The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-11-13
"SIMu COY AND HIS PARTY.

spect to say that there are not men In the
Democratic party who are thoroughly shamed
and Inundated by the disgraceful fact that
tate what the party shall and shall not do in
indianapolis. That he has his own sweet will
in all things that he cares to take an interest
in is a public scandal There must be hun
dreds, if we may not say thousands, of Demo
Gratis in this city who feel chagrined that
person Of the character of this man should
become practically political autocrat against
whose inclinations no Democrat, however hon
orable, dare protest. The spectacle Of this
fellow, the friend and champion of free
liquor traffic and unrestricted gaming, lying
in wait for the State officials of Indiana to
compel them to do his wishes, is one that every
Indianian may blush over. Yet that is exactly
what he presumes to do; nor have they been
able to withstand him when he once sets his
hard round head to have anything done. His
defiant and confident attitude on Wednesday,
as recounted in yesterdays journal, ought to
be enough to drive every respecting Dem
ocrat into an unqualified rebuke Of this bully
in politics Standing on the steps Of the State
building, he impudently boasts of what he in.
tends compelling the State officials to do at
his bidding. There was blood in his eye as
he swore that he was getting tired of this
thing" The people" he declared, twill
think have been lying to them. l have been
holding the people in line now for two years
on the promise that things should be run as
they wanted them run The "people" for
whose rights Mr.. Coy is so solicitous, and who
he fears will think he has been lying, are the
saloon men and gamblers, and not another
man in any other line of business For these
"people" he storms the Offices of the officials
elected by the people of the State, and with
oaths and threats drives them into grant
ing his demands. Police Commission
er Murphy is offensive to him
because he cannot handle him, and because
Mr. Murphy favors decent enforcement Of
law and the preservation of order. Realizing
that Mr.. Murphy stands opposed to the ''peo
pie" running things as they want them run"
which is but another way of saying running
the city with free whisky, all-night saloons
and open gambling rooms, the imperious
"Sim" Coy has decided that he must be got
rid of. Left to themselves, the Democratic
State officials who have this power would
never think of removing Mr.. Murphy, since
he is representative citizen of unimreacha-
BILE character, and has discharged his duty
fearlessly and WELL The secret of "Sim'
Coy's power-and it is absolute in the Demo
cratic party-is that he has organized under
his command the saloon men and gamblers
the people," as he terms them-and their
votes are in his hands. In return for these
votes. the Democratic party, through those in
position to do SO, have sold its honor
and decency. The honorable gentlemen elect
ed to conduct the affairs of this State
will not dare to refuse Coy for that will mean
that he will cut the party's throat at the next
election; at least he threatens to- and that is
sufficient for his purpose.
But the time is coming, and not far distant
when this arrogant and unreasonable bully
will be repudated, not by reputable Demo
Gratis only, but by the very saloon men whose
cause he is now rushing to destruction. The
saloons of Indianapolis and of the State enjoy
perpetuate. But instead of approaching the
liberal laws that have been passed for the reg
ulation () of the traffic they have studiously
and persistently spurned and violated them
The traffic has long been burden and scan.
dal and instead Of wisely placating the people
and showing that they have desire to obey
the laws and to conduct their business reputa-
bly,, few hot heads like Coy have taken the
matter into their hands and are making
it so odious, so lawless and
such burden upon the taxpayers
that public sentiment is rapidly turning
against it, and more stringent enactments
will be demanded. Reputable Democrats, who
care for their party, cannot afford to bow down
to this tyrant. Saloon men cannot afford to
initiate his hostility to public sentiment
Everywhere the people are moving to compel
the liquor business to bear its just proportion
of the public burden, and to conform to the
laws as other men conform to them. Public
sentiment is a sliding knot. Any 'fooling'
with it will only cause it to close the more
tightly. If the saloon men can read the signs
of the times, they should drag Mr.. Coy away
from his foolhardy crusade against law and
order. The 800 tax will stand. 1t will be