The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-02-13

the angel. and all appear before the Al
mighty TO answer for deeds done in the body,
then we shall THE VILE BCFFooN, THE
FIDDLE PLAYER N ILLINOIS DoGGERGEs, THE
NUMBERING WRETCH. THE VULGAR JOKER OVER
DEAD SOLDIERS GRAVES, walk up to hear his
sentence and that will be, we imagine,
something like this: Your crimes are nu-
merous; you have allowed robbery and muir
der; you have allowed all that is forbidden;
| therefore send you to the lowest depths Of
hell, there to endure the worst torture that
can be given. AND | HEREBY APPOINT JONI
WILKES BoOrH 10 SEE IT DONE, As lie ONCE
TOOK CHARGE Of YOUR CASE AND DONE A RIGHT
EoUs ACT; AND | KNOW Ir CAN KEEP on IN HIS
GOOD WORK. DEPART FOREVER FROM 1Hg PRES
ENcE OF ALL THAT Is MORAL, HONEST AND Up
RIGHT"
These are the utterances Of Horace Heifren,
the self-convicted conspirator and leading
Democrat three years after the death of Lin
coin at the hands OF an assassin no more in
famous but only more courageous than the ten
whom Heffren knew had been detailed to
make away with Governor Morton.
But his moral turptude never injured him
with the political party of his choice, and
Horace Hef1ren remained a leading Demo-
crat, as he always had been, high in the
councils of that organization. In 1880, can
wasting in the interest of Democracy, Horace
Heffren took the stump in opposition to the
then pending amendments, all of which were
afterward adopted despite the opposition of
his party. In speaking at Pekin, this State,
on the fourth amendment to strike out the
word white from the State constitution, so
as 20 place our colored fellow-citizens on the
same plane with the white in the written Or
ganic law of the State, Heffren said:
Il am opposed to striking out the word
white in the first amendment proposed, and
also opposed to the second proposed amend
ment, for very simple reason In 1850 the
constitution, as il now stands, was voted
upon and carried by large majority. That
part in regard to negroes and mulattoeS set
thing in the State was submitted separately,
and was carried by n majority of almost
10000. 81 y Let the oldlandmarks remain TO
show us degenerate sons of noble sires that
there was Il time in Indiana when the negro
race was not the equal of the white"
And finally, in January, 1888, just twenty
two years after Horace Heffren first pro-
claimed his dishonor, he rises in his seat in
the House of Representatives of the Indiana
Legislature, aid as the leading Democrat in
that body, admitting the basenesS OF his fear
asks what is to be done about it.
In no single instance has Horace Heffren
come into prominence but as the champion
of wrong and as the representative OF infa-
nous principles and opinions His presence
in the State Legislature to-day is proof
strong as Holy Writ of the real feeling enter
tanned by the Democratic party toward
man conspicuous in all that is abhorent to
every loyal heart. His constituency is the
Democratic party, and by its support he is
its acknowledged leader in the House OF Rep
resentatives. Here is his record, plainly
written and so manifestly true that even he
will not presume to mpeach it. Indeed he
will not care to do so, but will rather glory
i'll his shame and rejoice in the control he
exercises over the dominant party in the
State. Sustained and encouraged by his Dem
ocratic colleagues, he will doubtless again
demand of the loyal people of Indiana:
What are you going to do about it?'