The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-09-27
REPUBLICANS PREPARING TO FUNK


REPUBLICANS PREPARING To FUNK
We called attention few days ago to
the beginning of the desertion by repub-
Iicans of the struggle for the repeal of
the Sherman purchase law. The New
York Tribune made the suggestion for
the movement, and now it comes out
squarely for 1t. 1t takes the proposed
repeal of the federal election law as the
ground for its change of front. There
are worse things possible than contin-
uance Of silver purchases, badly as they
may affect the credit of the country.
The worst thing possible is a corrupt.
dishonest and unmeaning ballot, by
which an INSCRIPTIONS party can per-
petuate its power" So says the leading
republican organ of the country. and
doubtless a general following by the
republican press of its demand ''to call
halt in that direction, and il neces-
saTy block the way to all legislation,
until the assurance is given that the
small safeguards we now have against
dishonest and fraudulent elections shall
not be utterly thrown down and de-
stroyed."
This is a free country, and of course
the republicans in congress ano out of it
may do as they like in regard to voting
for the repeal of the Sherman law. II
they desire to vote for the continuance
of a law which they have openly con-
demned in order to force what they
want done on some other question they
put themselves in the same condition
as the obstructionists who are now in
juring the business interests of the
whole country by their obstinate oppo-
sition to the measure of relief which is
beforshem. 1t would merely be an
other assertion of the principle that the
be passed to suit them in all things.
We certainly have no objections to the
taking of this position by the repub-
licans, and especially to their taking it
and corrupt election laws that was ever
passed in any land. If the republican
party wants to make it's stand on that
law, we'll and good. The Tribune says
BY the operation of these laws no
honest voter has ever suffered hardship
or wrong. nor has any ever been de-
prived of his vote. They simply pro
vide for a reasonable supervision OF
the polls in the election of president and
members of congress. The officials in
trusted with this function are selected
by judges of the federal courts. Is
there any body Of men in the country
in whom the people have greater con-
hdence than those who compose the fed
eral judiciary? What fool or knave will
rise UP and say that any harm or any
thing but good can come from the SUI
pervision of the polls under the direc-
ton of the judges of the federal courts :?
Just put The Indianapolis Sentinel
down for one of that sort. We have seen
the beauties of the system. We have
seen a federal judge go to marked ex-
tremes to secure the conviction of dem
ocrats and promptly reverse his rulings
to secure the acquittal of republicans.
We have watched the Dudley scandal
through it's entire loathsOme course. We
have seen federal judge sit in cham
bers all day issuing bench warrants for
the arrest of democratic deputy mar
shals and fail to appear in court at the
hour he set for their hearings. We have
seen more than an hundred cases
against republican violators of election
laws dismissed by a republican pros
ecutor without any excuse and without
any rebuke from the court. We have
seen criminal cases arbitrarily ordered
up from the state courts and dismissed
by the United States judge without so
much as permitting the state to present
its case and they were good cases, too
We have seen republican marshals and
supervisors commissioned to bulldoze
and intimidate at elections under the
new ballot law of Indiana. which is
strictly fair in its provisions and allows
the political parties equal representa-
ton, of their own selection. on the
boards. Put The Sentinel down as one
that says nothing but harm has come
from the federal election law in this
state in the last five years.