The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1856-10-06
Prof. Larratee.

This individual is the Democratic candidate
for the responsible Office Of Superintendent of
Public instruction in this State. He once
before held this Office, and in no manner proved
that his qualifications for the position were
of superior order-certainly not so much high
er than those of many other gentlemen in the
State, that in the face of serious and half I'M
answered charges against him, he should be
again run for that position. 1t is singular
fact and fact as yet utterly unexplained by
Prof LarTabee, that he went into the office of
Superintendent of Public Instruction, poor
man, scarcely worth dollar in the world, and
two years afterwards he left that office worth
at least twenty thousand dollars-yet his sal
airy was only s., 500 per annum! 1t has been
charged upon him that he made this money,
or the greater part of it, by specializing off the
Public School Funds, in the purchase of pub
lie libraries Prof L. has once or twice, prob
ably oftener, endeayored to answer this charge.
We do not believe there is an intelligent man
in the State, who believes he has fully done
this. But even if he had-when and how
during the two years he was Superintendent
of Public Instruction? We have asked him,
and others have done the same, to explain this
mystery. If he can make proper explana-
ton of that, nothing more will be said by his
bitterest opponents relative to that sum having
been made by dishonest speculations off the
public School Fund But until he does make
some explanation, the people of Indiana have
a right to believe he made his money dishonesty
while enjoying the high Office to which he
again aspires. If he made it outside of his
Office, let him say sos He has not said SO. He
has not dared breath a word in public as to
hOw this money was made. No honest man.
no man having at heart the cause of education
in this State, should vote for Prof Larrabee,
while such financial mystery clings about his
political skirts. He is at the head of news
paper, and certainly has ample opportunities
to address the people on the subject.
But charges probably more seriously affect
ing the personal character of Prot. Larabee
have been made. He has been charged with
unchaste and criminal conduct in connection
with unfortunate female inmates of an Asylum
Of which he is superintendent. These charges
were made against him long time ago.
Finding that they had to be answered in some
manner he asked an investigation of the
charges. lie was tried before FIVE Trustees,
all his personal and political friends-in fact a
partial jury, who could scarcely be expected
under any circumstances to publish him to the
political world, good Democrat as he was and
as they all were, guilty of such heinous crimes
Yet two of these three Trustees declared by
their votes, that he was guilty! Now that
these charges have again been brought up, he
seeks to crush them forever by declaring that
when first these charges were brought against
him, he demanded an investigation of their
truth, and he was, after fair trial, acquitted
of the charges. As the Secretary of this In
vestigation took full minutes of the evidence,
Prot. Larrabee has been challenged to publish
this evidence, and let the people of Indiana
Judge for themselves whether or not he is
guilty. They have right to k,aOa0. If the
opportunity is not thus afforded them to learn
the truth by what right dare he ask or claim
their votes? He has not published this evil
dence as yet. Dare he do it? Ifhe is innocent,
as the editor of the State Journal remarks,
the evidence cannot do him harm. If this ev-
idence points to his guilt, men Of all parties
should spurn and spit upon him, and public
indignation and contempt should hurl him
from a>position which but few men can dis
grace, editor of the leading Old Line paper in
this State, but even to which he might fix an
additional stigma.