USA > Indiana > History of the Indiana democracy, 1816-1916 > Part 44
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Lieutenant-Governor. He would not be allowed to preside over the Senate. The Senate would retain its own presiding officer and so carry out the will of the majority in preserving the Democratic plurality of seventy-five votes on joint ballot. Whether the Democrats would secure the additional vote necessary to elect a United States Senator might be un- certain, but they would at all events retain their plurality of seventy-five as given to them by the people. This was the grim resolution reached by the Democratic cau- cus, and this resolution was carried out. The true victory of the Democrats of the Legislature of 1887 was the vindication of popular elections by the people. That Colonel Robertson was not allowed to pre- side over the Senate was a mere incident; that David Turpie was elected to the United States Senate was a result of the Democratic victory-not the victory itself.
Another result of this victory was the enthusiasm aroused in the Democratic masses of the State. They felt that they were represented in the General Assembly by courageous men, that their votes at the ballot box were made to count. Time had been when Democratic officials were cowed, were made to be subservient. That day was passed. Democrats were thenceforth manly men, ready to stand by their prin- ciples, to carry out the will of their con- stituents by all lawful means. The victory of the Democrats of 1887 was a vindica- tion of popular representative government. The spirit then aroused has since continued to animate the Democracy of Indiana.
THE SUPREME COURT'S ACTION IN THE PREMISES.
When this "celebrated case" was taken into the Supreme Court, that tribunal was composed of Judges William E. Niblack, George V. Howk, Byron K. Elliott, Allen Zollars and Joseph A. S. Mitchell-all Democrats except Elliott. The court seemed inclined to make short work of it by declaring that the points involved were
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for legislative, not for judicial procedure. This conclusion greatly incensed extreme partisans on both sides of the political fence. Among those coming within this category was William J. Craig, then in con- trol of the Indianapolis Sentinel. The readers of that paper were shocked to find in the Sentinel of the day after the court had made known its conclusions an edito- rial headed: "Damn Their Cowardly Souls." This outburst of vehemence and profanity caused a sensation throughout the State, eliciting much unfavorable com- ment and in some instances severe criti- . cism. Naturally of conservative trend of mind, the bitterness engendered over this issue was deeply deplored in my discussion of the various aspects of the case. The articles emanating from my pen, relating to this subject, were extensively repro- duced with generous recognition of their fairness. Judge Mitchell himself felt im-
pelled to send me this note of appreciation and approval:
"Indianapolis, January 10, 1887.
"My Dear Friend-That you have the right view of the Lieutenant-Governor question is, I think, beyond all question. For purely personal ends the question has been forced upon the party, and my own opinion is that the party will inevitably suffer. If the consequences could be con- fined to the disappointment of the schem- ers who involved us (the party) in the complications, it would not be a matter of much regret, but, as usual, men who have worked unselfishly all their lives for the success and elevation of the party suffer the consequences of the stupidity, and worse, of those who are always ready when anything is to be had. I thank you for sustaining the court. I have all my life abhorred decisions made for partisan purposes and cannot now, at any cost, give the lie to my professions.
"Your friend,
"J. A. S. MITCHELL.
"Hon. J. B. Stoll, South Bend."
11-History
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[CHAPTER XLII.]
COL. COURTLAND C. MATSON NAMED FOR GOVERNOR
CAPT. WM. R. MYERS HIS RUNNING MATE-CLEVELAND AND THURMAN IN THE NATIONAL RACE
HE Senatorial fight in Indiana in T 1887 attracted a great deal of attention throughout the coun- try. It gave much prominence to General Benjamin Harrison, not only because his own re- election was involved in the contest, but because he delivered before the Supreme Court of Indiana an argument in support of the contention that the people having elected Colonel Robert S. Robertson of Fort Wayne as Lieutenant- Governor, his exclusion from that office was an act of usurpation of power inde- fensible from any standpoint it might be viewed. This speech, it was generally con- tended, constituted Harrison's masterpiece and doubtless contributed largely to his nomination to the Presidency by the Re- publicans in 1888.
The Democratic State Convention for 1888 was held on April 26. It was presided over by Charles L. Jewett, of New Albany, who soon demonstrated his ability to pre- side acceptably and capably over a largely- attended political assemblage.
STATE CENTRAL COMMITTEE.
