Rensselaer Union, Volume 6, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 April 1874 — Our Democratic Neighbors. [ARTICLE]

Our Democratic Neighbors.

An Indianapolis correspondent writing to the Inter Ocean indulges in the following speculations relative to the hopes, fears and machenations of the Indiana Democracy: “But what will be the Democratic policy is, as yet, ‘one of those things which no fellah can find out.’ The State Central Cominitee were divided upon almost every important question. Governor Hendricks was very careful not'to commit himself to any pplicy. He thought that whatever volume of currency was set afloat should be in the shape of ‘greenbacks’ rather than of national bank issues, but whether there should be an increase of Currency or not was a subject he did not discuss. Kerr came out strongly in favor of an early resump tion of specie payment. On the question of temperance a division of sentiment was manifest. A few of the more civilized thought that inasmuch as many temperance men had voted for Hendricks in 1872. to whom, in fact, he owed his election, and as Hendricks had signed the Baxter temperance law, the Democratic party ought to take strong grounds in favor of the present temperance movement. But the old chiefs of the McDonald stamp grew furious at the mere mention of temperance. They could not think of lowering the old flag. It would lose them 50,000 votes. ‘Hands off’ must be the motto. The granger movement was courted. Two farmers with muddy boots and hay-seedy heads were invited to the meeting ‘of their friends.’ Sympathy was expressed for them. Many regrets were expressed that the farmers should have been made the hewers of wood and drawers of water for the benefit of monopolies, and the Hon. D. S. Godding hoped that at last the tillers of the .soil had I

learned who are tlieir friends No mention was made, however, of the fact that in those counties in Indiana where the Democrats have a majority, there the farmers are taxed the most heavily to support ‘rings,’ the members of which grow rich as'office-holding middle-men. Nor were any plans suggested as to how the farmer’s condition might be improved if Democrats got intb power. McDonald thought the organization known as grangers was like a blind giant : strong and vigorous, but incapacitated for reaping the benefit ofits strength, as it had not yet declared itself a political organization. Hendricks thought ‘the reforms asked for by the grangers were those demanded by the Democratic party, and if they would place their votes where they will do the most good, they must be deposited in the interest of Democrats.’ This is the only positive political assertion which the Governor has made thus far in the campaign, and it is said that he has been unhappy ever since he allowed himself to be betrayed into saying as much.”