The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-05-02

The adoption by the republicans of In
diana in their recent state convention Of
platform declaring in favor of strict
enforcement OF the immigration laws is
creating a large amount Of amused crit
icism in view Of the fact that they, in
the same convention, placed at the head
of their ticket as their candidate for
secretary of state a man who was noto-
rious in his violation Of the national
laws regarding the importation of for
eign labor when he held the position Of
commissioner of immigrat ton under Pres
ident Harrison, who sat in the conven-
ton and never winked an eye when the
plank was passed.
The Rev. W. D. Owen created for him
self a national reputation that no one
ever tried to take away from him when,
as commissioner Of immigration, he
granted permission to Nidringhaus, the
st. Louis manufacturer, to import
Welchmen into this country in direct
violation of the contract labor law. This
permission was given to Nidringhaus in
writing, and the open violation Of the
law was justly condemned by the entire
country at the time, as well as by other
officers Of the same administration. Mr..
Owen received a very severe letter from
Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Net
tleton, and the long and bitter contro-
versy between the men threatened for a
time to disrupt the Harrison adninistra-
ton. The controversy was carried on
for many months, Mr.. Nettleton very
justly insisting upon the removal from
office Of a man who had so little regard
for the law, and whose action cast d
stain upon the entire administration,
But the national republican convention
was to be held in a short time and Ben
| jamin Harrison was too shrewd a poll
| tician, if not too conscientious a moral
ist, to add to the strength of the anti
Harrison faction in this state by the re-
moval Of Owen at that time, and he was
| allowed to remain in office.
The order was issued to Nidringhaus
| by Owen without the permission of the
! secretary of the treasury, but with the
| full approval and cOgnizance of Presi-
dent Harrison, as was acknowledged at
| the time. Owen acknowledged that he
| had issued the order to Nidringhaus. but
while the long controversy was being
| carried on between himself and Nettle-
| ton he attempted to justify his action
| in letter to the latter by claiming that
| he allowed the Welchmen to be imported
under contract because they were to
| Mckinley tariff. But as the law did not
make any exception of tin-plate cam
| paign factories the excuse met with little
| favor and the violation of the law stood
out as prominently as ever.
These facts stand out in bold contrast
| to the action of the Harrison convention
| this week when this same man Owen was
placed at the head of the ticket. Both
| the ex-president and the candidate for
| secretary of state were clearly guilty of
violating the immigration laws when
| they were in power, and the only valid
| reason that can be assigned for the adop-
| ton of the immigration plank in the
| platform by the convention is that it
was in the nature of a gentle reminder
| by the delegates to their eX-president
and candidate that if it should so chance
| that they are returned to power they
should pay some attention to the laws
| Of the country in general and the law
| against the importation of foreign labor
under contract in particular. Politics
sometimes produces soma very amusing
cff1a tiOns