New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-01-23
Color In The Indiana Legislature.

State officers. among whom was Canal Trus-
tee. The following Is the cx;rae: above p.
ferred to:
CANAL TEUsTEE.
When this Office was reached. Senator
| Dwiggins suggested the query whether the
provision Of the Butler bill, requiring tha,
the election OF Canal Trustees should be by
ballot, was still binding. He said he had
been informed by the Governor that it had
been the almost uniform custom I, elect
these trustees riga yocs.
Gen. kimball called attention T. the clause
Of the constitution which provides that all
elections by the General Assembly, or either
branch thereof, shall be era r5ct. and said
this enactment nullitled the provisions of the
Butler bill. to which the senate referred.
Mr.. Williams cOnteEded that the provision
Of the Butler bill was still! in force. and said
that, so far from its having been ignored iu
previous elections, only one election had ever
been held rira roce.
Mr.. Brown corrobor.tel tits statement,
and sustained the position taken by Mr.. vii
liams. He said tho law Of 1885,, was n
legislative contract, OF which the clause re.
ferred to wa3 4 part, and il could not be
abrogated by either legislative or c0nstitu-
tional enactment. 1t had been insinuated
that this demand for vote By ballot was a
trick to defeat Mr.. Hinton, that certain Re-
publicans who were pledged to vote for him
would avail themselves, on 4 ballot, Of the
opportunity to disregard their pledge. For
his part he wanted to place himself beyond
suspicion. He was ready to vote for Mr..
Hinton either rira roce Or by ballot and he
could not believe that any Republican would
do otherwise. He believed the law required
the election to lie held hy ballot, and hoped
its requirements would lie complied with.
But he appealed to the personal honor and
integrity Of every Republican to sustain their
nominee. lie closed with a motion that
the vote be taken by ballot, which President
Friedey decided out Of order.
Senator Williams subsequently, gorc-el
the motion, and the PrcsiIen: again ruled it
out Of order.
Mr.. Williams appealed from tie decision
OF the Chair, and the Chair promptly decided
that the appeal was ont o: order AMI would
not be entertained. Nothing was in order
but nominations FIR the Office = Canal
Trustee.
Mr.. Williams srinned a gin which lacked
but little of bisecting his head into two hcn!-
spheres, but said nothing.
AN INFANT IN DIsTaEss.
Meanwhile that precociou5 infant, EcpIc-
sentative willard, had been listening with q
perpleXed expression upon his boardess face.
He had heard of the Butler bill, and Of the
Wabash and Erie canal, ana it Is ros,ible
that he had even heard o.. the constitution Of
the State Of Indiana. His limited intell.
gence enabled him to understand that scri-
Gus question was pending, and he tancicd tina.
his position, as the sen 0t a noble Sire, re-
CURED that he should contribute the conclu-
sions Il his gigantic intellect 70 the cluci,!a-
ton Of the problem. Bat .pr tie life Of him
he couldn't get the hang Of ii. And 50, as
the discussion went Oh and he heard the ar
Suments OF the opposing parties, lie shifted
his quid OF betel nut hclplcs-ly from one
cheek to the other, looking for all the world
like a lump Of dough struck by lightning.
While he was thus Illuminating, uncertain
whether he should take the door and expose
this gigantic fraud, or whatever it might be,
or cast his overwhelming influence in favor
of this measure Of absolute justice, or what
ever it might be, Gen. Knnbal nominated
Hon. r. S. Hinton, Of Marion, and Mr.. Hall
Hon. Cyrus T. Nixon, Of Floyd, for Trustee
Of the Wabash and Erie canal.
Before the vote was taken Cen. Kinba!l
read the following note from Mr.. Nixon,
which was received with great applause by
the Republicans.
N!IoN'5 LETTER
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
January II, 1879.
HoE. 4. ". N5I, 5s:y1tQry Democratic caucus
DEAR SIR submitted Icy name in good
faith to the Republican caucus last night Is
a candidate for Canal Trustee. The Ecpub-
licans. IN their wisdom, selected another than
myself for the place. cannot honorably ac-
cept your offer. am Republican, and can
not go back on the usages Of my party. l
shall not consent to be candidate for Canal
Trustee before the General Assembly.
Yours truly, CYRUS I. NGIoE.
The call Of the roll then proceeded.
When Senator Halls name was called, lac
rose to explain his vote. He said the posi-
ton Of Trustee Of the Wabash aud Erie canal,
who was required to discharge trust involv-
ing 5000, OG0, was no triting affair. There
was a great difference between man who
ma ave been accustomed to handle sx-
per,,- and dimes, and could never think Of
the number of dollars involved III this trust,
wen in the form of cents.
Mr.. Hall lost himself in this sentence and
never found his way out, but managed to an
nouncc that he cast his vote for Mr.. Nixon.
When General Kimball's name was called,
he, too, claimed the privilege Of explaining
his vote. He said lie should have been very
glad to cast his vote for Mr.. Nixon as Canal
Trustee or any other Office within the gift Of
the Assembly. But Mr. Nixon had submit.
ted his name to the Republican caucus which
had decided against him. He was therefore
compelled to vote for Mr.. Hinton. In further
reply to the gentleman (Mr. Hali) so far as
the computation Of dollars and cents is con-
cerned, Mr.. Hinton is the equal Of the gentle
man, or any other man in this house or the
State. So far as his qualifications COX the pc
sitiOn to which lie aspires are concerned, he
is the equal Of any man who low compCscs
the Board Of Directors. Mr.. Hinton is a
gentleman Of education he IS scholar, and
he is Republican. He proved himself true
to his country, true to all the rights Of hu-
manity and true to Republicanism and, sir,
l cannot sit in my seat and hear any ceieC-
ton upon tho ability, the sense, or the quail
fications Of gentleman whom know to be
Of personal moral worth, and Of standing
equal to any man in this y seGlbly, ana the
peer of his fellow-citiZens Of the ',lata oil
Indiana.
The vote resulted Is !ollow.:
For Mr.. Hinton:
Senators Beardsley, Brown Bunyan, Col
lett, Daggy, Dwiggins, fried!ey Of Scott,
Cooling, Haworth, Howard, Hubbard, Mi
Ter. NeN, O'Bren. Oliver, Rhodes, Scott.
>leeti,. Steele. Taylor, Thompson, Waise,
and Mr.. President ~22::;.