The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-10-06
POLITICAL.
Speech OF Gen. Ben Harrison at La
fayette.
cDErENsE oF rHE, ADMINISTRATORS.

DEFENSE OIf THE, ADAfINIS'TRA
FRAUDS AND CoRRUPTIoNs. STATE Np.sA-
TIONAL FINANCES AND THE TEMPERANCE
QUESTION CONSIDERED.
FELLOW CITIZENS or INpIANA: The officers to
be chosen at the approaching election n In
SianawhiIe not the highest In our government,
are to exercise hurtfui or benehcent IN
nuenes over your local affairs as well as in max
ing themselves felt in the administration OF the
general government at Washington. And while
there is absent from this campaign. that execute
gnent which characterizes our Presi ientiai year.
I am glad to know that there is throughout the
state of Indiana heslthful yet quiet inter
est I'm the issues to be determined at the APP
u-oachiug election. Under oar form Of gov
ssrnment it can not he said that any Office
Is insignihcanto or unimpOrtant. Even the lowest
functiouary in the administration of the county
o. township business may, By an honest ener-
gstic and faithful administration OF the law, 80
far as IL Is cOnhded in him. add success and
prosperity in toe eonl immunity in which he exer-
cises his functions: or II, on the other hand ne
he untaihfll TO his trust, he will set an example
0funfai hfuiness. corruption, and will greatly
ttiSOTganize he private affairs OF the people We
axe TO choose AT THIS election msu. bers OF our
Sta'e legislature. and congressman to represent
as in the national Congress our ioeis
lators are to selec. one senator 70
rs in this highest department of our national
legislature. TseSe men, II rightly chosen, VI
oar government, 4 th-y are men of probtSy of
character and Intelligence, may greatly adj
and of the nation OF which We are citizens. l
come before you tonight briefly 70 present the
claims OF the republican party TO your suffrage.
j IN not sneak To those who are unfamiliar with
its history. lt may not claim venerable name
II does not date its origin far back in our nat
annals, but il may justly claim TO have held the
teim Of our national ship through the seyerest
20 pass and to have held il with a steunch and
true hand. party that had It's origin, not In
the scheming manip1lations OF pontica,ns . out
TIE great idea of freedom. The party, which,
under Fremont, fought IT'S first presidential
held Kansas free State. The party which ever
since has been true to the principle OF
UNIVERSAL LIBERTY AND EQUALITY.
We are confronted in this campaign BY oar Old
adversary under its old name and banner. We
fought the last campaign with party that had
cropped the democratic name and professed TO
furl its banner, to be looked upon simply as a
relic of antiquity. They went into the campaign
with the declaration that they had turned their
back upon those obnoxious features and meas
which that party had advocated, upon
which the Anne lean people had time and again
get the seal OF its dlsapprobation: 1t was pro-
aud pr S. tina this union OF the democracy with
the disafected republicans in ls72 was mere
device to break our Tanks-to be used simply as
entering wedge for democratic supremacy.
This charge was Indignantly denied. They
have verified the accusation; they have
organized again in Indiana and through
out the country under their old name;
banner; they claim The SURFACES OF the Ameri- |
can people and to dispOssess tue republican oar
Sgd national present. eov eSnIS nSon
rious pretenses. The first and that which |
Is most loudly and often spoke of, is thas the
Ininistration OF national and state affairs par |
ticularly in the administ alton o the national
terrain their audiences with graphic and de-
tailed descriptions of the Sanborn frauds, the
Of the credit mobilier frauds, all of which they
charge upon the republican party and % rea-
RE should dispossess Us of political power.
I 1ont claim that there have not been bad men
cslied to oftiee by the republican party don't
legislation. | don't claim that there has not
teen occasionally called 10 places of public trust
UNTRUE To THEIR OBLIGATIONS.
Gut our friends claim % dispossess u.s. that th ey
nay turn out these fraudulent men anu pat
honest men in their places 1 do make this
claim for the republican party, that never since
oar government has been government has
there been political party organized
and in power that has shown such
complete control over corruptions mani
testing themselves within its own limits,
such a willingness and determination to ferret
claim thst We have mani ested the dis
position and power to slough of corrupt
members. Let me call your attention
Tor a moment to these frauds about which there
mas been SO much Misrepresentation. Who
was il that called attention TO the cor
rnpt credit mobilier frauds? Who was II
mat prosecuted that Investigation before
the congressional commifte with re,
Until the very bottom of the iniquity had been
reached: They would nos be turned aside from
It's investigation, although the Investigation
seemed to involve in public shame men who
have held high places in the republican party.
lt was republican Congress. IL was republican
committees that disclosed and ferreted out.
brought to light and 1nished the authors OF this
iniquty. How was il in the case of the SAN
born contract and the District of Columbia
frauds? The same thing was conspicuous there.
It was republican Congress that repealed
The law on which those SanbOrn contracts were
made. IL was republican Congress that IL yes
jgated aud pnt out of power those District off,
Gals which had
BETRAYED THEIR TRUST. ia
Conspicuous among these Investigators was
the distinguished congressman, Judge Jerry
Wilson, from the Connersville district; and who
does not recall, for it is of recent
history, the vigor with which he prosecuted that
investigation thwarting every effort to deceive
bare to the i nation the great a ' In.
iquity. Who does not remember that the re-
trict officials and put the temporary control of
the district government in the hands of officials
from abroad. men Of integrity and probity and
while no man may claim that has lived long. as
ne looks back in retrospect from old age
We may claim that our common intention has
been in all things to secure and promote public
good, that we have dealt unreentieSsiy
and sever ly with every manifestation OF cor
Euption within our party. Way then, should
these occasional manifestations of corruption
be the reason for displacing the republican, par
~ from power. tell you, my friends. il mas not
Deen the history Of the democratic party that
g has been ready TO expose party frauds, t.
tear down party leaders If they became involved
in corruption. IL never the INSTRUMENT
OF punishment to its own TecuSant
yartisans. On the other hand IL has been
The history of that party that they nave
chosen 10 defend or palate the corrup-
attention to the remarkable independence
which is manifested blythe republican press
throughout the whole country upon this ques-
ton. Whoever they may be, however high they
were In popular favor, or in Office VINO ever