The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-09-28
FISHBACK TO SULLIVAN.
The Weakness and VacillatiOn of the
Little Mayor Illustrated.

To Mayor Sullivan,
Some of your fool friends make . mis-.
take when they try TO rally wavering
Democrats to your support by telling them
that your defeat would mean the defeat of
the Democratic party. The Democratic
party was defeated when the law-breNking
and law-defying classes took control of the
convention that put you in nomination in
spite of the protests of the solid citizens
of your party who arc opposed to you. To
defeat your electi hand il You are de-
feated it will be by the aid of Democratic
votes-would be to save your party from
the responsibility of another two years
misrule. To indorse you by an election
would cOndone the blunder OF your nomI-
nation. You have no right to handicap
your party by saddlinR it with your record
as Mayor. You obtained many votes be-
fore on the false pretense that you would
give US q business Administration" There
are many Democrats and Republicans who
were deceived by you then. who will vote
against you now. What have you done to
merit their c~onfidence-or. rather. what
have you failed to do to forfeit iJf. 1t is
not tlattoring TO you when Democrats are
saying: Yes. he Is cowardly. he Is weak,
he is vacillating; be has sold ont to the
la wless element; John FrenZel and Sim
Coy lead him around by the nose, but he 10
nominated and we must put him In again"
The pathetic thing about it Is that there is
no feeling OF resentment or i'll will In the
opposition to you; it Is rather q sentiment
akin to pity. A good mother received a
letter from the principal of a school which
stated that her son had shown a general
insptitude for study" The poor woman
showed IL to her %neiehbors as an evidence
1f bA- horsa nH Nnnr il
aptitude for the executive office is mani
fest. but outside of the rings who use you,
your friends are not taking pride in 1t.
They are In the attitude of Dick Deadeye,
who SAID: He means we'll, but he don't
know"
Allow me to quote for your benefit an
other short paragraph from Mr.. Shepsrd's
essay in the September Forum. Speaking
OF Mr.. Body. the present Mayor of Brook.
iyn, who went IN as q reformer. Mr.. Shep-
ard says: He had. therefore,, every oon-
ceivable motive to meet. and he probably
meant to meet. with honor. the heavy OBJ
legations which the charter of BROOKLYN
placed upon him. and in SO doing to
sDect of his fellOw-citiZens, which.
one would think. must be surely the
dearest thing in public life to n man
OF his age and character. There Is practi.
cellv no dissent from the belief that be
has failed to meet these obligations; it ia
perfectly well known that his official. and
even his recent and present political as
sociateo. when out of his hearing, go as
far as any of bis adversaries. or even fur
ther. In a depreciatory judgment of his
ability and the measure OF his self-respect.
which ought TO be no less the hard to bear
that It Is kindly"
Just so. Mr.. Mayor. many of your ''offi
cial and present political associates" are
talking about you wv hen out of your hear.
ing" Some OF them NAV talk the SAM
way by their ballots Oh election day.
w. L. FIsuBACK.
1 INDIANAPOLIS. Sent. ~.