The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-12-20
THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR CASE.

THE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. CASE.
The entire conduct and proceedings of the
Democrats and of the would-be leaders of that
party in the matter Of the acknowledgement
ship is that Of double dealing and trickery,
and wherein it is not contemplate it is in
famous. In the first place. Mcdonald, Voor
bees, and that group, procured the appoint
ment of Lieutenant governor Manson to be
collector of internal revenue in order to head
off the campaign of Governor Gray for the
United States Senate. This was the first play
of the game Governor Gray, to checkmate that
move, set up the convention to nominate his
friend for the vacancy-everybody conceding
that the acceptance by Manson Of the collect
orship created vacancy, to be filed by cleo
tion. The Democratic Attorney general gave
an official opinion to that effect, and In set
terms, at the request Of Governor Gray. The
Democratic convention, being the first held
under the call of their State central commit
tee, nominated candidate for Lieutenant
governor. The whole Democratic party of the
State was represented in that convention, and
named Judge Nelson, one of their very best
men, for the place. Theparty was acting either
in good faith with Judge Nelson in nominating
him, or else the managers we're guilty of fraud
and deceit toward him. State Senator Smith
was a member Of that convention and voted
for candidate for Lieutenant governor, and
after the nomination agreed with the conven-
ton in making the nomination unanimous.
and openly pledged to Mr.. Nelson's cordial
support.
The election came off. The people repudi-
ated the Democratic gang and elected Colonel
Robertson by several thousand majority.
Now the Democrats plead the baby act. They
played the game, lost, and now say they were
only fooling-that they were not in earnest
that they were trifing with the people, and
that Judge Nelson was simply fgure-head;
that they did not mean anything when they
put him in nomination and asked the people
to vote for him. Now comes Mr.. Green Smith
and claims that he is Lieutenant governor.
The people never passed that question.
They know nothing of Mr.. Green Smith ex-
cept that he was braying jackass in the last
Legislature, remarkable only for the length of
his ears and for the volume of wind. After
days Of consultation suit is brought in the
Marion County Circuit Court, an honorable
Democrat sitting as judge, to enjoin the Sec
rotary of State from certifying the returns,
sent him by law, to the Speaker of the House
of Representatives, whore, by statute, the
question of election is to be passed upon and
decided This court decides against the trick
sters, and they appeal to the Supreme Court.
Mr.. Myers who happens to be Secretary of
State, assuming that he is the defendant per-
sonaly not officially, proposes to help the claim
of Mr.. Smith by bringing into the case questions
and issues not contemplated by the plaintiffs
complaint nor included in his pleadings. This
the Supreme Court very promptly and effect
ually decide he cannot do. But the con-
spiracy to tbwart the expressed will of the
people, as shown by the election of November,
is thereby more fully disclosed. The court
very properly and very honestly declines to
become party to the fraud
This is a true history of the proceeding. 1t
is one of the series of schemes by which the
Democrats seek to defraud the vo tiers Of this
State out of their choice of officers and by
which they seek to further disfranchise the
majority of the people. The gerrymander
failed to accomplish that result. Their frauds
at the polls were not enough. Their erasures
and forgeries of returns after the election
of the pollbook and tally-papers all fell short
of accomplishing their purposes, so they resort
to this further scheme of infamy. They de-
cline to accept the result at the polls, and.
seek any and every subsequent means to
bolster up minority in the State. Failing
in all these attempts, they will resort to
something else. No means will be too wicked,
too fraudulent. too corrupt, or too contempt
ible. They started in to outwit and cheat
each other; they now seek to cheat the
people, Thus one fraud follows in the foot
steps of another
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TO MEET A THREATENING DANGER.