The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-02-21
TURPIE ON WOODS.


Senator Turpie took the opportunity
presented by the bill for the repeal Of
the federal election laws TO give the SEN
ate some interesting facts concerning
the administration OF federal justice in
Indiana. He did it in good style, too, as
Senator Turpie can do when he gets
warmed up. There has been enough of
this matter to warm up Indiana demo-
Gratis whenever the subject comes UP.
We have all seen it and know it. We
have had the national court of this dis
trict standing as a valuable adjunct Of
the republican party for years in several
respects, and among other things ref
uge for republican scoundrels from Dud-
ley down to the lower classes who did
the work that he laid cut for them. Mr..
Turpie put the case and the lessons to
be drawn from it in these words:
We have had a political judge in In
diana now in the succession. much dis
tinguished FOR his rulings pro and con
upon the subject of these laws, who has
devoted very great attention to the prac-
tlcal administration of them What is
the consequence? The consequence in
such a case is that this Judge, man
sitting to decide questions OF life, of
property, of character every day in his
court, finds himself in closest alliance
with most INSCRIPTIONS. the most I'M
Princ1pled actors in the local party poll
ties OF Indiana, and that the judges
chambers upon the recurrence of every
political campaign become headquarters
for the management and administration
OF the political party TO which he is al
lied, and the same feeling pursues such
a one from his chambers to the bench.
There never has been any ruling in
favor of a political opponent indicted in
our court; always against him. There
never has been any conviction Of a re-
publican for any political Offense in our
court-not a single one. Eighty repub-
licans were indicted. indicted upon full
hearings. upon lawful Information and
upon full evidence, for violation of the
election laws. The indictments were
quashed, and what is known as the gen
eral Jail delivery" occurred in Indianap-
oils, and all the defendants were dis
charged.
What is his employment? How does he
earn his salary? BY midnight councils
prior to the election held i'm the judges
chambers. I acknowledge he may pay
some attention TO other questions and
cases pending in his court but his chief
the whole faculties Of his mind. is this:
to decide how he may make appointments
as supervisors and marshals in the diff
ferent counties to decrease the demo-
cratic vote. and how he may make the
same appointments in other counties to
increase the republican vote. This is the
gist of his labors. The consequence is
the judges name has become a by-word
throughout Indiana. There is no pre-
cinct in Indiana which you can visit
where you will not find it the subject Of
the coarsest Objurgations on the one
hand and the coarsest, falsest partisan
praise and laudations on the other. 1t
has become a reproach in the eyes of
both parties.
How can the courts preserve their re-
spect and how can there be that respect
for the administration of the law and
that proper regard for the law itself I'M
der the administration and management
of such a system? We shall do well to
sever the courts from what is called ac-
tual and practical politics. to make the
distance between them and bummers and
healers as great as possible and to sepa-
rate the ermine-I speak of the I'M
spotted and pure ermine to be worn by
judges and their successors-tO separate
that ermine so that no spot or blemish
may be raised upon it, so that federal
Judges need not be called upon to admin
lister what are called the federal cleo
lent parJisans.
This is good democratic doctrine, and
it is some recompense for all the out
RACES to which the democrats of this
state have been subjected in past years
to know that two great reforms have
come from them. One is the Australian
ballot law of this state. which was the
direct result of the Dudley frauds of
1888. The other is the repeal of the
federal election laws for which our ex-
perience was forcible argument. 1t is
not altogether bad to suffer and to en-
dure wrong if great good comes of it.
and certainly great good has come Of
the sufferings and wrongs endured by
the democrats of Indiana.