The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-03-12
rhe courier and Gov. Baker.

The unwarrantable attack of IL Q
Courier upon Gov. BAKER, for his
pardon Of HOWARD STRETcHER, has
greatly Disguised the members of its
own party, not only in this city, but
throughout the State. Without stop
ping to ascertain the facts in the case,
the Courier made haste to accuse Gov.
BAKER of the meanest kind Of an act
to advance his own personal interest
in the smallest possible way. It's
knowledge Of the Governor ought to
have Influenced it to such an extent
as to prevent his hasty condemnation.
But its party zeal, which is in no wise
tempered by sound judgment or
political experience, outran its discre-
ton, and it was guilty of a ridiculous
political blunder, while at the same
time doing gross injustice to an esti-
mable citizen. Ia commenting on
the Curriers' attack upon the Cover
nor, the New Albany Ledger admin
listers the following rebuke:
The Evansville Courier does great
injustice to Governor Baker In a no.
tice of his pardon of Howard
Stretcher, sentenced to the State pris-
on for two years for the killing of
Andrew Stewart on the night that the
President attempted to speak in front
of the Bates House, indianapolis.
Stewart was one of the Republican
mob who prevented the President
from speaking, and Stretcher was one
of a number of Democrats who en-
deavOred to dispense the mob. In the
melee Stewart was shot and killed,
and Stretcher is supposed to have
fired the pistol For this he was con-
victed. In pardOning him, Governor
Baker has done a cOmmendable act,
as there were doubts of Stretcher's
guilt, and at any rate Stewart was en-
gagged in an unlawful proceeding at
the time he was killed. The writer
in the Courier has certainly misaPpre-
hended the facts in this case.
To this connection the indianapolis
correspondent of the Cincinnati Ga
zette writes a paragraph, which we
deem worthy Of being copied. He
says:
The Evansville Courier did a very
foolish and stupid thing when it
charged Gov. Baker with pardoning
Howard Stretcher for political reasons,
and that he thereby doubtless secured
a Radical vote for him next October.
The truth is, that Stretcher, being the
man who shot James Stewart, at the
time of Johnson's reception here,
when on his swing around the circle,
was, and still Is, rampant Democrat,
and was one of the crowd who under
took to defend the President on that
occasion from what they pretended to
regard as an attack upon him. The
Courier well knows that such charge
as 1t brings against Gov. Baker Is the
last one that the people could be
tempted to believe. Such has
been his kindness of heart
and honesty of purpose combined,
that Republicans have been free to
complain at times, that he did not
habltually turn to the advantage of
the party, opportunities which his
political opponents would not have
hesItated to use under like cireum-
stances. Democrats are the last ones
who should complain Of Governor
Bakers administration, for he has
constantl- made party feeling subor-
dinate to the general good He has
acted upon the belief that the Gov
ernor of State should look upon
all persons as equally entitled to the
protection Of the laws, without refer