History of the Indiana democracy, 1816-1916, Part 47

Author: Stoll, John B., 1843-1926
Publication date: 1917
Publisher: Indianapolis : Indiana Democratic Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1104

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SHANKLIN - CLEVELAND DEMON- STRATION.

A remarkable demonstration of popular enthusiasm was made the night before the convention. The Cleveland Club of In- dianapolis marched to the Grand Hotel, Democratic headquarters, to pay homage

to John G. Shanklin, the Cleveland candi- date for Governor. In response to vocifer- ous calls Mr. Shanklin made his appear- ance on the balcony and delivered this re- markable speech :

"Fellow-countrymen : I can hardly ex- press the gratification I feel at being honored by this call. I do not take it to myself altogether, for you know that in a recent utterance I said that 90 per cent. of the party in Indiana is in favor of Cleveland for President of the United States. I stand here upon the eve of the convention, before which my name is to be presented for Governor, and reiterate the statement. If my defeat is the price I must pay for this expression, I wish to say that I court the sacrifice. It is a mat- ter of small moment, where the gentlemen who are my opponents are men of so much capacity and honor, which of us is selected as the standard bearer, but it is of vital consequence of everlasting importance that Cleveland be nominated for President at Chicago. We have all heard of a con- ference of gentlemen to devise a compro- mise as to the claims of the friends of Cleveland and the friends of ex-Governor Gray. Now, with all due respect to the gentlemen, all of whom are personal and political friends of mine, they do not all believe, perhaps, that I am the best one to lead on the State ticket, though the Lord may, perhaps, show them better in a dream tonight-the plan was not needed. There is no factional spirit in the Democratic party of Indiana. When 90 per cent. of the party is behind one name, one prin- cipal, there is not enough left to make a faction out of it. No Democrat wishes to humiliate or reflect upon our gallant lead- er, Hon. Isaac Pusey Gray-there is no man in this vast audience or in the State to whom I yield in respect to Mr. Gray. If word of ours would make him President, we would sound it with loud hurrah. But what sense is there in trying to hide or misrepresent the real sentiment of the party ? I say the Democracy of Indiana is not for him, but for Grover Cleveland. Let me be understood as respecting the opinion of every Democrat. There may come up some conditions which might be more favorable to Governor Gray.

"I have never been charged with at- tempting the role of boss. Down in In-

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diana, on the banks of the classic Ohio, where I make my home and where every- body knows me, I don't believe any one will accuse me of trying to be a boss. I have the reputation, on the contrary, of being rather modest in my social and political relations. But has it ever occurred to our friends in that conference for compact and compromise. those self-appointed guardians who promulgated as essence of -well, I won't characterize-did it ever occur to them that perhaps they might be laying themselves liable to the faintest shadow of a suspicion of the charge of bossism? Why, they have themselves actually selected four delegates who shall represent the party at large. Now, if the whole of the party's interests and the ex- pression of the party sentiment is to be committed to a half-dozen of our party leaders. no matter how much is involved, why shall the convention assemble at all? I believe that tomorrow, when the Demo- cratic hosts are in convention assembled, they should be allowed to express their true sentiment and opinion. They should be given the opportunity frankly and can- didly to express their real attitude toward Cleveland. He is the man who gave us the issue which led us to victory. He it was who found our banner trailing in the dust and raised its proud folds aloft. He it was that took our ship, stormbeaten and rud- derless, and set it safely upon its course. He it is who stands for the great principles of Jefferson, equal rights to all and class privileges to none. It is to this feast of great principles that you are now invited, and at the head of the table is where Mc- Dougal sits. I wish again to say that if the sentiment of this convention is opposed to instructing our delegates for Cleveland, let us have no instructions. If the senti- ment is for instructions for Gray, then let us have instructions for him. If there should be instructions, the sentiment should be bravely expressed. But I am sure the sentiment is for Cleveland. When the name of Cleveland is received with so loud acclaim, it is evidence to me that the party will not be satisfied with any other candidate. I undertake to say that not since Lincoln's second nomination has there been such a popular demand for the nomination of any one man as there is for Cleveland. I look upon the voice of the people as the voice of heaven, which should be respected. The minority should not be

allowed to dictate the choice of the major- ity. There is, therefore, no such thing as compromise.

