The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-10-06
CHARACTER ASSASSINATION.

The continued and studied effort of
and character of the nominees on its
daily repeated blacklist by associating
their names with those of Jail birds and
t~ally-sheet forgers has gone wide of the
mark. Vaulting ambition has here
o'erleaped itself. In n o case is this more
marked than in that of Councilman
Finch. There is no stain en- the reputa-
ton or character CT Mr.. Finch. He has
gone in and out before the people of the
East End for years, and is in higher
esteem to-day than before, SIM
ply. because he is better known
in his neighborhood as councilman
than he was as private citizen. Men of
repute and standing in Mr.. Finch's ward
who have taken n omore particular inter-
est in city politics than to attend primar-
les and elections are hustling around to
secure Mr.. Finch's election, simply be-
cause he has been classed by the News,
day after day, with political thieves and
prostitutes. There are scores of voters
in Mr.. Firch's ward who have not looked
up his record week by week in the Coun-
ell, but who have known him for years
as an honest and intelligent citizen,
whose integrity goes with the man to
his daily work and business, and is not
laid aside when the interests of the city
are at stake. They regard his life as one
piece, and will vote for him, not because
he is a Republican, but as a rebuke to
the black cowardice and pharisaical
viIlainy that daily lifts its hidden and
irresponsible hand against the known and
established characterof a fellow-citizen.
This continued, improved and u%nreason-
ing personal assault upon Mr.. Finch, with
its train of false interpretations, miscon-
struction of actions and motives, has
reached down through the various
eradations of outlines to the lowest
level short of words ibelous under
the laws of Indiana, to which a newspa-
per can go. 1t 10 character assassina-
ton. and so far as the honest possession
of a good name is dearer to every man
of honor than life or lucre, by so much
is this daily, conscious, ~purposeful mur
der of reputation deeper In criminal
ity than despoiling of wealth or assas-
sination of the body. Any man who
reads the News with two eyes, or half an
eve. can see that the thing has been
overdone. The classification of their
neighbors, day after day, with the
tally-sheet forgers, and the Wholesale,
indiscri,ninate, inc~onsiderate and per-
spicuously untruthful denunciation of
public servants by pharisaical and self
constituted preachers of civic righteous
ness is sure to be rebuked at the polls,
regardless of party. The News is max
ing votes daily for the very men it de-
cries. When ones neighbor is falsely
called a thief and incendiary he resents
It The course of the News has been
advantageous to Finch, and has made
him votes and solicited his constituency,
regardless of party, in the East End.
Exactly the same is true when applied
to Mr.. Preston C. Trusler, the candidate
of the Twenty-fi first ward Republicans.
Mr.. Trusler has lived in Indianapolis all
his life and is known as an honest man
and a gentleman. He has occupied some
of the most responsible positions to
which . man may be called. and no faint
of scandal or breath of suspicion has
arisen to injure bis good name. If
years of faithful and honest service
under circumstances where dishonesty
Is most easily possible, may be construed
as evidence of a mans integrity, MIR.
Trusler's record Is q guarantee OF his
tkoneafv And hi0h charaekar tina cannot