The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-02-06
Let Justice Be Done.

The revelations in the Sullivan case are
appalling. JOHN F. SULLIVAN turns out
to be a colossal thief, the victims of his
rascality being numbered by the score,
and some OF them having been reduced
to absolute beggary through their deal
ings with him. His operations appear to
have been conducted, for some months at
least, in utter disregard of the first prin-
ciples OF decency or business honor. An
attempt will be made, of course, to hold
the democratic party responsible for his
misdeeds. But the democratic party, like
the individuals who have suffered at his
hands, is simply & victim OF mis-
placed confidence. When it NOM
mated JoHN SULLIVAN for county clerk
he was business man in good standing
and a citizen of excellent repute. He was
known TO the public AS man of industry,
sobriety and capacity. He was popularity
considered a man OF integrity, and his
credit was of the very highest. After he
became county clerk he was indicted as
an accessory to the tally-sheet forgeries,
but notwithstanding the desperate efforts
of Judge WOODs TO bring about his con-
viction, juries twice disagreed as to his
guilt, and very few fair-minded persons
who examined the evidence believed him
guilty. SULLIVAN was bitterly attacked
by the republican press, but no more
bitterly than the same press is in
the habit OF attacking democrats whose
public and private characters are above
reproach. The democrats OF Marion
county, therefore, had no reason to doubt
that SULLIVAN would prove a faithful and
efficient public officer.
That he has turned out a sorry rogue,
cts true, tbs pity, and pity It's, It's true"
but the party which elected him to office
is snned against, and not SHINING. JOHN Z.
SULLIVAN would not have been nominated
by the democrats for county clerk, nor
elected By the people, if he had not been
regarded as an honest man.
Now that his vilainy is known of all
men, it only remains for justice to
do its work. In the name of
the honest men of the democratic
party. and OF ali parties, THE SENTINEL
insists that no effort be spared to bring
this man to punishment Last spring
when Mr. SULLIVAN aspired to be a dele
gate to the democratic national conven-
ton, The SENTINEL protested against that
honor or any other being conferred upon
him, because of the fact that he was un-
der indictment for a felony. THE SENTI-
MEL did not pronounce him guilty-in-
deed. it did not believe him to be guilty
OF the offense with which he stood
charged; but it held that the democratic
party could not afford to choose any man
over whom such a charge was hang
ing to help nominate its candidates
for president and vice-president. THE
SENTINEL appealed to the moral sense
of the democratic party OF this dis
trict, and the appeal met with a prompt
response. Mr.. SULLIVAN was not dele
gate to the ST. Louis convention. Now
that he is shown to have betrayed the
official trust that was repOsed in him, and
to have been guilty OF fraud and forgery
and other fragrant crimes, we can only ex-
press the earnest hope that he will not
escape the penalty of his misdeeds. He
should be made an example of. The law
should be indicated in his person. 1t
should be demonstrated that stealing on
large scale is not always safe. The con-
viction of JOSEPH \. MOORE and
his accomplices, and of JOIN f. SULu-
VAN, and his accomplices, if he
have any, would 90 far to counteract the
evil results of their offending to the COM
munity, because it would demonstrate
that the law in Indiana is strong enough
--sometimes-to reach big thieves as we'll
as little thieves, and would serve for
years as a wholesome warning to those
who NAV be tempted to follow in the foot
steps of these rascals if, unhappily, they
should 90 scot free.