The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-10-10
THE CAMPAIGN IN INDIANA.
That School Fund Land About Which
Democrats Are Printing Untruths.
An Affair i'm Which the Record of Mr. CalkinS
Is Without Republican Speeches
and Rallies Throughout the State.
THAT SCHOOL FUND LAND.
Truth of Matter About Which Democrat
Are Printing SlaRderOus Stories.


Truth of a Matter About which Democrats
Are Printing Slanderous Stories.
LaPorte Herald
During the campaign of 1873 the Argus pub
lished an article relating to the school fund
mortgage matter, which was promptly answered
the next week in the Republican city papers.
The Argus article fell fiat, and was never there
after referred to, as every one saw that it was
stale campaign lie.
Shortly after this the auditor of the county
called Mr. Calkinss attention to the condition
of the mortgage notes. Mr.. Calkins Immediately
called on Judge Bradley, Democrat the county
attorney. and had talk with him on the sub
ject in which Mr.. Calkins told Judge Bradley
he was anxious to close the matter up but that
he aid not see how he could pay off the mortgage
without leaving the legal title of the land in
Rollinss name, to whom the land had been con
veyed by successive conveyances and who held
the legal title at the time of the forfeiture In
other words, if he (Cakins) paid off the mort
gage, he could not get back good and sufficient
title TO the land.
Mr. Calkins had an interview the same day
with VIII A Martin, then deputy treasurer of
LaPorte county, and now a candidate for treas
urer in which Mr. Caikins claimed that Mr.. Mar
tin was liable for the amount of the mortgage,
because the land was conveyed to him subject to
the mortgage and Mr. Calkins claimed that
Martin assumed the payment of the mortgage
This Mr. Martin objected to, and said he was not
legally liable therefor. MIR. Calkins stated ut
that time to Mr.. Martin that he could not afford
to have trouble about it; that Mr. Martin and he
had been friends for years, and, although it
might involve quite pecuniary loss, he would
pay any deficit between the amount oil the mort
gage and interest, if Mr. Martin would find a
purchaser for the land even at the
amount of the last apprasement This
was agreed to between them, and the
matter was arranged to be closed up at once.
Mr.. Calkins was absent from home after this, and
left the whole matter with Mr.. Martin. Not
hearing from the matter for some time on Feb
90 1884, he wrote to Mr. Martin the following
letter in respect to it:
COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS,
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, U. s.,
WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. 20, 1884,
Dear Will / appeal to you to fix up that school
fund matter No matter how you do it, please fix it.
You know feel like could not allow it to hang
me, handle will be made of it in the coming
paign, and if our positions were reversed would act
promptly for you. Don't ask me how, but fix it and
write me what will have to pay. leave the whole
Give my love to Mr. and Mrs F. and all who in
W. H. CALK1Ns.
To this letter there was reply received
Subsequently, on the goth of May 1854, Mr.
Calkins wrote the following letter.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES U. s.,
WASHINGTON, d. c., May 20, 1884.
Dear Will Won't you please close up that school
land matterl want it closed before the convention
Please do this for me- and write what have to
pay, and will send you a check for it. Don't delay.
Your friend W. II. CALK1Ns.
These letters were written in pursuance of the
understanding had between Mr.. Martin and
Major Calllins. To the last letter Mr.. Martin
piled III substance that there would be little
difficulty in disposng of the land if it could be
sold for cash, but under the law it
had to be sold on certificate, for
five years time; that Mr. Calkins need
not apprehend any attack from his political OPP
ponents on that account because the matter
was a square transaction in which no loss could
possibly happen to the school fund; that he
would close it out shortly and everything be set
tied up
Thus the matter rested until the Argus article,
and thus it rests now. Mr.. Calkins is ready
now, and always has been ready, to make up
any deficit to the school fund.- and no one knows
this better than the parties who inspired the
Argus SANDER We understand as a further
significant fact that the land could have been
sold to Chicago parties for a sum sufficient to
cover the entire debt if the law had allowed a
cash sale to be made.