The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-12-10
PROSECUTION, NOT PERSECUTION.


of the election frauds in this county and an
attack on the citizens committee which is
pushing the investigation of the case. From
good deal Of matter Of the same kind we
quote the following:
'"The project, originally conceived in par
tisan malice, has now become persecution. A
minor tribunal is now asked to do that which
a federal grand jury declined to do. This
| is very contemplate method of proceed
ure, utterly unwarranted, manifestly un-
just, plainly in violation Of the common law
theory.
| "The people must remember that the fed
| era grand jury which investigated these cases
| was chosen before the election. They must
| remember that it was made up in the usual
way. They must remember that it was
body of as reputable men as were ever brought
together to constitute jury. They must
remember that it sat longer than any jury in
the history of the court. They must remem-
Der that the jury was assisted by district
attorney who is the ablest lawyer that has
ever filled the position in the history of the
court. They must remember that every
| witness who could give the slightest informa-
ton bearing upon the case was summoned.
They must remember that the Indianapolis
Journal and the Indianapolis News during
the progress of the investigation, bore testi-
molly, day after day, that the search was
thorough; and they must remember that the
result was refusal to find indictments"
All this special pleading will not befog the
public mind nor divert it from the real issue.
The question is, who committed the fraud,
and in the solution of the question every hon.
est man is interested. There is no "persecu-
ton" of anybody, there is only prosecution
of crime and its perpetrators. Matters have
come to pretty pass indeed, if violation of
the election laws cannot be investigated and
the perpetrators of an outrageous fraud pur-
sued without provoking the cry of partisan
malice" and persecution. The Sentinel
thinks the steps taken by the citizens COM
mittee since the grand jury fasco, and es-
pecially the proceeding before United States
commissioner are "utterly unwarranted and
manifestly unjust" No doubt this accurate
ly reflects the sentiments of the perpetrators
of the fraud.
''No rogue e'er felt the halter draw
With good opinion of the law
The assumption that the non-action Of the
grand jury should end the matter would, if
admitted. furnish fine defense and refuge
for the scoundrels who altered the tally sheets.
No doubt they would like to have it end there,
leaving the citizens committee with their
fingers in their mouths, and the rascals who
committed the fraud chuckling over their
success. But fortunately, the resources of
the law are not yet exhausted, and honest
citizens are not ready to submit like craven
towards to being politically garroted and
robbed.
The statement that the present proceedings
were Originally conceived in partisan malice"
is untrue. They sprung from determination
to discover the perpetrators Of a fraud which
was as palpable as the State house dome. Every
body saw that fraud had been committed
and in whose interest it had been done The
question was, who did it, and that is what the
citizens committee was appointed to find out.
Partisan malice has not entered into the
proceedings, except in so far as the fraud was
committed in the interest of certain Demo
cratic candidates it was presumably done by
members of that party. But are all election
frauds and violations of the election laws to
be ignored because investigation may hurt
one party or the other? AS matter of fact,
the meeting that appointed the committee was
attended by a number of respectable Demo
Gratis, and there are honorable Democrats on
the committee. Not all Democrats approve
of fraud and defend the perpetrators of it, how
ever the Sentinel may try to make it so appear.
Neither is it true that the investigation
of the grand jury was thorough and salts
factory or that the Journal ever said so. The
investigation was conducted in q partisan
spirit and the failure of the jury to find
indictments was an evasion Of duty. Because
the people, whose rights have been trifed
with and trampled on, failed to get Justice in
that quarter is no reason why they should not
try in another Because the grand jury in
vestigation was a farce is no reason why the
whole investigation should be abandoned
The fact remains that an outrageous fraud
has been committed, and the question still
is, who did it? If the facts brought out in
the investigation are not such as to hurt any,
body, then nobody will be hurt Let it be
pushed.
THE MUSICAL CONVENTION
The interest taken by leading citizens in