The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-10-19
SPIRIT OF THE PRESS.

WITH a leader chosen by the people and plat
form to which he is pledged by his character and
antecedents; with candidate nominated by the
party in its broadcast and best capacity, the Re-
pubicans will go into the campaign of 1884
compelled, it may be, to fight little harder, but
nevertheless to win.-Philadelphia Press.
IF we cannot win Democrats to our party we
must do nothing that will drive Republicans
| from us. The great aim of our platforms should
be to hold party together, ana to DO this in
divldual opinions on minor questions should be
sacrificed in the interests of the broader princi
pies upon which the entire party, throughout
the nation, can meet.-Cleveland Leader.
OF the powers of Congress to deal with the
matter tpOlygamy) little needs to be said The
United States Supreme Court has Just declared
that in the Territories "the legislative power of
Congress is unlimited" This fact, in connec-
ton with Governor Murray's warnings and the
public defiance of the general government by
the recent Mormon conference, leads the Ameri-
| can people to expect of Congress action of an
extraordinary character.-Chicago Inter Ocean.
GREENBACKS are often boarded now on ac-
count of their legal-tender qualities. What peo-
pie want and must have, when the slightest
shadow falls across the sunny face of the specu-
lative b0Oms in which thescountry INDUCES, is
legal-tender money. Gold is always boarded
more closely than paper. Make gold our only
legal tender and the tendency to hide it away,
already credited with the disappearance of hun
dreds of millions, would be greatly increased.
Chicago Tribune.
MEN must be held responsible for their deedso
Justice must be swift and certain. We have ton
much cant, too much sentimentalism, too muco
tolerance. One murder unpublished leads tn
another. There 1S no desire for vengeance ! s
the demand that blood outlines Is punished a,
the law requires; 1t is simply plea for peace
for order, for safety We must chain up the
men who are smltten with the bog1eidal mania;
we must make them understand that they are
not law unto themselves. We have murders
frequently; we will continue to have them as
long as murder is not punished as a crime
Louisville Courier-JournaL
EVEN extreme Prohbtionists feel that in a
presidential election the temperance question is
not practical one. In State election, where
the regulation of the liquor traffic by the State
Is an issue, 1t does happen that some thousands
of them are led, as they were in Ohio, into vot-
ing so as to aid the party OF free rum, instead of
that party which has done more than all others
for temperance. But, even among these the
State to the liquor traffic cannot, without alb
surdity, affect their votes upon the adminlstra-
ton of the national finances. etc. The fuctua
lions OF the prohibition vote in Ohio show this.
New York Tribune
AT present 1t 1.-THE pension bureau] lacks
neither money, nor clerks, nor applicants for
pensions and arrearages; but it seems to work
under singular difficulties in being unable to de-
termine with sufficient rapidly and accuracy
who is entitled to a pension and who Is not 1t
is known that the bureau has hundreds of mil
lions to disburse; what wonder that fraud
ulent applications or illegitmate or Illegal plead
ings for an allowance are rampant! The temp
tations are so great as TO Justify law which
viii nflict exemplary punishment upon all cases
of fraudulent applications and false representa-
tiOns, not to mention dishonest presentations.
Boston Advertiser.
THE civil service act, properly enforced, will
substantially abolish the power of pOlit cians to
suppress and prevent public opinion, by means
of patronage, and leave the people free to vote
their real convictions. If, therefore, the people
condemn and despise this contemplate ped
ding of the higher offices among politicians,
they will find means to put stop to it. Our
own belief ia that there is a growing public
opinion which will prove quite equal to the
task, and we should advise the politicians at
each end of Pennsylvania avenue to take note
OF it, If they do not, we suspect that the time
is approaching in American politics when Sub
segment proceedings will interest them no
more. New York Tunes.
1T 1.-THE civirights decisonl will probably
meet the approval of a very large majority of
Republicans, not because they wish to see the
cnOred people denied any part of their rights,
hut because they wish to see those rights fully
enjoyed without controversy in every part of
the land. Nothing can bring about that desira-