The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-08-15
From the Madison Courier. j
wabash ana Erie Canal.

From the Madison CouTier.l
Wabash ana Erie Canal.
The Sentinel refers to the article
which appeared in this paper one day
last week, in relation to the Canal and
the position of the Democratic party,
and its own, in reference to the scheme
for defrauding the people for the bene-
ft of certain Democrats, the owners
stock. The SeasiReEs article, to
which we are now referring, does
not bear the impress of honesty.
In the start it gives q brief
history Of the transfer of the Canal to
the company, in 1847, for one half. of
the then State debt. Then quotes
the section of the Constitution inhib-
iting the creation of debt, except for
certain specified objects: To pay in
terest on the State debt, repel inya-
sion, suppress insurrecti0n, or, If hos
tilities be threatened, to provide for
the public defense with this clause
in the Constitution, the Sentinel says
it would be work of sEpererogation
to oppose the assumption of the
Canal debt. There lies the trouble !
The contract with the holders
of the State bonds was made in
1847, before the present Constitution
was framed, and any provision against
the creation of debt 10 the new Con-
stitution does not apply TO indebted
ness incurred under the old; and all
the schemers have to do Is to get Leg
islative action affirming the liability
of the State prior to the adoption of
the prese Mt Constitution, or an act to
permit the Canal Company to sue the
State. If the Democratic State ticket
and majority of the Senators and
Representatives in the new General
Assembly of the State should be
elected, the success of the schemers
is certain. A Democratic Supreme
Court would act in harmony with a
Democratic Legislature and for the
benefit, as it seems generally under
stood they are, Democratic owners of
the Canal stock.
The lobbyists have been on hand at
Indianapolis, as regularly as the Leg
islature meets, to see what prospect
there was to obtain the sanction of a
Republican majority to get their ''lit-
tie bill through. Threats have been
made that the influence of the cor
ruption fund, which is large, would be
tried in the election of Senators and
members of the Legislature, and we
have been told that a large holder
of canal stock avowed that had they
known of the bitter hostility of Gov
ernor Baker to the plumber scheme
they could have managed to wipe out
his little majority of a thousand votes.
That there is scheme to plumber the
people of the State there caanot be
a reasonable doubt, and there is as
little doubt that the schemers are the
owners of the canal-mainly Indi-
ana Democrats and New York specu-
lators.
The Sentinel quotes the opinion of
Joseph e. Mcdonald in 1859. His
opinion, adverse to the claim of the
canal, would now be pertinent had he
been nominated for the place Of At
torney General by his party in Janu
airy last. and was now the candidate
for that office. We pass over the fact
that Mr.. Mcdonald does not stand
very high in the estimation of the
SentinepS wing of the Democracy, to
the EXPIRE sed opinion of the present
candidate in relation to the liability
OF the State TO the Canal Company
which has heretofore been published
in this paper. March 7th, 1867,
Mr.. Hanna, In a speech made
in the State Senate, on a propo
sition to amend the Constitution SO as
to prevent the Wabash and Erie
Canal from being forced upon the
State, said: He was unwilling to
propose a constitutional amendment
which repudiGtts part of The State debt
If there is not some covert desigu to
repudiate some portion of the debt
somewhere, what is the use of an
amendment" It is seen that the
Democratic candidate for Attorney
General views the claim of the Canal
Company as now a part of the State
debtll IF he is elected law officer of
the State, we can set down his of
ficial opinion in favor of this specula
ton, as well now as a year hence.
No individual will try case before
court which has pre- judged it. IF
the people elect Mr.. Hanna and the
Democratic candidates for the Su-
preme Bench, will they not be organ
izing a court TO decide a case involv-
ing ten millions of dollars against
them2 The opinion of the candidate
for Attorney General In 1867 is a
crusher on the opinion of Mr. Mo
Donald in 1859.
The Sentinel does not deny com
plicity in the cana speculation for its
sole proprietor and editors, but it is
swift to put in a denial for the /" Dem
ocratic party" By what authority
does the Sentin speak for its party
on a question the State Convention Of
the party refused, neglected. or feared
to speak in January last2 Ii the
party is opposed to the States assum-
ing the whole or part of the claim.
why is it not in the State platform?
1t could have been inserted in as few
words as is used in declaring :. that
the fve-.wenty bonds are payable in
greenbacks or their equivalent" aud
would have been. had the sentiment
of the Democrats against the payment
of the canal claim been as patent as
il is against paying the Eve twenty
bonds.
THE NEEDLE GUN.-A writer ia the
Chicago Tribune gives this description