1. E. B. Richardson, Pike county.
2. M. J. Niblack, Knox.
3. George W. Baxter, Washington.
4. Judge Ferd S. Swift, Franklin.
5. P. H. McCormick, Bartholomew.
6. D. W. Chambers, Henry.
7. Ephraim Marsh, Hancock.
8. J. C. Sawyer, Vermilion.
9. Israel Curry, Boone.
10. J. W. Stewart, Newton.
11. John J. Young, Huntington.
12. George W. Long, Allen.
13. Daniel. McDonald, Marshall.
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORS.
At Large-Thomas R. Cobb of Vincennes and John E. Lamb of Terre Haute.
1. Samuel B. Vance, Vanderburg county.
2. Cutler S. Dobbins, Martin.
3. Charles L. Jewett, Floyd.
4. Nicholas Connett, Ripley.
5. John R. East, Monroe.
6. Thomas J. Study, Wayne.
7. David S. Gooding, Hancock.
8. J. D. Pruett, Parke.
9. J. F. McHugh, Tippecanoe.
10. D. D. Dykeman, Cass.
11. J. M. Turner, Grant.
12. John H. Bass, Allen.
13. M. A. O. Packard, Marshall.
DELEGATES TO NATIONAL CONVENTION.
At Large-Daniel W. Voorhees, David Turpie, John G. Shanklin and John H. Bass. Alternates -John H. Stotsenburg, K. M. Hord, A. C. Downey and David J. Hefron.
1. J. E. Mccullough, Gibson county. William Rahm, Vanderburg.
2. J. W. Ogden, Daviess. L. P. Mullinix, Greene.
3. O. O. Stealey, Clark. Wayne Cook, Harrison.
4. Frank R. Dorman, Dearborn. James K. Ewing, Decatur.
5. J. C. Robinson, Owen. John W. Ragsdale, Putnam.
6. Thomas J. Newkirk, Rush. William M. Harris, Randolph.
7. Charles G. Offutt, Hancock. Allen W. Conduit, Marion.
8. Maurice Thompson, Montgomery. Perry H. Blue, Sullivan.
9. J. O. Henderson, Howard. Charles B. Stuart, Tippecanoe.
10. M. L. Fansler, Cass. DeFoe Skinner, Porter.
11. L. B. Fullwiler, Miami. C. B. Cole, Jay.
12. Andrew Baxter, DeKalb. Charles McCulloch, Allen.
13. Garland E. Rose, St. Joseph. W. C. Wilson, Laporte.
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PLATFORM DECLARATIONS.
"We congratulate the people of the whole country upon the eminently success- ful administration of President Cleveland.
"Coming into power under circum- stances peculiarly difficult and embarrass- ing, after a long period of Republican rule, he has conducted the affairs of the execu- tive department with such prudence and ability as to challenge the approval of all unprejudiced people.
"That he has earnestly labored to dis- charge the duties of his great office in the interest of all the people there can be no question. That he has succeeded so well is a source of pride and gratification to those who elected him, as it should be to all his countrymen. Not even party malice dares to assail his honesty or integrity, and all his acts have not only been clean, but above suspicion.
"The country is at peace with all the world, the laws are faithfully administered, good order and economy prevail wherever the executive has control, and the whole country is enjoying remarkable prosperity under his wise and beneficent administra- tion; therefore the Democracy of Indiana feels that it would be unwise to risk the hazard of a change and declare themselves emphatically in favor of his re-election.
"The Democratic party of Indiana favors such rules and regulations for the civil service, both national and State, as will secure honest, capable and deserving pub- lic officers, but, where honesty, ability and merit are equal, we believe there would be both wisdom and justice in giving prefer- ence to those who would harmonize in principle and policy with the party having the responsibility of administration.
"We recognize the right of all men to organize for social or material advance- ment ; the right of wage-workers to use all lawful means to protect themselves against the encroachments of moneyed monopolists and the right to fix a price for their labor commensurate with the work required of them, and we hold that every man has the right to dispose of his own labor upon such terms as he may think will best promote his interests. In relations between capital and labor the Democratic party favors such measures and policies as will promote harmony between them and will adequate- ly protect the interests of both.
"It is provided by the constitution of
this State that the liberty of the people should be protected and that their private property should not be taken without just compensation, and we are opposed to any change in the constitution tending to weak- en these safeguards, or to any legislation which asserts the power to take or destroy the private property of any portion of the people of this State without compensation, or which unjustly interferes with their personal liberty as to what they shall eat or drink or as to the kind of clothing they shall wear, believing that the government should be administered in that way best calculated to confer the greatest good upon the greatest number without sacrificing the rights of persons or property, and leav- ing the innocent creeds, habits, customs and business of the people unfettered by sumptuary laws, class legislation or ex- tortionate monopolies. While standing faithfully by the rights of property and personal liberty guaranteed to the people by the constitution, we distinctly declare that we are in favor of sobriety and tem- perance, and all proper means for the pro- motion of these virtues, but we believe that a well regulated license system, and reasonable and just laws upon that subject, faithfully enforced, would be better than extreme measures which, being subversive of personal liberty and in conflict with public sentiment, would never be effective- ly executed, thus bringing law into disre- pute and tending to make sneaks and hypocrites of our people.
