The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-11-22
A Secure ASS.

To the Editor of the indianapolis Journal:
There is no organization in modern times to
which this expressive epithet of Shakspeare's
can be more aptly applied than to the Indiana
Democracy. With every advantage, with the
entire control of patronage, both State and ma
tional with the prestige of victory, and with
two-tnlrd's majority in the last Legislature,
which gave it the power to enact any laws it
chose. it has thrown away it's opportunity, ex
posed itself to the condemnation Of all dis
passionate and bipartisan men, and has been
overwhelmingly defeated and overthrow by O
torrent of just popular indignation. The Demo
cratic party at large has had fatal facility for
error In national issues so great that it would not
be believed If it were not inscribed In imperis h
able characters in the history of our country.
1t can be safely guaranteed to 60 wrong at
smaller premium than would be exacted for any
other kind of risk by any insurance company.
life, fire accident But there is an absolute
security In the asininity of the Indiana Democ-
racy which does not exist even in the national
organization. 1t seems utterly unable to appre-
ciate a question Of principle, moral issue, or
even a matter of common honesty. When the
Governor of the State suggested that something
was wrong with the State treasury, and that an
investigation was desirable the course of any
sensible organization was perfectly plain. 1t
was to make an investigation complete that
no one could question it. If the Treasurers ac-
counts proved to be correct there was an end to
the accusation and the vindication of Demo
cratic official from a partisan SANDER. If the
Treasurer was shown to have acted illegally and
dishonesty, the alternative plain. 1t was
to repudiate unworthy officer, to take the
necessary proceedings for his removal, and
cleanse both the party and the State from the
suspicion of corrupt administration But it did
neither of these things By screening the Treas
urer behind the pretense of sham investiga-
ton the entire Democratic majority in the Legs
lature made itself and the party a participant
in his wrong doing and justified the charges Of
its opponents, the condemnation of vast multi
tudes ia its own party and the suspicious of all
honest men,
When the committee of the Civil-service Re-
form Association exposed the abuses at the In
sane Hospital the course of the Democratic
party was equally plain. 1T could cause an in
quiry to be made by its own Attorney general.
LIE the charges were groundless, here was an en-
tire vindication. If they were found to be true,
the merit of exposing the guilty could justly
be claimed by the Democracy ITSELF
But no such course was pursued. The party,
through its organ. the Sentinel, commenced o
course of violent abuse of the Civil-service Re-
form Association and Its committee, while SER
ious charges against the management of the In
sane Asylum, an institution in which the whole
people of the State We're interested, remained
wholly unanswered. Thus it voluntarily made
itself an ally of DR.. Harrison and his board of
trustees. The outrages at the asylum soon be-
came notorious over the State. The Democratic
State central committee followed the example
of the Sentinel and attempted to cast discredit
upon the association, while wholly unable to
meet the charges. The Democratic party, so far
as it was capable. became an active abettor in
the wrong.
Then after the election, a fraud is perpetrated
upon the ballot by the leaders of the Democratic
ring in Indianapolis the returns are altered in
so clumsy a manner that the crime could not es-
cape detection Popular feeling is aroused. The
people call meeting to express their indignation
at the outrage and to secure the speedy punish
ment of the guilty. But again the Democratic
organ with unerring instinct takes the only sure
road leading to disaster denounces the meeting
and casts all the discredit possible upon
the committee appointed to ferret out
the crime. Political stupidity in this country
has attained its high-water mark in the conduct
of the Sentinel and the Indiana Democracy.
would be unwilling to think that the destinies of
the nation at large confded to an organiza-
ton whose general average is as bad as this
even during the remainder of the term of the
present administration. And yet these men as
sumo to cast the responsibility of the late defeat
upon President Cleveland. Indefensbe as his
record has been. it will not compare with their
own. The Indiana Democracy is secure ass"
CIVIS.