The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-01-22
uNcHANG1NG DEMOCRACY.

The crippled soldier who hobbled into the
hall of the House twenty years ago to-day
found body of men who had been elected
the preceding October on the plea that the
war was not prosecuted with sufficient vigor
and by denouncing the proclamation which
had informed the rebels that unless they laid
down their arms the slaves within certain
districts should be set free. They were err
gagged in devising measures for turning the
military forces of the State into the hands Of
the State officers and robbing the Governor
of his rightful authority as the constitutional
chief of the militia of the State, Just how
this measure would tend to strengthen the
cause of the Union the crippled
soldier could not imagine nor did
any man fully comprehend the
magnitude and bearing of the measure until,
eighteen months later, one of the commits
stoned officers of the band of eonspirators,
under oath, and to save his own life at the
probable expense of the lives of his comrades,
exposed the inwardness of this movement.
Even then The plot to release the rebel pris-
one!s and to assassinate Governor Morton
was wei. advanced, ana it needed only this
control of the State militia and the State
arms and ammunition to make it a success.
twelve years before, by the constitution,
clothed the Governor with the authority of
commander-in-chiefo of the military forces of
the State, with such duties as that RESPONSE
BILE office implied, but what cared body of
men who were intent on embarrassing
the government for the constitution?
The same crippled soldier, stepping INTO the
Senate, found that body not only engaged in
this same scheme, but also engaged in con,
sidering contest for the seat of Hon. T. NJ.
Browne, of Randolph, an honorable man
and honorably and honestly elected, 1t was
not that his place was needed for immediate
service for Democrat, for the majority was
already large enough, but it might be needed
for the possible contingencies of the future.
Let that same crippled soldier drop into
either branch of the Indiana Legislature TO-
day, and he will find that, though he had
somehow hoped that twenty years would
have toned down the character of the Democ-
racy, it is not only the same Democracy, but
it is engineered by the same men. Hon.
Jason B. Brown, then the leader
of the House. has been trans
ferred to the Senate. and is still
the leader, and Hon. Horace Heffren, twenty
two years ago the leader of the House, who
offered his body then less in size than now,
as an obstruction to the march of loyal men
upon the territory OF the rebels, is now the
leader of the same House. The Intervening
episode of an attempt to assassinate Governor
Morton and turn Indiana into a field of
blood does not detract from his influence to-
day, but rather adds to it, Not q man upon
the floor of the House has more influence
with his party than this same Heffren. But
the identity of character, after a lapse of
twenty years, is not more remarkable than
the identity of purpose. Nothing is more
important in this Legislature than
the robbing of the Governor of
the duties which even a Democratic
Legislature conferred upon the office
only a few years ago. Just V hat political
yillainy is in the womb Of the future no one