The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-09-03
State Issues.

THE LAST DEMOOhAIiG9 LEGlSLAFChE
The last Legislature of Indiana was Demo
cratic. 1t was disgrace to our State, and left
so foul memory that the voters of Indiana
will not soon elect another of like kind No in
terest was too sacred to be made subservient to
its greed for plumber and place. The benevolent
institutions were turned into political spoils.
and parceled out among the leaders in pay
ment for partisan services. In its lawless
determination to coerce Republican Governor
to approve dishonorable and unjust partisan
legislation, it refused to pass the appropriation
bills necessary to pay the expenses of the State
government and its benevolent and educational
institutions. But our Republican Governor has
well proven himself equal to the occasion and
has kept the government moving without the
aid of Democratic Legislature. The Republic
party now declares itself in favor of a con-
stitutional convention, by which the people may
deliberately consider and reform our organic
law making such changes and notifications as
experience and material development and moral
growth may dictate. True to its nature and in
stincts, the Democratic party strenuouslv OPP
poses constitutional convention. 1t does not
want the people of Indiana to be permitted to de-
termne by their votes the principles and policies
they wish embedded in their Constitution
Not content with the claim that it is the
original, first and best friend of Union sol
be the founder and preserves, of free-school
system. In his keynote speech, Senator Voor-
hees said: 1.-THE Democratic party created the
common school system of the State. The glory
of that system, which is now worldwide, and
spoken on every civilized shore, belongs to the
leaders of the Democratic party in Indiana"
The one claim is as true as the other; neither
has any foundation in fact Prof Caleb Mills
did more to create the free-school system of
Indiana than any twenty Democraticl eaders the
State ever had, and he was as earnest Repub-
lican as he was an educator The Democratic
party has always been an enemy to our free
school system. Between 1850 and 1861 the
Democratic leaders of Indiana robbed our school
fund of 1852 628 acres of swamp lands, worth
ST. 900. This land was donated to our
school fund by the general government, but the
school fund never received a cert from it. Demo
cratic leaders took it all In 1858 Democratic
Supreme Court paralyzed and al
most destroyed our free-school sys-
tenn by holding local taxation for
school purposes unconstitutional Repeated at
tempts have been made by Democratic Legsla-
lures and Democratic leaders to cripple our free
schools by unfriendly legislation. The people of
Indiana know by dear experience that our school
fund and our free, school system are not safe in
the hands of the Democratic party.
THE STATE TICKET.
The Republican party offers you State ticket
in every way worthy the cordial support of the
voters of the State It is ticket without a
spot or blemish. At the head of the ticket you
will find the name of William a. Calkins, a
young man full of energy, an enthusiastic Re
publican a gallant soldier and an experienced
statesman. Though now only approaching
middle life, he has already served a long period
in Congress- with eminent success The people
of Indiana know him WE'LL he has been thorough.
ly tried and has not been found wanting He is
natural leader; and when the Novem-
Der vote is counted he will be found
still the leader The head of the
Democratic ticket is Isaac p. Gray. He will be
grayer. even grayest before he again occupies
the Governors chair He was Republican un-
til 1872, and left the party simply because he did
not get as much Office as he craved He Joined the
Democratic party as seeker for spoils, not
principles That party eagerly welcomed him,
and being very scarce in competent and present
able men for Office, it Immediately began run
ming Gray for Office, and has kept him busy ever
since This is fun for Gray, but bad for the
Democratic party. There is old General Man
son, hero of two wars, who has devoted long
life Of hard service in behalf of the Democratic
party He was candidate for the first place on
the ticket, and richly merited the honor at the
hands Of his party. But he is made to occupy
the position Of t-tailupholder for the recruit
from the Republican ranks. When accidental
Governor of Indiana, Gray strongly fav-
ored constitutional convention, and
argued that the people had outgrown
the present constitution, and should
lay it aside as a worn-out garment. Now, sew
eral years later, at the order of the Democratic
party he Is as vigorously opposing constitu-
tional convention The people of Indiana d0
not want such man for Governor
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