The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1874-09-09
"BE JUST AND FEAR MOTT
RICHMOND.

tee. 10 avoid THESE lneVltaDle evils
of reputation the Democratic State
officers, three of whom we're Sons of
Liberty, had nothing to do but take
the money out of the Treasury where
there was plenty doing nothing but
making money for the Treasurer, a
favorite Democratic employment for
public money, and resorted to again
in 1871, the very first time the party
obtained power again Governor Nor
ton repeatedly applied to these officers
for the money to pay the July INSTALL
mcnt of interest, but was peremptor-
lily refused. The Democratic State
Agent, John G. Walker, of rebel no
toriety, said he would neither receive
the money for interest, nor pay 1t out,
though that was just what he was
sworn to do and about all he had to
do. You see. curious reader, j ohm T..
Walker, like a good many other Dem
ocrats of that day, had tlken another
oath, to the Sons of Liberty this time,
which he deemed more sacred than
his oath OF Office, and the former re-
quired him to do his best for the re-
bellion. That is where tie milk got
into his cocoa-nut'' as well as MIR.
Auditor Ristine s. and Mr.. Secretary
Athon's, and Mr. Attorney-General
Hord's s, who all joined in this repudl-
alton scheme Now, for fear OF a
mandamus from court compelling
( them to pay. case was made up be-
tween Mr.. Hord and Mr.. Talbot.
President OF the Sinking Fund Board,
another Democrat. which, upon an
''agrecd" state efiacts, asked the Ma
rion Circuit Court, Judge Fabius NJ.
/ Finch, what the law was. The object
was to get his decision and appeal it
to the Democratic Supreme Court in
time to get final decision, generally
regarded as settled affair, against
any payment of interest without ap-
preparation, before the July INSTALL
ment Tell due. This would defeat the
interest for that time and for the
whole of the following year, making
two years of reputation. To get the
case into the Supreme Court in time
to allow the motions OF argument
and examination to be gone through,
and decision to be made early
enough to repudiate the July interest.
this made W" case had to be hurried
through the lower court. Judge Finch
was not disposed to hurry. He want
ed to look into the matter. But July
was coming close, and the repudiating
decision was needed badly So cer-
tifcate was taken to the County Clerk
| that Judge Finch had made final
decision, and upon this certificate a
transcript" was demanded to take
the case to the Supreme Court. The
clerk made it. and the case went to
I the Democratic Supreme Court, the
same bench that killed the free schools
| five years before. When Judge Finch
learned what had been done he de-
nounced it in open court as a fraud;
declared that he had made no final
decision, and that the case was still in
his court. The County Clerk pub
lished a card putting the authorship
of the trick upon Mr.. Attorney Gen
eral Hord The case thus got to the
Supreme Court by what the lower
court said was a fraud, with no le-
gal right, and by no legal course. II
! was clearly the duty of the appellate
court to send the transcript back anG
allow the lower court to complete the
case, and send it up legally. Bu'
these Democrats would not do it
They entertained the case sent tt
them by fraud, and the transcript
procured by fraud, and decided, a!
everybody knew they would two week
before as well as they did for tw'
weeks after, that the interest coult
not be paid without a special appro
priation for it, as if the State coul,
not keep its promise and preserve it
credit, without fresh law for it ever.
, time debt had to be paid The de
cision was preposterous, as all decis
ions prostitut,d to such mean inter
ests must be, and was hailed with lin
, extinguishable laughter" all over tn
! land. And, though as we'll meant t
force reputation as any act could be
Governor Morton defeated it by Dor
rowing the money and paying the in
terest himself, while Democratic off
GERS were pocketing S5O, 600 to 90
a year from the public money the
! had, and would not use. This is tn
6 history of the last Democratic attemI
~ ud;otiop Tp1iopnpo1,c 1our