"The assumption of the compact re- minds me of a story of Mark Twain. He said whenever he and his wife had a dif- ference and she had her way, which she always did, she would call it a compromise. If we just let the conference and its com- pact in favor of the small per cent. who favor Gray, then that's what they call a compromise. I stand for the Democracy of Indiana. Our friends in the conference say in the written suggestion that it is un- questionably true that a large majority of the party favors Cleveland, and that he is therefore the logical candidate, therefore they resolve to cast their vote of Indiana for-Gray. This is trifling with the peo- ple. I make no charges personally. I believe these friends were doing what they thought for the best interests of the party, but we cannot afford to stultify ourselves. If the compact does not mean what I say, I do not understand it. I do not want to misrepresent it. What we are all striving for is success. It is not the personality of Cleveland; it is not Cleveland as an indi- vidual that we are so heartily in favor of him. It is because he is the incarnation of the Democratic theory of government. There is no one else who embodies so com- pletely the Democratic ideas. Now, in conclusion, let me ask for three cheers for Cleveland, the next President of the United States."

Two years later he who delivered this fulsome laudation of Grover Cleveland de- nounced in unmeasured terms the subserv- iency of Grover Cleveland to the money power. The idol of 1892 became an object of fiercest arraignment on the charge of having proved recreant to pure and unde- filed Democracy. Verily, times change and politicians change with them.

In the contest for places on the supreme bench. Jeptha D. New was nominated on the first ballot over William R. Johnson for the Second district. Cyrus F. McNutt was pitted against James McCabe and defeated by 5731/0 to 7291/2. For the Fifth district there were three contestants-Timothy E. Howard of South Bend, Thomas J. Wood of Crown Point and George Burson of

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Winamac. Howard was declared duly nominated on the first ballot, the vote be- ing: Howard, 870; Wood, 145; Burson, 287.

At the time Jeptha D. New was nom- inated for the supreme bench he held, by appointment of the Governor, the posi- tion of Appellate Judge. This court was created by the General Assembly of 1891, which was overwhelmingly Democratic. The Governor, in making the appoint- ments, named three Republicans and two Democrats. They were: James B. Black, Milton S. Robinson and Edgar S. Crum- packer (Republicans), and Jeptha D. New and George L. Reinhard (Democrats). At the 1892 election all the five Democratic nominees for the Appellate Court were chosen to serve six years from January 1, 1893. Judge New, honored citizen and in- tellectual giant that he was, terminated his useful career on earth July 9, 1892, and Leonard J. Hackney of Shelbyville was by the State Central Committee named to fill the vacancy on the ticket. Like the rest of his associates in that campaign, he was triumphantly elected.

STATE CENTRAL COMMITTEE.

(Elected at District Conventions in January.)

1. August Brentano, Evansville.

2. William M. Moss, Bloomfield.

3. M. Z. Stannard, Jeffersonville.

4. William H. O'Brien, Lawrenceburg.

5. William Hickam, Spencer.

6. Charles W. Buchanan, Union City.

7. Thomas Taggart, Indianapolis.

8. James M. Hoskins, Brazil.

9. David F. Allen, Frankfort.

10. Henry A. Barnhart, Rochester.

11. Jerome Herff, Peru.

12. Wright W. Rockhill, Fort Wayne.

13. Ed. F. Marshall, South Bend.

DELEGATES TO NATIONAL CONVENTION.

At Large-Daniel W. Voorhees, Samuel E. Morss, Hugh Dougherty, Charles L. Jewett. Al- ternates-Crawford Fairbanks,

Lewis Fox, Charles Korbly, David F. Allen.

