The Indianapolis Journal

Let the Cat Out of the Bag.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.

VALPARAISO, Ind., Oct. 29.—The Democrats are becoming demoralized in this county and the leaders are being severely criticised for bringing Hon. Samuel M. Ralston here to make a speech. A Democratic candidate for office can hope to be elected in this county only by a large number of Republicans scratching their ticket. For that reason the Democratic nominees favor a still-hunt and get pledges from Republican voters on account of personal friendship. Up to the evening of Ralston's speech the Democratic leaders had claimed that free silver was not an issue and when their candidate for secretary of state devoted more than an hour of his time in favor of the free coinage of silver at the ratio of 16 to 1 and the rest of the time in abusing the administration for the way in which it conducted the war, the Democrats were first astonished and then their astonishment grew to indignation at the way they were trapped. At least one-third of those in the audience were active working Republicans and attended the speech to learn what a Democrat could have to talk about. Since then the Republicans have lost no opportunity to chide the Democrats for hiring a speaker who made votes for the Republican ticket, until now it is not safe to mention the name of Ralston to a friend of one of the Democratic candidates on the county ticket.