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


1t is the purpose of the new manage
ment TO make THE SENTINEL a complete,
comprehensive and compact newspaper
and trustworthy exponent OF democratic
principles"
Such WAS the simple and brief but very
significant. announcement made when
the present management assumed control
OF THE SENTINEL five years ago last Feb
ruary. From that day to this no reader
of the paper can t1uthfully assert that it
has swerved once from the path then laid
down for it,
1t is not the purpose in the present
article 10 review the business or news
achievements of THE SENTINEL, but more
particularly to treat OF some of the great
battles it has waged in the interest OF
honest politics. good government, private
and public economy and ali those objects
the attainment OF which is the one great
comprehensive aim OF true democracy
One of the first things to which THE
SENTINEL gave extended attention was the
i've lighting for the city of
Indianapolis About the time the change
occurred IN the manage ment OF the paper
the contract with the city for lighting the
streets and for furnishing illumination to
private consumers expired. THE SEMI
MEL believed that the old rates. and the
proposed new rates as well, were higher
than the public ought TO be asked to pay
so near the end OF the nineteenth century.
1t gathered statistics not only from all
over the United states but from all over
the civilized world also, showing the cost
OF manufacture and distribution at all
points and under ell circumstances At
the time, the gas company seemed TO have
control of the councils andt he city admin
istratiOn. It had brought TO It's assistance
lobbyists trained in securing franchises
and contracts, who We're making public
sentiment and having things pretty
much their own way. But the array of
facts and figures presented by this paper,
together with its evident determination
10 hold up before the public gaze every
councilman or alderman who showed a
disposition to serve the interests of the
gas company as against the interests OF
the public. was too much for the combina-
tion. While TIE SENTINEL did rot get
for the people quite al it dem anded.
which was dollar gas, it did secure gas %
81 % ard a very material reduction in tho
cost Of street lighting.
almost simultaneously with this discus
sion of the price of Illuminating gas was
that referring to the price of natural gas
This paper took an active and influential
part in booming the Consumers trust and
Ia getting through the council the rate
Oh L. II.
enjoys cheaper gas than any other natural
gas city OF anything like lts population in
The world. Although the gas fight. as it
may be termed. was one OF the hardest in
which HE SENTINEL ever participated its
triumph IN that connection was one OF the
most complete.
For Clean Politics.
Believing that true democracy meant
honest politics and clean politics THE
SENTINEL early found it necessary 10 an
tagonize a somewhat large and influential
faction OF the local party organization 1t
early warned the party that in the ensuing
campaign it must have none but clean can
didates and clean managers. against whom
not even the breath of suspicion had ever
been directed. The tally-sheet cases had
Bernhamer and mistrial in the case Of
John L. Sullivan. county clerk. Mr.. Sulli-
van announced himself as q candidate Tor
delegate to the national convention at St
Louis This was not in the line of clean
politics or true democracy, and THE SEN
TINEL so declar ID. announcing its unalter-
able opposition 10 the election of Mr.. Sui
Ivan. The announcement created tre-
mendous sensation, but it brought the
party to its senses. and. though Mr. Sulli-
van made a hard fight for election, he was
overwhelmingly defeated. Mr.. Sullivan
never forgave the paper and he carried
his animosity with him TO Canada along
with goodly roll of the peoples money.
From May until November OF 1888
TIE SENTINEL battled hard for true democ-
racy and tariff reform. Ii exposed the
faIlaeies OF protection, laid before the
workingmen and the farmers the facts
which 5proved unmistakably that pro-
lection was q delusivs cry raised for
the purpose of catching votes and en-
abling the trusts. the manufacturers, the
combines and all their horde OF parasites
10 continue the plumber of the people
under the guise OF patriotism and public
benefit. No such a clear exposition of
the whole tariff question was ever pub
lished by q newspaper as that which APP
poafo1 III LIE DENI4NEI uulluk tut ChIl-
paign of that memorable year. To be
sure the battle was lost, but il was not
lost on principle. Millions OF money
were expended throughout the country.
under the direction of Quay, Dudley and
Clarkson. in the outright purchase OF
votes More than q million of this
vast corruption fund was poured
into Indiana, and the state
was literally bought fer Harrison and pro-