1. E. P. Richardson, Pike county. Philip Zoercher, Perry.

2. R. C. Huston, Lawrence. W. A. Cullop, Knox.

3. E. J. Nikalaus, Clark. D. A. Jennings, Washington.

4. Herman Frickler, Franklin. John Beggs, Shelby.

5. W. S. Shirley, Morgan. O. B. Johnson, Hendricks.

6. Joshua Chitwood, Fayette. J. H. Smith, Delaware.

7. Will E. English, Marion. Judge Alex. Ayres, Marion.

8. John E. Lamb, Vigo. Thomas Catlin, Parke.

9. Richard Tyre, Boone. Jas. Murdock, Tippecanoe.

10. C. R. Pollard, Carroll. J. E. Cass, Porter.

11. Herman Witte. E. E. Megriff, Jay.

12. Samuel M. Foster, Allen, N. B. Newnam, Noble.

13. Harry S. Chester, Elkhart. Orlando M. Packard, Marshall.

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORS.

At Large-William H. Bracken of Brookville, John C. Robinson of Spencer.

1. Thomas Duncan, Gibson.

2. Ephraim Inman, Martin.

3. George H. Voight, Clark.

4. Carroll Tandy, Switzerland.

5. Luther Short, Johnson.

6. Thomas Baggott, Henry.

7. Albert Lieber, Marion.

8. A. W. Knight, Clay.

9. Theodore T. Davis, Hamilton.

10. H. D. Hattery, Cass.

11. D. W. Krisher, Wabash.

12. O. L. Ballou, Lagrange.

13. Preston F. Miles, Kosciusko.

DUAL CANDIDACY ABANDONED BY CLAUDE MATTHEWS.

Considerable time was required before Secretary of State Claude Matthews suc- ceeded in persuading himself to publicly avow his candidacy for the governorship. It was less than two weeks before the holding of the State convention that he finally came to a decisive conclusion. The following letter, written in longhand, in a measure reveals the state of his mind with reference to letting go of a sure thing and taking chances on securing something higher :

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HISTORY INDIANA DEMOCRACY-1816-1916

"Indianapolis, Ind., April 9, 1892.

"Dear Mr. Stoll :- Herein I enclose you a letter announcing my candidacy for the nomination for Governor. It will be pub- lished in Monday's papers as it will be sent out through the Associated Press. I addressed it to Colonel Matson in reply to one just received from him, in which he urges that I owe it to my friends and party to no longer hesitate or decline.

"Well, the die is cast and the rubicon crossed, and I can only trust it is for the best. With the assistance of my friends, and I know they will cheerfully give it, I cannot but hope to succeed. Whatever the result may be, I am content if I have even in such small way discharged any of the obligations I am under to my party.

"About thirteen gentlemen, representa- tive men (I wish you could have been with us), met here last Thursday night and all were of the opinion that I should boldly enter the race.

"I did not want to publish the letter un- til after the convention in this county to- day, and was so advised by all. I hope the letter will meet your approval, as I tried to make it brief, frank, and to the point. I am no longer in the equivocal position of holding on to one office and desiring another. Others will announce for Secretary of State. Among them, I be- lieve, will be Captain Hilligoss and Hon. W. R. Myers. These have both been talked of.

"I shall ever bear in grateful remem- brance the kind words spoken of me by yourself, and the generous acts and assist- ance to me.

"Should it ever be in my power to be of service to you, you will only have to com- mand me.

"With sincerest regards, I remain,

"Most truly your friend, "CLAUDE MATTHEWS."

MAIN PLANKS OF 1892 PLATFORM.

