Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 August 1894 — CAMPAIGN ON FACTS. [ARTICLE]

CAMPAIGN ON FACTS.

Republican Conference Discusses the Situation. - Gen. Harrison to Open the Campaign at —lndianapolis in September. A conference of Renublicau District Chairmen, the advisory com_miYtee, a&dAhccandidates for Congress and State offices, with a few other Republicans, was held at Indianapolis, July 31st. Chairman Gowdy acted as chairman, and Secretary Seeds was present. Of the State Committee the following were present: T. J. Brooks, ot Bedford; E. H. Tripp, of Mount Vernon; A. A. Newlin, of Lawrenceburg; W. WLambert, of Columbus; George W. Cromer, of Muncie; J. W. Fester, of Indianapolis;, N. Fiibeck, of Terre Haute; S. A. Ward, of Angola; G. A. Osborn, of Marion; R, B. Ogles—bee; of Ply mouth. The fol low in g members of the ad visory committee' were present: M. G. McLain, of Indianapolis; Robert Mitchell, of Princeton; Geo. W. Self, of Corydon; A. C. Lindemuth, of Richmond; W. I. Overstreet, of Terre Haute; Cloyd Loughery, of Monticello, and G. Z. Hubbell, of Elkhart. L. P. Newby, of Knightstown, and A. W. Wishard, of the executive committee, were also in attendance. The following Congressional candidates were present: J. A. Hemenway, of the First; A. M. Hardy, of the Second; Jesse Overstreet, of the Fifth, and Major Steele, of the Eleventh. All of the State candidates were present except the two candidates for the Supreme Court. Among the others who were on hand by invitation were Hon. C. W. Fairbanks. Hon.SN. Chambers and Hon. Jefferson Clqypobl. Every section of the State was represented by men who are thoroughly familiar with the situation. Each representative spoke of his own locality and the nature of the work which should be dbtmTo secure the best results. The reports were of the most encouraging character. Excellent feeling is general? and in certain localities the Republican voters have not waited for the party committees, but have gone ahead and held meetings. From no section were the reports more encouraging than from the Democratic strongholds, where bad county management will be as potent an ally for the Republicans as the National issues. The reports regarding the Populist movement were all to the effect that nine-tenths of the additions this year would come from the Democrats. In the southern part of the State this statement was based upon the membership of several clubs. In one of these clubs of forty-three members all but two had been Democrats. In a larger organization in one city in the First district more than four-fifths were Democrats in 1892. The coal miners in two counties in which inquiries were made indicated that nearly two thousand who had voted for Cleveland would vote the Populist ticket.

In Vigo county most of the railroad men in sympathy with Debs voted as did Debs in 1892 —the Democratic ticket —but now'it has been ascertained that they will vote with the Populists. In the manufacturing towns in the northern part of the State the gains for the Republicans will be large. The canvass shows in some localities that the changes are larger than the Republican organizers can expect to realize. Hon. W. D. Owen, in private conversation, spoke enthusiastically for a cautious man of the present prospects in the Tenth district. “The late contestants are falling into each other’s arms to secure harmony,” he said, “and whoever is nominated for Congress will have a "good majority.” The policy to be pursued in the campaign was discussed at length, and there was a striking unanimity of sentiment, which was stated by one speaker as follows: “Let us go to the people with the Republican cause, present the Republican side clearly and candidly, show what Republican ascendancy did for the Nation in a quarter of a century, and that Democratic failure has involved the country in disaster. Give facts and arguments: avoid abuse and detraction. Let us go to the people in the schoolhsuses with plain talks, and not with oratory.” One candidate for Congress in the southern part of the State said that the only way to get to the people was in the township meeting, and that he proposed to speak in every township in his district. Another, who had been a good soldier, said that it was no longer good sense or good politics to go back to the war except to demand decent treatment for the brokendown veterans. It ■fcas the general opinion that the campaign should be opened by speaking between the first and middle of September, and the opinion was quite unanimous and emphatic that Gen. Harrison should be urged by the State committee to give the keynote of the campaign in Indiana.

There was no wild boasting, no wildfire enthusiasm, but a confidence that under the existing conditions.' the general harmony and earnestness, the indications of the spring elections and the action of the Democratic regime, the Republicans, by earnest work, can carry Indiana by a good majority and lay a foundation which will make It as surely Republican as Ohio. The conference was followed by a meeting of the State central committee. Acting upon the suggestion oi the conference, the committee voted to open the oaitfpaign with a meeting in Indianapolis Sept. 5,

and that Gen. Harrison be invited to make the opening speech; ’ which should be regarded in the nature of a keynote. The meeting will be followed by other meetings in the larger places, to be. addressed by exSpeaker Reed, Gov. McKinley ard such other speakers of national rejs utation as can be ob:ained. The district and county committees will make arrangements to have home spe'a^rs""Tb _ adclf£s4meetmgs" in al 7 most every schoolhouse in the State