —deserves to be exposed that the rights and privileges of the people may not be jeopardized, rest assured that the Jasper County Democrat will not shirk its duty.