The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-08-30
ESTABLISHED. 1881.
me Oanal EMlndle AgaIn.

The Sentinel has been considering
for several days the question we pur
to it concerning the canal swindle.
On last Tuesday morning il reminded
us Of cur duties and obligations TO the
public in following language:
There are great issues Of public policy
| which the people are interested In ha wing
determined Alright. These, as It's readers
well know. are ignored by the central or
gan Of Ihe Republican parry"
Our readers know exactly the re.
verse. Some things they do know,
however; and for fear the Sentinel may
have forgotten them. we will now re-
/ mind Il of one important issue of pub
| lie policy which it not only ignores
| but about which IL stubbornly refuses
to give az opinion. We suppose the
| people are interested" in knowing what
party and what journals are in "a.
vor of saddiing the State With debt
of over $4,000 600 on account Of the
canal business. BY an equitable ar
rangement with the creditors. made
many years ago. the State was relieved
entirely from this burden. The only
way the tax payers can be compelled
to pay this immense sum is By an act
of the Legislature. Efforts have been
made in this direction repeatedly since
the Republican party have had con.
troll of the legislature, but they have
failed. Prominent Democrats In the
legislature have favored the scheme,
and Hon BIyless w. Hama, now
Democratic candidate for Attorney
General. aud at the time a Democratic
Senator in the State Legislature, said,
10 a spf ech delivered 10 the State SEN
ate concerning this matter
" am unwilling to propoFe a eonstitu-
{ onal amendment wbton re udtatas part
of the - ate de0t. Ifthere 10 not some Gov
cred design TO rtpudiaie some portion OF
the debt some Wherei then what is the use
oftne amendment?"
Tne Republican party proposes il its
State platform TO SO amend the Con
stitution as TO prohibit forever any Leg
islation looking TO the assumption Of
this debt By the State. The Demo
cratic party preserves an ominous ST.
lence on this important question iu-
volving Sc 100000 to tho tax payers
We and all Republican papers iu the
State, have announeeed our hostility
to the measure. The Sentinel has been
asked a score of times to say whether
il is ia favor Of or against it. IL has
never said yea or nay. To use It's o Rn
language: This
-agreat issue OF public policy which the
pc pie are interested in having deiermin.
organ OF the party"
Ii the Sentinel is in favor Of the
claim of the canal stock and bond
holders. and thinks il is right that the
tax rayer4 of State should pay them
the $6 O00, 900. why not say so and sup
port tue claim BY fair argumenta. II
aoy can be produced. II the Sentinel
is opposed 10 it how easy for it to say
so. There must be some reason for the
silence Of the SsntiReL Ia this great
issue OF public policy which the peO-
Pile are Interested Ia having determin-
ed Alright" We have it from Demo
cratic authority, aud we give il for
what il is worth. that a meeting was
held in this city, a. the resideBCs Of a
relative of the proprietor of the Sen
tiHel, where the matter was discussed,
and where measures were proposed 10
put the scheme through he State Leg
islature By bribery We have the
same authority for saying thai another
relative of the proprietor of the Sen
incl, in a conversation with o DsmO
cratic banker. now a resident Of this
cify, boasted Of his intended specula
tion in the canal stock or bonds, say
ing that they could then be purchased
for a nominal SUN, aud would be
good Investment when the scheme was
consumated by an act of the Legisla
ture. We know this other fact: that
a prominent Eastern banker, who is
reported to be largely interested 10
this matter, furnished the funds to
to build the present SsntineL building,
and has deed of trust upon the whole
concern for large sum OF money.
Now these things may account for
the silence of the Sentinel. IL leaves
US TO infer that it iavors the scheme,
bat dare not advocate it for fear Of It's
effects upon the success Of the party in
the fall electioo Ind journal