"We unqualifiedly condemn the action of the Republican party in the last General Assembly of the State of Indiana in their revolutionary scheme to unseat Democratic members, and thus obstruct needful legis- lation and subvert the will of the people as expressed at the ballot box, and we heartily commend and endorse the action of the Democratic members thereof in their suc- cessful effort to preserve that majority.
"The Democratic party of Indiana be- lieves in fair elections and an honest count, and deplores and holds up for the detesta- tion of the people the supreme fraud of 1876-7 by which the will of the people was set aside and men not elected were placed in two of the most important offices of the country ; also for the use of vast sums of money in controlling and corrupting the elections in 1880, which leading men of that party have admitted reached the enor- mous sum of $400,000 in this State alone;
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also for setting the bad example in various other ways of carrying elections by unfair and unlawful methods, both in this State and elsewhere.
"Resolved, That our confidence and esteem for the Hon. Daniel W. Voorhees and the Hon. David Turpie, our great rep- resentatives in the United States Senate, continues unabated, and we cheerfully greet them and their Democratic associates from Indiana in the House of Representa- tives with the plaudit, 'Well done, good and faithful public servants.'
"We heartily indorse the pure and able administration of Governor Isaac P. Gray, and commend him to the Democratic Na- tional Convention as the choice of the De- mocracy of Indiana for Vice-President, and hereby instruct our delegates to present his name to the convention for that high office, and to cast their votes for him as a unit while his name is before the National Convention as a candidate."
STATE TICKET PUT IN NOMINATION.
There was a spirited yet entirely friend- ly contest over the nomination for Gov- ernor. The contestants were Colonel Courtland C. Matson of Greencastle and Captain W. R. Myers of Anderson. The former had been sent to Congress four times; the latter once. Matson was nom- inated on the first ballot, the vote standing 7621/2 for Matson, 4581/2 for Myers. Mat- son's nomination was made unanimous.
For Lieutenant-Governor, Captain Wil- liam R. Myers was, on motion of Judge David S. Gooding, nominated by acclama- tion. In like manner Robert W. Miers of Bloomington was nominated for Secretary of State.
Three candidates were entered for the State Auditorship: Charles A. Munson of Fort Wayne, Hugh Dougherty of Bluffton and Eli W. Brown of Columbia City. On the first ballot Munson had 624 votes, Dougherty 4421/2, Brown 118, James 461/2. On motion of Mr. Dougherty, the nomina- tion of Charles A. Munson was made unan- imous.
For State Treasurer, Thomas B. Byrnes of Evansville was nominated by acclama- tion.
The race for the Attorney-Generalship was quite spirited. There were four en- tries: John R. Wilson of Indianapolis, Senator Alonzo Greene Smith of North Vernon, Judge O. J. Glessner of Shelby- ville and Judge James McCabe of Warren county. After the second ballot Senator Smith moved that the nomination of Mr. Wilson be made by acclamation. This was seconded by Judge McCabe and the conven- tion so declared without dissent.
As in 1882, Judge William E. Niblack was again honored with a renomination for the supreme bench for the First dis- trict. For the Second district Judge George V. Howk was renominated by the decisive vote of 922 as against 309 for Hugh D. McMullen of Dearborn county. For the Fourth district Judge Allen Zollars was also renominated on the first ballot, he receiving 1,029 votes as against 202 votes cast for William H. Carroll of Grant county.
In the main the convention was harmo- nious and fairly but not boisterously en- thusiastic.
CLEVELAND AND THURMAN NOM- INATED AT ST. LOUIS.
There is substantial agreement among those who attended the Democratic Na- tional Convention at St. Louis that it was a decidedly tame affair. Everybody took it for granted that Grover Cleveland would be renominated by acclamation, and that whomsoever his campaign managers might name as his running mate would be chosen. How and in what spirit this was done is thus told by Colonel A. K. McClure, who was there:
"The Democratic National Convention of 1888 met at St. Louis on June 5, and it was the most perfunctory body of the kind I have ever witnessed. I never saw a national political body so entirely devoid of enthusiasm, yet it was entirely fixed in its purpose to renominate President Cleve- land. He appealed strongly to the convic- tions and judgment of the party, but not to its affection or enthusiasm. He was
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HISTORY INDIANA DEMOCRACY-1816-1916
nominated by a unanimous vote without the formality of a ballot, and it had been settled long before the convention met that the sturdy old Roman of Ohio, ex-Senator Thurman, should be the candidate for the second place, as Vice-President Hendricks had died in office.
