The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-02-18
ALL BUT ONE SIGNED
MARION COUNTY DELEGATION AND
PETITION TO THE GOVERNOR.
Mr.. Van ArsdeI However. signs An
other PetitiOn-Reports from
Over the state.

sign it to make a majority of both
branches of the General Assembly. Repre-
sentative Van Arsdel is the only member
from this county who has not yet signed
ii. Mr.. Adams signed it yesterday, as he
said, TO show the committee that he was
in full accord with its desire to attack the
law of 1885. Yesterday these two men,
after a conference, decided that they would
sign a petition to the Governor, but not
the one framed by the committee, although
Mr.. Adams afterward signed it also. The
one signed by these two men is as follows:
ITO his Honor. Governor Matthews:
Dear Sir-Believing it to be your duty
as the chief executive of the State to con-
vene the Legislature for the purpose of
passing an apportiOnment law on the lines
laid down by the recent decision of the Su-
preme Court, viz, a law which shall follow
the letter of the Constitution, we take this
method or saying that if you call the
legislature together we shall favor acting
only on the business for which we were
called together"
Justus c. Adams was asked yesterday to
state mis- position on the special session
petition. He said: "As a rule, l am OPP
posed to ante-election, ante-session or ante
Official agreements of any kind or character,
as legislative or executive officers are
obligated and under oath to do what is
rlgnt and pursue that course which will
best subserve the interests of those they
represent. Should Governor Matthews, in
this emergency, at a time when the State
has no legal apportionment law, refuse to
heed the ill considered advice offered him
and rise above party surroundings In the
atmosphere of party craftsmanship and con-
clude to ask the General Assembly to con-
vene and enact an apportionment law in
line with the decision of the Supreme Court,
opposed as 1 am to a special session, ex-
cept in a dire emergency and urgent neces-
sity. 1 would be the first to give him my
hand and word TO exert what influence
l possessed and put forth every effort to
pass such a law and at once adjourn.
1T is no breach Of confidence to state
that some weeks before the Legislature
convened last winter Attorney-general
Ketcham informed me that Governor Mat
thews wished to see me on some matters
I! OF importance. A conference was arranged.
at which the Governor set forth the urgent
need for the enactment OF certain impor-
tant legislation, without which he was
powerless to act on several matters of great
Importance and vital interest, and asked me
to aid and assist him in securing the pas
sage Of these laws. These measures met my
approval as they involved questions of in
| terest to the people of the State, and while
the preceding Legislature, the majority be-
ing of the Governors party friends, had
turned him down, refused to pass these
measures and left his hands tied, Governor
Matthews's course in these matters was
highly creditable and | was only too will
ing 10 aid by vote and effort to secure their
| passage. Every assurance given and prom
Use made was fully carried out and re-
deemed. My signature TO an agreement to-
day implies no stronger obligation than did
my word one year ago. While to-day L
signed tie petition as requested by the COM
rptftpn IN NO m chou fh0rn my nnrnxo 4
Of their course i'm attacking the law of
1855. and as an Endorsement of the posi-
ton taken by our district committeeman,
1.-The Republicans of Indiana are thor
oughly in earnest in this matter, for they
| have been ruthiessly robbed of their dearest
! rights. For years they have suffered humil-
iation, outrage and In some cases disfran-
chisement at the hands of the Democratic
party. A recital of these political highway
rcbberies, brutal methods and infamous
| -ger-vmanders as practiced by them in this
State has M parallel in the histories of
| parties and legislatures in any State north
Of the OHIO river. Men have grown gray
under these great burdens OF injustice and
many have gone to their graves, hoping that
these grievous wrongs would be righted
by those who come after them. And now,
after long years of waiting. that undeniable
| force, public opinion. with the growing sense
of justice and fair play among our people,
has impelled the Supreme Court of Indiana
to render a decision, making 1t impossible
FOR any political party in the future to rob
OF their fair and equal political strength.
This decision upholds our contention and
maintains the position we have always as
sumed. but we regret IL was not rendered
and its vital principles Incorporated into
law many years ago. Had such been the
case, our State to-day would not be mis-
represented and our people Inundated with
the misfits that responded TO the call OF In
diana in the Senate Of the United States.
And now in the hour of our final triumph
and complete vindication we are asked to
yield our dearly acquired rights and continue
- 4 - Il W. -.
asked to hold an election under a law which
the decision of the Supreme court and the
remarkable semi-political appendix to
declared was Illegal. Void and Of
no force. 1t is proposed 10 galvanize
t the un nee statute Of iss5 and TO
further accept the proposition of the DEM
ocratic State committee and enter into a
compact with a party hat never made good
it's word. kept its faith or redeemed its
promise.
"a burned child is afraid of the fire and
the great mass OF the Republican party of
Indiana know, to their sorrow. that the
managers of the Democratic party have all
ways been long on promises and on the
wish to be Misunderstood would accept
the pledge and take the word of the in
dividual members of the committee who is
sued their ultimatum. for any amount or
on any question except where the interests
of their party are involved. or its success
jeopa rdized. The chairman of their central
committee is a gentleman of business in
tegrity and commercial standing. whose
word or promise on financial or business
matters stands for a bond in this cOmmun-
ity, yet in tbs recent past there came a
time when he represented his party in a
close contest in a city election requiring a
recount of the ballots, which resulted in
awarding the election TO the Republican cam
iidate. The present chairman of the DEM
ocratic State central committee was so in
censed ar the result that he deliberately
took a hatchet and broke in the ballot box.
These methods of thwarting the peoples
judgment, as expressed at the polls. are
IN line with kicking Lieutenant Governor
Robertson out os the Senate when he pre-
scented himself AT the door of that chamber
with his certificate OF election. The only way
10 anticipate such action. backed by the
bludgeon and the AK. Is to wipe out the
last vestige of these void and illegal ap-
portionment laws and place the responsible
lty OF a just and fair measure where 1t be-
longs"
IN THE FIRST DISTRICT.
Yesterday a telegram was received at the
committee rooms from committeeman
Kercheval. OF the First district. who re-
ported that he had seen all the Republican
members i'm his district except one and Sc
cured their signatures TO the agreement.
The one he had not seen he was confident
would sign the petition as soon as pre-
scented. This is the first information that
has been received direct from a commit
eeman except that Mr.. McCulloch told
Secretary Mansfield, Sunday, he had Sc
cured the signatures of all but two of the
members from his district, and that he
thought he would get those two as soon
as he saw them.