The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-10-21

killing OF Hartman manslaughter, and our peni-
tentiaries are full of murderers who had greater
provocation for their killing than was here shown
He was not pressed on all sides by a body of
desperate men nor his escape from his assailants
cut off; it was in the middle of the afternoon
when there were hundreds Of mon within call
who could have assisted HIM even had he been
unaccompanied friends to within one of the
number OF his opponents He was arrested
upon two chargeS--for the murder of Hartman
and for assault and battery with intent to
kill Jordan. There was not the slightest doubt
of the commission of the acts charged, The de-
Tense set up a plea of justification and jury
was secured, composed of manufacturers among
whom a feeling of luminosity to trades unions
is universal After the complexion of the jury
was known no hope of a conviction was enter
tanned by union men, and the result Justified
their apprehenSionS The Jury of manufacturers
acquitted Buzan of the charge of murder.
On the trial for shooting Jordon, however, the
jury was composed entirely of farmers men who
knew nothing whatever of trades unions, and
who tried the case upon its merits. The result
was conviction and sentence of two years in
the penitentiary.
Governor Hendricks assumes as reason for
granting the pardon that the first jury having
decided that he acted under fear of his life, the
second jury must have decided wrongfullv in
holding that lie. did not OF course, it would
have been impossible for the first jury, inau-
enced they unquestionably were by their
aversion to trades-unions and the encourage
have been the farmers. Yet had the second
jury tried the first case they would undoubtedly
have convicted.
Immediately after the result CT the second
trial was made known ''the capital and business
of Evansville" to quote Whittlesey petittoned
the Governor for a pardon--not because they
beloved him innocent of the crime charged, nor
because the punishment WAS excessive, but be-
cause it was necessary to rebuke the spirit Oh
interference" manifested by trades unions.
n
sented a remonstrance was prepared and nHmer-
ously signed by union mon, in which they set
forth their reasons why justice should be admin
istered and the sentence carried out but in spite
of the remonstrance and the manifest Justice OF
his CONJUNCTION, Buzan pardoned
1t is not a great while since Gov. Hendricks
issued proclamation setting forth that certain
parties, despairing of securing the conviction Of
lawless and law-defying desperadoes were
taking the law into their own hands and
administering it in way that the most deeply
interested parties despised He urged good citi-
zenS to desist from such practices and permit the
courts to deal with offenders and called upon all
officers of the law to see that public offenders
were brought to trial and punishment, that
there might be excuse pretense for pro
ceedings in defiance of the law.
The manner in which Governor Hendricks has
allowed the law to take its course in this instance
is certainly not encouraging to those who desire
to see it honestly and faithfully administered.
His decision in, this case establishes the fact
that request preferred by those who REPRE-
sent capital and business can induce him to
step in and defeat the law which he expresses
such desire to see carried out.
Had the relation of the parties to capital and
business been reversed; had Buzan been
union man and his victims free and independ-
ent lahorers," no pardon would have been
granted him, because the names of capitalists
would have been wanting in hisipetition.
In thus uniustly discriminating between the
representatives of capital and labor, Governor
Hendricks has assailed an organization which
has done more in the last twenty years to eradi-
cate the spirit of lawlessness ever so rife among
the laboring classes than any other power on
earth.
have neither the desire nor intention in. this
article to enter into a defense of
trades union principles. 1 have long since
ceased to care whether those prin-
ciples are understood by persons outside Of
the union or not and never hopeto enlist the
sympathies of politician ia their behalf. The
organizations are growing in strength and eff
iciency every year. and their growth is marked
by decrease in the number of riots and dis
turbances, which a few years ago were the inev-
liable result of differences between employers
and workDlen. L have ia it'll that the
day will come when they will obtain
such complete control over the passions and pre-
JUDGES of their members that their'laws will he
implicitly and cheerfully obeyed and there are
few, if any of them now, whose laws do not
condemn and discountenance violence and DIS
obedience to the law of the land.
That they do and will condemn, the action Of
Governor Hendricks in pardoning the murderer
of one of their number and the murderous as
saiant oftwo others, have. not doubt, and so
far from ''seeing and acknowledging any error
in the resolution of censure, reiterate the hope
that "IF THE TIME EVER COMES WHEN TRADES
UNION MEN CAN USE;TfIEIR INFLUENCE AGAINST
HIM, TIFEY,WHLL EXHIBIT TE 7IR OoNDEMNATIONf
OF HIS COURSE IN AN EFFEopI We MANNER"
E. H. KIMBERLY.
INDIANAPOLIS, Aug. 20, 1873