"Patrick A. Collins of Massachusetts was permanent president of the body, and there were no questions of rules or party policy to excite discussion. Cleveland's nomination was unanimous, and on the single ballot for Vice-President, Allen G. Thurman of Ohio had 690 votes to 105 for Isaac P. Gray of Indiana, and 25 for John C. Black of Illinois."
In regard to the campaign of 1888, I am also going to let Colonel McClure tell the story. He does it fairly in these words:
"The contest of 1888 differed from the Cleveland contest of 1884 in its freedom from vituperation and bitterness. It was conducted with earnestness and dignity on both sides. Neither of the candidates greatly enthused the rank and file of their party, as did Blaine and Hancock in former national conflicts, but they commanded not only the entire confidence and respect of their parties, but also of the whole country. Cleveland took little personal part in the conflict, but Harrison made a most vigor- ous and telling campaign by his almost daily speeches delivered to visiting delega- tions at Indianapolis, in which he discussed every phase of the public questions of the day. These addresses were doubtless care- fully prepared and given to the Associated Press, but they were not only very able, but they were singularly versatile and adroit, and presented Harrison to the public in an entirely new light. I cannot recall another Presidential contest that was conducted on both sides with greater dignity and de- cency than that between Cleveland and Harrison in 1888. Nearly equal respect was shown to both candidates in the Gar- field-Hancock contest of 1880, but the famous forgery of the Morey letter to con- trol the vote of the Pacific States against Garfield and the Credit Mobilier scandal marred the dignity of that conflict.".
The vote of Indiana for President and Governor is here given :
FOR PRESIDENT.
Benjamin Harrison, Republican. 263,361
Grover Cleveland, Democrat. 261,013
Clinton B. Fisk, Prohibitionist 9,881
Alson J. Streeter, Union Labor 2,694
FOR GOVERNOR.
Alvin P. Hovey, Republican 263,194
Courtland C. Matson, Democrat. 260,994
Jasper S. Hughes, Prohibitionist 9,920
John B. Milroy, Labor Union 2,702
FOR LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR.
Ira J. Chase, Republican. 263,166
William R. Myers, Democrat 261,011
John W. Baxter, Prohibitionist. 10,066
Hiram Maine, Union Labor. 2,737
The pluralities were: Hovey over Mat- son, 2,200; Chase over Myers, 2,155; Charles F. Griffin over Robert W. Miers for Secretary of State, 2,319; Julius A. Lemcke over Thomas B. Byrnes for Treas- urer of State, 2,374; Bruce Carr over Charles A. Munson for State Auditor, 1,946.
In the election of members of Congress the Republicans fared badly this year. They succeeded in electing only three of their thirteen nominees. These three were Thomas M. Browne in the Sixth, Joseph B. Cheadle in the Ninth, William D. Owen in the Tenth. New men chosen by the Demo- crats were William F. Parrett in the First, George W. Cooper in the Fifth, Elijah V. Brookshire in the Eighth, Augustus N. Martin in the Eleventh, Charles A. O. Mc- Clellan in the Twelfth. Democrats re- elected were O'Neall, Holman, Bynum and Shively.
The 1888 campaign in Indiana was not an overly exciting one. A good deal of stress was laid upon the fact that for the first time in its history Indiana had been honored with a Presidential nomination in the person of Benjamin Harrison. State pride was strongly appealed to, but judging from the slight difference in the votes cast for General Harrison for President and General Hovey for Governor this appeal to State pride did not sway many voters.
It is worthy of note that General Alvin
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Peterson Hovey, the Republican nominee for Governor, was in former years a Demo- crat of considerable prominence. He was admitted to the bar in 1842, commissioned first lieutenant in 1846 for service in the war with Mexico, elected a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of Indiana, 1850; Circuit Judge, 1851-1854; was defeated as Democratic nominee for Supreme Judge in 1854, but by Governor Wright appointed to fill a vacancy in that tribunal; appointed United States District Attorney by Presi- dent Pierce in 1856 and removed by Presi- dent Buchanan in 1858; served with dis- tinction in the Union army until 1865; commissioned as United States Minister to the Republic of Peru in 1865; resigned in 1870; elected to Congress in 1886, serving until January 17, 1889, when he resigned to be inaugurated as Governor of Indiana, to which position he had been elected a few months before. He served as Governor until his death in Indianapolis, November 23, 1891, and was succeeded by Lieutenant- Governor Ira J. Chase, who became Act- ing-Governor for the remainder of the term and was succeeded by Claude Mat- thews, Democrat, in January, 1893.
