Rensselaer Republican, Volume 15, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 November 1882 — THE STRUGGLE FOR THE STATE SENATE. [ARTICLE]

THE STRUGGLE FOR THE STATE SENATE.

It is well understood here that the liquor* league and Democratic combination have given up the struggle for the lower housn of the Legislature. So far as the next House is concerned, they are in despair of killing the amendments in that body. They have concentrated their work on securing a majority in the Senate, where they hope to defeat thei action of the House on submission. The liquor league, which has furnished much of the money for the democratic canvass, some days ago insisted that the close senatorial districts should have iho benefit of the sinews of war for the remainder of the campaign/ and the* ordeif was given accordingly. The senatorial districts so selected for the work of this combination were tb®. following: Counties composing DISTRICTS. CANDIDATES, Daviess and Greene, (Enoch Fuller Rep. tDr. J. P. Mcintosh, Dem, Spencer and Perry, jJ. F. Sulzer, Rep. 1 11. J. May, Dem. Posey and Perry, (Robert Mitchell, Rep. |J. McCullough, Dem. Tippecanoe, ( Dewitt C. Wallace. Rep. ') Francis Johnson, Dem. St. Joseph and (Marvin Campbell, Rep. Starke. (Thus. J. Garroutte, Dem, Morgan and John- (G. Overstreet. Rep. son, | Richard Jolmsin, Dem. Benton, Newton and (H.S Travis, Rep,Jasper, (Fred Hoover, Dem.Crawford, Harrison IN. R. Peckinpiiugtvßep' and Orange, (John Benz, Dem It was developed at the conference a few days since that the senatorial candidate* on the Democratic ticket as named above could positively be relied upon to vote Ur kill the amendments in the Senate, in case 1 the House should agree to submit them to n populur vote, and that if the combination should be able to elect these senators, in what are regarded as close districts, they wfould have just a fair and sate working majority in the Senate. It is understood that in a few of these districts the men composing the committee of the liquor league having in charge the campaign, hesitated till definite assurance was obtained from the candidates as to how they would vote on the amendments, if elected. Among others was the case of J. E. McCullough, tli® Democratic candidate in the district composed of Posey and Gibson counties, and that of Fred Hoover, Democratic senatorial candidate in Benton, Newton nndJesper. It was known that Mr. Hoover had stated to the temperance and submission Democrats in Benton county that he would, if elected vote to submit the amendments to a direct vote of the people. The liquor league interests were not satisfied with the way things stood there. A gentleman was delegated to go aud investigate the matter, and on his return to the cit/it wag given out chat ample assurance had been' made that Mr. Hoover would vote, if elected, to kill the amendments in the Senate, and orders were accordingly given to scud to that district whatever aid was necessary to secure his election. The situation was quite similar in the cas of J. E, McCullough, in the district composed of Posy and Gibson, but After a similar investigation of the matter assurance were afforded that Mr. McCuUough would stand squarely and vote against submission. The result of the conference on the subject of these close districts, as given above, was that extra efforts should be put fourth to seoure the election of the Democraiic candidates in these districts. It is the. only hope of the combination to defeat ths submission of the pending oomtitutioniJ amendments.