"We, the Democracy of Indiana, in dele- gate convention assembled, reaffirm our devotion to the time-honored principles of our historic party. We believe that the powers delegated by the people should be strictly construed; that the autonomy of the States and the rights of local self-gov- ernment and home rule should be jealously guarded; that no money should be taken from the people under any pretext for

other than public purposes; that the strict- est economy should be exercised in all Government expenditures, whether local, State or national; that legislation should be confined to the legitimate objects of government; that public office is a solemn public trust. We are uncompromisingly opposed to the enlargement and concentra- tion of Federal powers; to the usurpation by the central Government of the func- tions of the States; to bounties and sub- sidies in every form; to every species of class legislation and Government partner- ship with private enterprises ; to the whole theory and practice of paternalism.

"We believe that in a 'free country the curtailment of the absolute rights of the individual should only be such as is essen- tial to the peace and good order of the community,' and we regard all legislation looking to the infringement of liberty of person or conscience, not absolutely neces- sary to the maintenance of public order, as vicious in principle and demoralizing in practice.

"We arraign the administration of Benjamin Harrison for its subserviency to the interests of the money power, which created it, and its indifference to the wel- fare of the people; for its brazen violation of its solemn pledges to the country, to elevate and purify the public service; for its shameless prostitution of the public patronage to the vilest partisan purposes, as illustrated by the sale of a Cabinet office to John Wanamaker; by the employ- ment of the Pension Bureau as a party machine, and by the promotion of William A. Woods to a higher post in the Federal judiciary as a reward for his services in saving the "blocks-of-five" conspirators from the penitentiary; for its contempt- uous repudiation of its promises to the veteran soldiers of the Union; for its wicked attempt to fasten upon this coun- try the odious and un-American force bill, intended to deprive the people of the right to regulate their own elections.

"We believe that there should be kept in constant circulation a full and sufficient volume of money, consisting of gold, silver and legal tender paper currency at par with each other.

"We favor the election of United States Senators directly by the people and com- mend Senator Turpie for his efforts in Congress to secure this great reform. We indorse the course of our distinguished

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Senators Daniel W. Voorhees and David Turpie.

"We most heartily applaud the action of our two last Legislatures in passing the school book laws, thereby giving the people of Indiana a complete series of school text- books equal to those formerly used at one- half of the old trust prices. We pledge ourselves to resist every attempt of the school book combine to regain their control of Indiana and by that means bring about the frequent expensive changes in books, of which the people justly complained in former years.

"We heartily endorse the new tax law as a wise and beneficent act, by which the increased revenues necessary for the sup- port of the State government are raised entirely from the corporations of the State that had heretofore unjustly escaped their fair proportion of taxation. We commend the Legislature for refusing to adopt Gov- ernor Hovey's recommendation to increase the State levy from 12 cents to 25 cents on the $100.00, and for meeting the necessary expenses of the State's benevolent institu- tions by a levy of 6 cents on the $100.00.

"For twenty years the Republican party has legislated for the rich and powerful and in the interest of corporate wealth. The Democratic party pledges itself to remedy the costs growing out of such class legislation and in all future contests to stand by the great producing masses whose toil and self-sacrificing are at the foundation of all natural wealth.

"Resolved, That this convention indorse the wise and patriotic administration of Grover Cleveland; that the Presidential campaign of 1892 should be conducted on the issue of tariff reform as defined in the Presidential message of 1887; that upon this issue Mr. Cleveland is the logical can- didate of the Democratic party.

"Resolved, That the Democratic party of Indiana expresses its unalterable con- fidence in and attachment to its gallant leader, Isaac P. Gray; that it holds him worthy of any honor in the gift of the American people, and that his name be presented to the convention by the delega- tion this day appointed, and in the event that the national convention deems the nomination of Mr. Cleveland inexpedient, the delegation is instructed to use every honorable effort to secure the nomination of Governor Isaac P. Gray for the Presi- dency."

