The Iola register., 1890-02-07
THE DUDLEY CONTROVERSY.
A Baselees Democratic Slander Tha
Should He Proven BAseless.

81 &
A BsseleH Democratic Slander That
/ Should He Proven Baseless.
The Inter Ocean has expressed be-
lief that much ado has been made aboot
nothing relative to letter which
Colonel Dudley is said to have written
concerning methods to be adopted BY
the Republican managers in the State
of Indiana.
The facts in the case, briefly. stand
thus: The indianapolis Sentinel pub
lished letter in which certain methods,
apparently corrupt, were enjoined upon
the Republican managers of Indiana; it
is known as 'the blocks-of-five" letter.
and the Sentinels alleged fac-simile
bore the signature of Colonel Dudley.
If the SentinePs allegations were true
Colonel Dudley was criminal. The
Inter Ocean does not believe that they
were true, because Of these facts and
/ circumstances:
Colonel Dudley denied its authorship,
of the most widely-circulated newspa-
pers in which his pretended letter was
published. The suits have not been
prosecuted as yet, but as Colonel Dud.
ley has not dismissed them it is fair to
assume that he intends to prosecute
| them.
A grand jury sitting for the Federal
court of Indiana, impaneled by Demo
cratic marshal, and instructed by .
Democratic prosecutor, refused to find
bill for corrupt electioneering practices
upon the evidence of the Sentinels pre-
tended letter.
Very recently, Colonel Dudley being
arrested in Indianapolis upon affidavit
of a violent Democrat on charge of at
tempt to corr apt the Presidential elec-
ton, the District Attorney, appointed
by President Harrison. refused to pros
ecute, averring that the affidavit did
not present cause of action, and that
| Colonel Dudley was most honorable
man and most righteous politician.
These are the facts in the case, and
upon them the Inter Ocean concludes
that there really is no case against
Colonel Dudley.
But the Democrats do not act upon
| this belief. Senator Voorhees, intro
duced to the upper house and Congress.
man Bynum is to introduce to the lower
house resolution demanding informa-
ton as 20 the advice given by the legal
advisers of the President to the Dis.
trict Attorney at Indianapolis concern
| ing his inaction upon the Democratic
! affidavit for the prosecution of Mr.. Dud.
ley. Mr.. Voorhees, plainly said, and Mr..
Bynum is expected plainly to say, that
| the act of Dudley was guilty act, and
that the President of the United States,
then a candidate, had guilty knowledge
| of it.
Because the slander is baseless ii
should be proven baseless. The Presi.
dent should be as far above suspicion
as he is above reproach. 1t is not un.
likely that some of his friends in the
House of Representatives may be found
voting in support of Mr.. Bynum's mo-
ton: it is natural to assume that the
President will desire that they should.
For Mr.. Harrison's friends conducted
his campaign largely upon the plea
of his personal purity, and the plea was
indorsed by people among whom the
desire for pure methods in appointments
and elections daily grows more ardent
and resolute. Indiana, at best, is q
doubtful State. and it would be wretch
ed policy to allow the Democrats to as
sumo the aggressive by charging that
the Republican party in Congress re-
fused to vindicate the methods of Mr..
Harrison's election. 1t would be poor
policy if the charge against Colonel
dudley were well grounded; it will be
worse than foolish, since the charge is
baseless. 1t should be proven haseless
Chicago Inter Ocean.