The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-11

acts of Congress when it meets next month
should be to pass the bill appropriating
100000 for the exhibit of the United States
at the Paris exposition in 1900. which has
already passed the Senate, and it might also
adopt a resolution urging the fullest posi-
BILE exhibit of American industries on that
occasion. The appropriation has been de-
ferred too long already If it could be
passed on the first business day of the next
session it would be a partial atonement to
France for our heretofore shabby treatment
of her in exposition matters
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DEMO CORRUPTION.
1t is probable that a complete history, in
general and detail, of the Democratic-Pop-
ulst alliance of 1896 would show it to have
been the most corrupt political combination
ever formed. Many features of it, relating
tc national or state politics, have come to
light, but none hitherto as disgraceful as
one exposed by the st. Louis Globe-Demo-
crat. The exposure, which is based on rec
ord evidence and correspondence between
candidates and committees, relates to deal
by which the name of the Populist candi-
date for judge of the st. Louis Court of APP
peals was removed from the ticket and the
name of the Democratic candidate for the
same Office substituted. The deal was ac-
ccmplished by the joint action of the two
state committees and the candidates, the
consideration being the payment of 81, 900 to
the Populist CO n.nittee by the Democratic
candidate and the subsequent appointment
of the Populist candidate as reporter of the
court. The Democratic nominee for judge
Of the Court of Appeals was c. c. Bland.
who is now on the bench, and the Populist
rcminee for the same office was J. w.
North who is now reporter of the court
The exposure includes nearly dozen letters
relative to the transaction written by Judge
Bland, together with several from the chair
men of the two committees and contem-
poraneous record of the transaction. 1t
originated with the Democratic candidate
AS early as Aug. o. 1886, he wrote to a po-
litical friend, saying:
When you have the opportunity, wish
you would see the Populist nominee for
Court of Appeals and find out his inclina-
t1Cn as to Withdrawing, and what his pur-
poses are in the race If he is willing to
get out of the way, and his committee is
willing to substitute my name on the Pop
ulist ticket, it is worth working for, but
if the committee is disposed to put on
middle-of-the-road man, prefer that the
present nominee remain on the ticket.
A week later, in a letter to the secretary
Of the Democratic judicial committee, he
was inclined to think "the best thing to
do with Mr.. North for the present is to let
him alone" At the same time he could not
see why the whole thing is not arranged by
the state committees of the two parties for
the national and state ticket He said,
mo man can form any idea of the strength
Of the gold Democrats" and expressed a
belief that "a great many silver Republic
ans will be whipped back into line" He
thought st. Louis 1.-The most dangerous
ground and the best field for missionary
work." He continued:
The railroad vote should be watched very
carefully. The trainmen have fixed wages,
their pay is fairly good and they may con-
Glide that gold basis is better for them.
as their money will be worth more than on
a silver or bimetallic basis. The truth IS,
we have hard fight before us.
Several other letters of different dates
show that BANDS peculiar style of 'mis-
sionary work. was beginning to tell. but
the Populist candidate continued Oh the
ticket and held out for his price On Oct.
20, 1885, Judge Bland wrote to his political
agent: 'Have letter this morning from
Chairman Cook, and remit to him to-day
balance of my assessment of $500. This
puts me on the out edge of corruption prac-
tice act, and handicaps me SO far as cam
paign funds are concerned" He had previ-
ously designated Judge Bond, now Demo-
cratic judge on the Court of Appeals bench,
to represent him at a meeting to be held
in st. Louis to settle the matter, saying,
HE can treat as well as myself in the
North matter" This meeting, held in the
latter part of October, was attended by
the chairmen and members of the different
committees, and by Judge Bond and North.
1t resulted in an agreement that in consid-
Grafton of the payment of $1,000 by Bland
and pledge to appoint North reporter OF
the court if he were elected, the name of
North should be withdrawn from the Pop
ulist ticket and that of Bland substituted
Bland demurred to the arrangement but
paid the money. In a letter to the chairman
of the judicial committee, dated Oct 20, 1885,
he says:
Yours demurring to the fact that I have
paid state executive committee the amount
assessed against me by that committee re-
ceived. What / intended to say was that |
would not and could not pay any additional
assessment for campaign purposes, for the
reason that 1 was barred by the corrupt
practices act The expenses of the district
committee l have all along expected to pay
and will do so when the bill is presented. l
paid cash $500 in the first place by your in
struction. The last $1,000 was paid because
/ could not avoid it. After Mr..
Norths resignation was accepted and my
name substituted there was honorable
way of avoiding the payment of the $1,000.
His representative at the St. Louis meet
ing Judge Bond, made an agreement that
held him tight. There was mo honorable
way out of it. Bland was elected, and, as
already stated. he is now on the bench and
North is reporter of the court. This trans
action is a fair sample of the morals that
pervaded the Democratic-Populist coalition
from beginning to end, from Bryan down.
-A-0->-
1t is really interesting to observe the reg
ularty with which the Democratic papers
are scooped on the news regarding the re-
opening of industries and an occasional
substantial advance in wages.
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1t is said that Mr.. Powderly. commits