Patching up an agreement as to how the delegation to the national convention should vote was no easy task. Various constructions were placed on the resolu- tions bearing on this subject. The final outcome was that Cleveland got the benefit of Indiana's entire vote. This was brought about by a positive pledge of the Cleveland management to secure Governor Isaac P. Gray's nomination for Vice-President. Much bitterness came to the surface. Senator Voorhees, afflicted with gout, was in a very despondent mood over the situa- tion. He was bitter in his denunciations and declared that nothing but disaster could come out of the chaotic conditions that had been created by the discordant elements that had been fighting so vicious- ly from the moment they had reached Chi- cago. How Cleveland's nomination was effected is thus narrated by Colonel Mc- Clure :

"The Democratic National Convention met at Chicago on June 21, and Cleveland was nominated for a third time after the most desperate and acrimonious strife I have ever witnessed in a national conven- tion. It was on that occasion that Bourke Cockran made a speech against Cleveland that gave him national fame, and it was one of extraordinary ability and power. The convention was really adverse to Cleveland's nomination. Had a majority of the delegates followed their own per- sonal inclinations he would have been de- feated, and he was nominated solely by the matchless leadership of William C. Whitney. But for him and his wonderful skill and energy the convention would have run away from Cleveland at the outset. Never in the history of American politics was there such an achievement as the nomination of Cleveland over the solid and aggressively hostile vote of his own State of New York, that was regarded as the pivotal State of the battle. Tammany had always opposed Cleveland in national con- ventions, but never before had control of the delegation against him, and a protest was published to the convention signed by every delegate from the State, demanding his defeat.

"Cleveland was strong with the people

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HISTORY INDIANA DEMOCRACY-1816-1916

but weak with the political leaders, and it was only Whitney's masterful manage- ment of the convention that held it to Cleveland. The platform was made by the enemies of Cleveland; the nomination for Vice-President was made over his friends, and the hostility to him was so pronounced that the opposing leaders were confident of his defeat at the polls. The convention sat at night and far on in the morning hours, when Cleveland received 617 votes, just ten more than were necessary to nominate him. Had he not been nominated on that ballot his defeat would have been certain.

"The strength of Cleveland's position before the people was pointedly illustrated by his nomination in a convention that was not specially friendly, but that was forced to make him the candidate because of the overwhelming popular Democratic senti- ment that demanded it. A year or so be- fore the convention met he had written a brief and positive letter against the free coinage of silver, and the Democrats of the South and West almost with one voice de- clared against him at the time, but when the Democratic people faced the conditions presented by the battle of 1892, the masses came to the support of Cleveland and the leaders were compelled to follow. The cheap-money craze had made serious in- roads in both of the great parties, and the Republican platform was a weak and awk- ward straddle of the whole issue, while the Democratic convention had an honest money plank declaring for bi-metallism and the free use of gold and silver with the intrinsic value of the dollar to be main- tained.

"The Democratic convention at Chicago was presided over by William C. Owens of Kentucky as temporary president, and William L. Wilson of West Virginia as permanent president. After a protracted and acrimonious discussion that extended the session of the convention of the second day until long after midnight, the ballot for President was finally reached, result- ing as follows :

Grover Cleveland, New York. . . 617} David B. Hill, New York. 114 Horace Boies, lowa. .103 Arthur P. Gorman, Maryland .. 36} Adlai E. Stevenson, Illinois. . 163 Scattering 22

"There was an animated contest for Vice-President and the special friends of

Cleveland were united in favor of Isaac P. Gray of Indiana, but they were defeated in their choice, as they were on several vital points of the platform. Only one bal- lot was had for Vice-President, resulting as follows:

Adlai E. Stevenson, Illinois. . .402

Isaac P. Gray, Indiana .. .344 Allen B. Morse, Michigan. . . 86 John L. Mitchell, Wisconsin. . 45

Scattering 33

"Stevenson had not received the requi- site two-thirds, but he so far outstripped the candidate of the Cleveland leaders that they cordially acquiesced, and the nomina- tion of Stevenson was made unanimous."

