The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1896-12-18
The Indiana Senatorial Fight.

The Indiana Senatorial Fight.
The indianapolis "Sun," an in
dependent Republican paper, is op-
posed to the coming Legislature
electing to the u. S. Senate to sue
ceed Voorhees,, either of the princi-
pal candidates now talked Of
Fairbanks, the millionaire corpora
ton lawyer, who has made his for
tune by standing in" with the
railroad corpolations-or McKeen,
the railroad President, who has
made his fortune by skinning his
workmen, and the people using his
railroads. In a well written article
the Sun says:
I eff all the rumors that are float
ing about have basis in fact, the
present contest for the United States
senatorship is the most disgraceful
that ever happened in the state of
; Indiana. 1t is asserted, by men
who do not often deal in untruths,
that one candidate began months
and months ago, to buy his way in
, to the highest Legislative body OF
the nation. 1t is said that he sent
+, his emissaries broadcast over the
state with the end in view of con-
trolling, with the aid of money, if il
/, could be accomplished in no other
way, the nominations for the legis-
lature. 1t is still further asserted
: that this money is still playing q
, part in the contest. OF still anoth-
er candidate it is said that he, beat
: en- in the control OF legislative nom
! nations, will now try the purchase
. of a legislature.
"THE Sun does not know wheth
! er these reports be true or not, bu
6 they fill the air. There must b,
, some truth in some OF the allega
8 tions, however where there is suci
/, an offensive odor there must b'
. something rotten.
|, "In the past, Indiana has ha'
. cause to point with pride to the fac
!, that its senatorial elections hav
. been clean and free of corruptin
!, tactics. In making its selection
: for the high places it has not con
!, sidered wealth as the strongest ele
!, ment in a mans favor. Whateve
|, may be said against Voorhees, ano
:. Turpie, it cannot be charged tina
they bought the seats OF honor which
: they now fill. Morton and Harrison
before them were sent to the senat,
because of their brains, not at SC
. much per legislator. Back through
. all the political history of the state
, we fail to find mention of an oc-
!, casion of this kind wherein money
was the ruling power. Now, we
are told, all this honorable record is
to be blackened. Corruption, rank
and bold, is said to be stalking
abroad and assailing and overcom-
ing integrity and honesty. Legis-
lators, usally respected and hon.
ored, are accused of having sold
themselves to this OF that candidate
There is no enthusiasm, no sugges-
ton of repaying some stalwart and
long-tried leader for his services-it
is simply called an out-and-out sale
tothe highest and most unscrupolou:
bidder. Isn't it deplorable pic.
ture for the People Il an honest
state to contemplate? Over in
Ohio, where senatorships are con-
trolled by Standard-oil money, il
would cause little or no comment ;
but in Indiana-honest Indiana-it
is different.
"The matter is in the hands OF
the Legislature. The People, there
fore, will be able to judge, in due
course Of time, Just how much OF
truth there is in the stories that are
banded from mouth to mouth.
They will be able, perhaps, to place
their hands on those who have sold
themselves for money, if any there
be. They will soon discover wheth-
er the legislature is honest, or SO
corrupt as to be stencil in the nos
trils of those who still cling to the
old-fashioned but wholesome notion
that integrity is better than riches
gained by personal qualification"
But the odds are more than 16
to that one Of the millonaires has
already "fixed" matters, and that
purchased Republican Legislators
will stick to their bargains. Meth
er man has ever displayed any
statesman like tendencies, or any
care for the wants Of the common
people, and no doubt each heartily
endorsed Jay Gould's reply, when
he said 1.-The public be d-d." The
election Of either OF them will be a
disgrace to the state, as it will show
that money and not capability is
the controlling power. This is the