The Indianapolis journal., 1889-01-28
PREPARING TO STEAL A SENATOR.


ture by force long enough to elect one
more Democratic Senator. The term of
Senator Voorhees,, who now represents
a minority of the people of the State,
will expire in 1891. He desires a re-
election, and Governor Gray also de-
sires to succeed him. There will be
fight between them and their factions
for the position. If the Democrats can
hold the next Legislature, it will be war
to the knife between Voorhees, and Gray
as to which shall be Senator. But the
first thing is to secure the Legislature.
However they may differ about the SEN
atOrship, both aspirants and their fol-
lowers are agreed on that point. The
unseating of Senators Carpenter and
BichOwski is part of the plan to steal the
next Legislature. The gerrymander
was intended to make the Legislature
reliably Democratic as long as the ap-
portiOnment lasted. 1t was framed in
the interest of Senator Voorhees,, who,
after its enactment, said he would feel
personally disgraced unless it should
give the Democrats at least sixty major
ity on joint ballot. He felt no disgrace
at the enactment of an apportiOnment
OutrageOusly unjust and subversive of
popular government, but he would feel
disgraced if it did not continue
to grind out Democratic majority of
fifty or sixty ON joint ballot. Thanks to
the honesty and intelligence of the peo-
pie and their indignant protest against
this kind of political burglary, the ger
rymander has failed of its purpose. In
1886 the Democrats were fairly beaten,
and in the present Legislature they have
only seven on joint ballot. They are
not entitled to a majority in either
House, for they are in minority of A.
800 III the State. They do not need
more than seven majority on joint bal
lot IN this Legislature, but they are look
ing forward to the next, when they want
to steal Senator. The gerrymander,
which was to furnish sixty Democratic
majority, has been bombarded, and bat
tered, and trampled on by the people un-
til now it furnishes only seven If the
people can have one more chance at it
they will ride clean over it. One more
election will take place under it, but the
cOnspiratOrs are afraid to trust it.
Hence the necessity of resorting to other
means. The plan adopted was to
steal two hOld-Over seats in the Sen
ate, thus giving them important vantage
ground in the next Legislature. 1t was
an easy way to lay the foundation of
majority on joint ballot, and had the ad-
vantage of being eminently Democratic.
1t was as easy as stealing, and had all
the excitement of highway robbery. If
there is anything an Indiana Democrat
likes better than altering the returns of
an election it is chance to reverse one
by unseating the choice of the people
and seating defeated candidate.
Therefore this method of capturing
two seats in the Legislature of 1891
was exactly to their taste. So it was
decided to unseat Senators Carpenter
and BichOwski, elected by the people,
and seat Ray and Grimes, the defeated
candidates. Carpenter has already been
unseated, and no doubt Bichowsli will
be. The proceeding against Senator
Carpenter was that of jury organized
to convict. The evidence utterly failed
to establish the charge of bribery. 1t
showed that he used money in the elec-
ton, but it did not show that the
money was cOrruptly used. There
are many ways of using money
in elections legitimately and with
out any intention of fraud
All candidates for office do it. There
is not member of either house, Demo-
crat or Republican, who did not use
money in his election-nOt one. Some
of those who voted to unseat Senator
Carpenter used much more than he did.
We do not say they used it corruptly,
but they used it. So far as bribery is
concerned, the charge against Carpenter
was utterly unsustained. There was no
evidence to show that he purchased a
single vote, or that any person did for
him. The virtuOus cOnspirators in
ferred the crime, and not only refused
to give the defendant the benefit of
reasonable doubt, but convicted him
without particle of eliminating evil
dence. The vote might as well have
been taken at the beginning of the case
as at the end, for the result was fore
gone conclusion. The only matter for
surprise is that the cOnspiratOrs did not
seat Ray. The failure to do this can
only be accounted for on the theory of
a panic such as sometimes seizes GRIMM
ais when suddenly confronted with the
consequences of their act, and causes
them to desist or recOil in the midst of its
execution. 1t might have been some
thing which the cOnspirators mistOOk for
conscience, but more likely it was a mere
whim or caprice. Whatever the cause,
they failed to carry out the party pro-
gramme, and left vacancy to be filed
by special election. The next move will
be against Senator Bichowski. There is
no evidence against him, but he also
will be unseated. The evidence shows
that Grimes, the contestor, did pay
money to number of voters, but this
evidence will be ignored, and he will be
seated. 1t is by such proceedings and
methods as these that the anarchists