The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-04-26
Tor Honest Elections.

tIumpii Nds uoohed 10 obstruction.
Tor Honest Elections.
Ii would not be- truthful 10 say that
The SENTINEL was not disappointed at the
result at the polls. But it was neither
dismayed nor dlsheartsned. 1t saw
clearly that the only way to secure popu-
lar elections in Indiana was to make
election boodling obnoxious and danger
Gus and to wipe out the system by which
it could be accomplished. 1t demanded.
Immediately after the election, the arrest
and punishment of those who had pur-
chased the electoral vote of the state. 1t
insisted that Dudley. whose infamous
blocks.of-five letter 1t had unearthed and
published a few days prior to the election,
be among the first TO feel the grip of the
Law. The federal grand jury, largely by
the assistance of facts placed before it by
THE SENTINEL, indicted Dudley
and q couple of hundred OF hls
subordinate conspirators from all
parts oil the state. In It's attempt 10 land
| these enemies OF popular government IN
the penitentiary THE SENTINEL was de-
feated, through the shameful conduct OF
Judge Woods, District Attorney Cham
bers and Attorney General Miller, who
stultitied themselves and debauched their
high offices in order that the boodleis
who had made it possible for them to
hold Office might 90 unwhiPped of justice.
But The SENTINEL has had the satisfaction
of knowing that in the years that have
elapsed since then II has SO successfully
p aced the facts before the American peo-
pie that the names OF these men are svn-
onomous with all that is corrupt in Amer
lean politics. The full exposure of cleo
tion corruption in Indiana made by this
paper has done much in nearly every
state in the Union to secure reform OF
the ballot lava and TO restore the Amer
lean suffrage to it's original purity.
Though baked IN its efforts to secure
the punishment of election corruptors in
this state, THE SENTINEL did not despair
OF eventually securing honest, unintimi-
dated and uuprejudiced elections Tor the
commonwealth. 1t pointed out that the
great necessity TO the accomplishment OF
such a result lay inssecuring an absolutely
secret ballot, whose secrecy and freedom
should be guaranteed and enforced by CO.
ordinate laws. 1t studied the electoral
systems and ballot methods OF every civil
lied government of the world, arriving ut
the mai conclusion that the law best
suited to the American people and
their system OF government and most
likely to secure an exact ex-
preston OF the peoples VIII
was what was known as the Australian
system When the legislature convened
IN the winterot 1889, The SENTINEL urged
that 1t apply the Australian system to the
electoral machinery of Indiana. IL pre-
scented its views 20 the legislature, to COM
mlt,ees and individual members, and, with
the aid of broad gauge statesmen in yari-
Gus parts of the state, sacured the
adoption OF the present Australian law
ss party measure. After a long and
hard struggle bill WAS enacted wish
but one dissenting democratic vote in the
entire assembly. The workings of the
new law have been all that TIE SENTINEL.
claimed they would be. They have prac-
ticelly put an end to the purchase OF yotes
In Indians ana, what is still more i'm port
tant, have prevented manufacturers, rail-
roads and other large employers from
coercIng their employees into voting a. they
wish. simultaneously were enacted
number of bribery and intimidation laws
which have materially assisted in carrying
out the purpose OF the Australian law.
Tha schooI-Book Tight.
Speaking OF the legislature OF 1SSS-S9 re-
calls wildly another OF The SENTINEL's
great battles, in which 1t stood almost
alone and in which it secured a great
victory. Tor years the school-book trust
had been furnishing the books ueed in the
public schoo of Indiana and incidentally
had been robbing the people of vast sums
each year. 1t had a powerful grip on the
politics OF the state, ignoring party lines
entirely and getting within it's clutches
township trustees, city school boards,
county superlntendents and all others
who won Il DO useful in making fre-
quent changes Of text books, allowing ex-
Orbltgnt bills and doing those many
other services 30 valuable to cor
rupt combination OF It's kind. Early in
the session OF the Legislature THE SENTI-
MEL opened its batteries on this gigantic
octopus. 1t exposed its operations,
demonstrated its wholly unnecessary cost
TO the parents OF the state and laid be-
fore the public the evidence OF its corrupt
! connection with public officials and politi-
cal parties. The octopus responded by
sending to the legislature the most power
ful lobby ever gathered in Indianapolis.
IL had newspapers. state officials, county
officials. ex-legislators. eX-congressmen,
and all manner OF influential people in
its employ. 1t attempted TO bTibe The
SENTINEL and TO purchase the legislature,
but failed IN both, and the new school
book law, which saves the people of the
state hundreds OF thousands of dollars an-
nually, was placed on tho statute
books. But the octopus did not
give over the fight even then. 1t arranged
still broader combination, embracing
nearly ali the schOol-book publishing
houses OF the country, with view 10 pre-
venting the state from securing bids I'M
der the new law. But THE SENTINEL had
not quit fighting az the close OF the legis-
lature. Aware of tho efforts of the
octopus TO prevent the law from becom-
ing effective 1t kept the matter before the
people till number OF the states leading
! capitalists and most distinguished public
men formed company for the purpose
of bidding for the new school books.
! When the time Tor letting the contract ar
rived the octopus was jubilant. Ii be-
lieved that no bid would be offered which
the state could accept. But disagreeable
surprise awaited il. For the new COM
panv proved its ability to supply the state
with uniform text books of the first quail
ity and the new law went into full and
entirely satisfactory effect. Creatures of
the octopus throughout the state sought
10 disObey the provisions of the new law.
But they were beaten in the courts and
their conduct was made odious in the
sight of the people. Today no Jaw on the
statute books of Indiana is m ore deeply
engrafied on the affections of the people
than the school-book law.
The Barrett Law.
Il IT