Hovey's unsuccessful competitor in the
gubernatorial race of 1888, Courtland C. Matson, was born at Brookville, Ind., April 25, 1841; the son of John A. Matson, who, during the forties, as nominee of the Whig party, made an unsuccessful race for the Governorship of Indiana. Young Matson graduated from Asbury University (now De Pauw) in 1862; enlisted as a private in the Sixteenth Indiana Volunteers, and after one year's service entered the In- diana Sixth Cavalry, served until October, 1865, and rose to the rank of colonel. After the war he qualified himself for the law; was three times elected Prosecuting Attorney; served as Chairman of the Democratic State Committee in 1878, and was for four successive terms elected to Congress. Upon his retirement from Con- gressional service he resumed the practice of law. Governor Marshall appointed him a State Tax Commissioner, which position he filled most acceptably for a term of four years. At this writing (August, 1915,) he is a resident of Chicago. He is highly esteemed as a man of pure character and inflexible integrity.
Col. Matson died in Chicago from the effects of an operation, September 4, 1915. Burial at Greencastle.
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[CHAPTER XLIII.] POLITICAL PENDULUM AGAIN SWINGS
IN THE DIRECTION OF IRREPRESSIBLE DEMOCRACY- A SWEEPING VICTORY IN 1890
ELEGATED as one of the trus- D tees of the Institute for the Education of the Blind in part to represent Indiana at the Na- tional Conference of Correction and Charities for 1889, at Bal- timore, I concluded, at the close of the deliberations of that gathering, to run over to the National Capital with a view to mingling with the statesmen and absorbing some of the political wisdom that permeates the atmosphere in that locality. The famous Kentucky journalist, George D. Prentice, used to say in his in- imitable style that he never got in sight of the National Capital but that he experi- enced an irresistible longing to steal some- thing. Though making, in my younger days, frequent pilgrimages to the Capital of the Nation, I never experienced any such longing as Prentice facetiously as- cribed to himself. On the contrary, I al- ways congratulated myself on carefully guarding my usually scant yet adequate supply of legal tender to meet my modest requirements.
Upon meeting Senator Voorhees, that whole-souled, big-hearted statesman in- vited me to take a ride with him on the following morning. He said that while out riding, away from the haunts and im- mune from being importuned for this or that, afforded the best of opportunities for quietly and uninterruptedly talking mat- ters over, comparing notes, etc. At the appointed hour we started out on our jour- ney. It did not take long for the Senator to unburden his mind and to pour out his soul. He started out by inquiring whether I had given any thought to the make-up of the Democratic State ticket for next year. In answer I told him that some very
excellent men had announced their readi- ness to go on the ticket, among them Cap- tain W. J. Hilligoss, formerly editor of the Huntington Democrat and later on in charge of the Citizens street railroad at Muncie, who would consider himself hon- ored by being nominated for Secretary of State. "That's the very position about which I feel deeply concerned," the Sen- ator replied. "I have given the political situation in Indiana much earnest thought and have reached the conclusion that the welfare of our party demands the nomina- tion of some intelligent farmer to head the ticket. I have such a man in mind. He lives in my part of the State, in an adjoin- ing county. You must have met him at our State convention in 1880, when he was persuaded to offer himself as a candidate for Lieutenant-Governor. Political condi- tions then made his nomination impossi- ble. As you know, the nomination for that office was thrust upon Colonel Isaac P. Gray. The man who, in my judgment, ought to head our ticket for 1890 is Claude Mat- thews, a progressive farmer in Vermilion county, and in all respects qualified for the office of Secretary of State and capable of conducting a campaign creditably and effectively. He is a native of Kentucky; his wife is a daughter of former Governor and United States Senator Whitcomb, in his day the idol of Indiana Democracy. I appreciate fully your relations to Captain Hilligoss as a fellow-newspaper man, but on the other hand you must admit that in politics we cannot always be governed by personal relations or personal feeling. An emergency exists that points unerringly to duty to nominate a man like Claude Matthews to head our ticket in 1890. I don't like to ask you to sacrifice personal
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