The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-01-16
The Rohertson NIatter.

The Journal, as in duty bound, affected
great indignation yesterday over the re-
fusal of the senate to recognize ROBERT S.
ROBERTSON OF Allen county as lieutenant
governor OF Indiana, and permit him to
preside over its deliberations. The Jour
nails indignation was so palpably assumed,
however, that it failed to greatly impress
the public. The fact of the matter is that
the Journal was not indignant at all.
Neither were the republican senators, nor
any other republican unless it was ROBERT
:. ROBERTSON. The Journal regards that
gentleman as "usurper," and so char
acterized him last summer, when the re-
publican state convention met in this
city. The convention evidently so re-
garded him, for it refused to hear gentle
men who tried to put his name before it
for the gubernatorial nomination. The
great majority of the republicans of Indi-
ana clearly considered him in that light,
because, when offered an opportunity
to 'vindicate" him and make his cause
their own, they refused, with substantial
humanity and decided emphasis, to avail
themselves of it. After bowling for
eighteen months about the great wrong"
done the people in the refusal to permit
Col. ROBERTSON to preside over the SEN
ate, they contemptuously spurned the is
sue presented by his martyrdom. The
republican managers were evidently
afraid to 90 before the people on this is
sue. And well they might be- They had
no confidence in it themselves, and they
knew that il they presented it to the grand
tribunal of electors of Indiana, they
would be literally kicked out of court.
The fact is that RoBERTsoX'S claims
were adjudicated long ago by every tribu-
nal that had any jurisdiction in the prem
Uses, and in every instance the
decision went against him. The In
diana senate refused to recognize his
pretensions as acknowledgements by per-
hitting him to preside over its delibera-
tons. The republican house tacitly &C.
guessed in the action of the senate, when
it recognized the legality OF the latter's or
ganization. The executive of the state did
the same thing, and the supreme court de-
clined to Interfere in a matter that was
within the exclusive jurisdiction of the
legislature. The republican senators and
representatives who signed the famous
instrument, popularity called the "com-
promise" but justly styled the sur
render" by the Journal, conceded that
ROBERTSON had no case. And finally the
republican senate OF the United States,
when it admitted Judge TURP1E to seat
in that body, pronounced the proceedings
in the senate OF the fifty-fifth general as
sembly regular and valid. We print
elsewhere the report of the COM
mittee of privil ges and elections
OF that body, in favor OF Judge TURP1E's
admission. The republican members o:
this committee are Senators HoAR, FRYE,
TELLER, EvARTs and SPooNER. The re-
port is a complete vindication, by the
highest republican authority, of the
action of the Indiana senate two years
ago, and the absolute justification of its
action on Thursday last. 1t leaves Col.
ROBERTSON and his supporters-if he has
any-no ground to stand upon. The Rob
ertson case is res ddjudicatd. 1t is no
longer open to argument or discussion.
The Journals pretended Indignation, I'M
der the circumstances, is extremely
laughable 1t is so patiently manufac-
tured, however, that no one is likely to
take it seriously.