Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1845-05-22
From the Indiana state Journal of My 81.
To THE EDITOR OF THE INDIANA STATE JOURNAL.


Sir 1 have just received your paper of the 22d
inst IN which you take exception TO editorial in
the New York Sun Of the 4th inst, which editorial
alluding a communication on our public debt pub
lIshed by me IN that paper day or two BEFORE says,
that ''strenuousy and uniformly opposed the Ill
digested and reckless system which has overwhelmed
Indiana in 50 grevlous burden of debit that was
considered the leader Of the opposition" to that ys-
tem and, further that 50 was the author and intro
Queer of the bill which finally arrested its progress
This, you say, is not true; and you add, as it
appeared in the same paper that published commu-
nication from Mr.. Owen the State debt it would
not be unreasonable to INFER that it met his approba
ton"
Though am in no sense, responsible for this edi-
torial, the substance of which, from the wording,
seems to have been gathered from contemporary,
yet your Inference IS far Just that | In New
York at the time, and read the article after
1t appeared and, had it been substantially inaccurate,
it my duty as an honest man, TO publish a dis
clamer, which did not do.
am sorry this matter has come up, in this con-
nexion. purpoSely avoided, in my communication,
all ausion to my own course, that unlmpOrant per-
sonalities might not be introduced to embarrass
question vital this touching the redemption of
State credit But, since you have thought worth
while to assert, that was a strenuous supporter,
rather than opponent, Of our Internal improvement
system and since, if this true | ain placed in
the situation of permitting and my friends who may
have copied the paragraph, of claiming, credit which
belongs not to me at ALL trust shall not be charge
able with egotism, if l offer few words in reply.
| say then, that, in substance, the Sun paragraph
is strictly true As to being sthe leader of the oppo-
sit0n, 1t not for to make any such assertion
that is matter of opinion; but have been often
tainted such, In days when the anti-internal
proyement men stood in a hopeless minority, that
suppose if get trife of credit for it now it is but
fair equivalent for little of the abuse encounter
ed then.
What was meant during the three sessions that
served In the Legislature by the antI-interna
improvement men, ''anti-system men, and similar
epIthets If you in the least familiar with the leg
slatve history of that period you know, that these
and all similar terms meant, in the universal parlance
of the day. ''claSsi6ers " that is men who desired to
classify the public works to take up two of
these only at time and drop all the rest, until
should see how these first succeeded Afterwards
when it became evident that classification, strictly
called, could not be carried, the term "m)dlfer was
substituted; applying to those who sought to check
the system to modify its plan of management; to
curtai the annual expenditure; to cut down the board
of Internal Improvement and to arrest the operations
the more hopeless works. This finally effect
ed by the so-called Modification bill - of which. by
and by
There was not to be found in the Legislature, at
the time obtained seat there single individual,
who proposed or who thought it practicable to repeal
the entire system By the Mammoth Bill, passed.
as you admit, before was member, the system was
considered to be rrevocably fastened upon US. We
all submitted to this necessity. We thought only
of restricting its growth and essening its burdens.
There were then, but two parties IN the Legislature
system men, and s'classifers." member had to
belong to other Of these two parties sup
posing him to have proposed entire repeal, he would
have stood SOLITARY and alOne,' party all to him
self. The classifiers universally termed and
held to be, by friends and foes anti-system OPP
ponents OF internal improvement. They we're, in our
4tor
plan succeeded it would not, indeed have destroyed
the system it would not have averted all the evil that
has fallen upon II would not have wholly saved
the State from the burden of debt but, In its prac-
cal effects 1t would have arrested, probably, three
fourths of the works it would have kept back and
thereby ultimately saved threefourths of the expen-
diture; that which it commenced it would have
pleted that would have been, this day,
derived from it. In word, it would, In all human
probability, by wholly changing the headOng course
of policy which the internal improvement had
adopted have preserved untouched even by suspicion,
the fair fame ard credit of our State
One who, from first to last, perseveringly advo-
Gated the policy of classification may, then, in the
very strctest sense of the expression, be called a
strenuous and uniform opposer of the idgested and
reckless system, which has overwhelmed Indiana with
so grlevous burden of debt"
And such was. The very first classification reso-
luton introduced into House of Representa-
tves bears date the 18th of January 1881; that was
during my first session. 1t was proposed by Joseph
A. Wright, member Of the late Congress. / refer
you the vote upon it in our House Journal for 1886
II, at page 292. The vote stood 63 to 20. And, in
that small minority Of twenty nine you will find my
vote recorded.
At the next session the proposal to classify re-
newed by member from Wayne county. Allow me,
illustration of the stand taken by myself and other
classifers, to quote few words from my remarks on
motion to lay that proposal, the table, cut
them from file of the Indiana Democrat, of Decem-
Der 1887. After expressing the opinion, that we
could not now destroy the system, without ruin, OF
something like it, to Indiana and that the question
was, how should go on, whether with prudent and
cautions, or with rash and headlong step; added
at Is weighty matter, surely, sir matter wor-
thy of all the care and thought and calculation we
can bestow upon If a matter in deciding which nc
local or sectional feelings should find place in
huence. To me, sir, to every man among US, who
like myself, expects live and die In Indiana and
who hopes to see his children grow up citizens of the
State-to each and all Of us who may be thus situa
ed, 1T s question involving our dearest interests
how we shall proceed with the Great System. Who
sir, can look on with indifference, and know, thai
questions agitated, the decision of which may
depend, whether Lis children shall pay the govern
nent tax almost equal to the income Of the property
they own,-whether their own farms they shall
live, it were, but renters-or whether they shall
enjoy the prosperity in which we ourselves still rejoice
Are sure, that such question Is not involved IL
the mode Of conducting, for the future, our system
Internal improvement yes in the discussion OF th'
very proposal regarding cLAsslFIcATIcS, which, .,
this motion 10 lay on the table, il is proposed un
hestafngly to thrust aside, subject too frivolous
even TO merit inquiry"
80 ON L a