In view of the fact that no Democratic victories were scored in Indiana at any of the elections after 1892 up to 1908, it is fitting that unusual prominence be given to the returns of the two elections that stand out in bold relief as among the most decisive ballot verdicts recorded up to that period in the history of the State.

OFFICIAL VOTE IN 1892.

FOR PRESIDENT.

Grover Cleveland, Democrat .. 262,740 7,125

Benjamin Harrison, Republican .. .255,615 John Bidwell, Prohibition. 13,050

James B. Weaver, People's. 22,208

FOR GOVERNOR.

Claude Matthews, Democrat.

.260,601

6,976

Ira J. Chase, Republican.

.253,625

Aaron Worth, Prohibition.

12,960

Leroy Templeton, People's

22,017.

FOR LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR.

Mortimer Nye, Democrat.

260,364

6,770

Theodore Shockney, Republican.

.253,594

FOR SECRETARY OF STATE.

William R. Myers, Democrat.

.260,338

6,715

Aaron Jones, Republican.

.253,623

FOR AUDITOR OF STATE.

J. Oscar Henderson, Democrat .... 260,340 6,772 John W. Coons, Republican .. ... 253,568

FOR TREASURER OF STATE.

Albert Gall, Democrat.

260,347

6,797

Frederick J. Scholz, Republican ..

.253,550

FOR ATTORNEY-GENERAL.

Alonzo G. Smith, Democrat.

. 260,156

6,510

Joseph D. Ferrall, Republican. .

.253,646

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HISTORY INDIANA DEMOCRACY-1816-1916

FOR REPORTER SUPREME COURT.

Sidney R. Moon, Democrat. 260,367 6,758

George P. Haywood, Republican ... 253,609

FOR SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC IN- STRUCTION.

6,836

Harvey D. Vories, Democrat.

.260,431

James H. Henry, Republican

253,595

FOR CHIEF OF BUREAU OF STATISTICS.

William A. Peelle, Jr., Democrat .. 260,390 6,795 Simeon J. Thompson, Republican. . 253,595

FOR JUDGE SUPREME COURT, SECOND DISTRICT.

Leonard J. Hackney, Democrat .. .. 260,403 6,687 John D. Miller, Republican. .253,716

FOR JUDGE SUPREME COURT, THIRD DIS- TRICT.

James McCabe, Democrat.

260,295

6,460

Byron K. Elliott, Republican

253,835

FOR JUDGE SUPREME COURT, FIFTH DIS- TRICT.

Timothy E. Howard, Democrat .... 260,377 6,616

FOR APPELLATE COURT JUDGES.

George L. Reinhard, Democrat, 6,812 plurality over Aden G. Cavens, Republican.

Frank E. Gavin, Democrat, 6,688 plurality over Charles B. Baker, Republican.

Theodore P. Davis, Democrat, 6,558 plurality over James B. Black, Republican.

Orlando J. Lotz, Democrat, 6,672 plurality over Henry C. Fox, Republican.

George E. Ross, Democrat, 6,666 plurality over Edward E. Crumpacker, Republican.

MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, 1892.

-First District --

Arthur H. Taylor, Democrat.

19,720

454

A. P. Twineham, Republican . 19,266

-Second District-

John L. Bretz, Democrat. 17,700 B. M. Willoughby, Republican. 15,731

1,969

-Third District-

Jason B. Brown, Democrat.

.20,928

2,971

William H. Borden, Republican. ... 17,957

-Fourth District-

William S. Holman, Democrat.

.19,008

Samuel M. Jones, Republican.

15,927

3,081

-Fifth District

George W. Cooper, Democrat. .17,698 1,058

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History of the Indiana democracy, 1816-1916, Part 47

Author: Stoll, John B., 1843-1926 Publication date: 1917 Publisher: Indianapolis : Indiana Democratic Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1104

Author: Stoll, John B., 1843-1926
Publication date: 1917
Publisher: Indianapolis : Indiana Democratic Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1104