The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-18
NEWS'S' GROSS LIBEL
A-
VICIOUS, UNTRUTHFUL ATTACK
MADE ON COUNCILMEN.
Falsely Charged Them with Retain
Ing the Street-Car Passes Sent
Them by the Company.
THE PAPER MADE NO INQUIRY
AN EDITORIAL THAT HAS AROUSED
CITY OFFICIALS INDIGNATION.
Messrs. Allen, Payne, Cooper, WaIcOtt
and Others Returned Passes Imme-
diately on Receiving Them.

The News yesterday afternoon contained
lengthy editorial in which it was openly
charged that every member of the Council
of this city had received passes from the
Citizens Street-rairoad Company, and
that, with but one exception, the Council
men had retained the passes. There were
expressions in the article that would lead
the average reader to suppose that the pa
per had interviewed the councilmen and
had positive information showing that they
had retained the passes. Much indignant
comment was made by members of the
Council who had returned the passes i'm
mediately upon receiving them, but who
had not written a letter to the editor of
the News informing him of their action 1t
was impracticable to see all the twenty-one
councilmen. Those interviewed with one
exception, said that they had long since
returned the passes They further declared
that no reporter or other representative of
the News had ever asked them a question
about the subject.
HISTORY OF THE PASSES
The circumstances leading to the editorial
eruption in the News, briefly reviewed, are
about as follows: Passes were sent to
number, if not all, of the councilmen, the
last of May. The Journal of May 80 con-
tanned an article announcing that passes
had been sent to them. The same after
noon the News gave the facts as pub
lished in the Journal that morning beside
which the statement was made that John
u, Ohleyer, councilman of the Fifteenth
ward, had returned his pass. The News
published copy of the letter he wrote the
street-car company declining to accept the
pass, in which he said that he did not know
that he had done anything to merit the
distinction, but was inclined to think it was
sent him on account of his official position.
When other councilmen saw Mr.. Ohleyers
letter in the News they regarded it as
cheap piece of buncombe and striving after
political effect. Several had returned their
passes quietly, before Mr.. Ohleyer did
without sending copies of their letters of
declination to the News or any other pa
per. Interviews had with a number yes
terday afternoon showed that they had
never been questioned on the subject by
representatives of the News. The council
men were particularly indignant that a pa
per should be guilty of such injustice as to
charge that all alike had stultified them
selves, when absolutely no effort had been
made by the paper to get at the truth. AT
least half a dozen councilmen have places
OF business down town, can be reached by
telephone or seen personally in an hour or
-
OF the men seen yesterday had cared to
send written notice to the News that they
had returned their passes, all of them
were willing to talk when interviewed.
John X. Allen, councilman from the Sec
ond ward ,Wyyas indignant when he was
shown the libelous editorial in the News
charging that all but one of the councilmen
had retained the passes. Without waiting
to enter denial Mr.. Allen led a Journal
reporter to his private Office where he got
out an impression letter book containing
copies OF all his business letters. Turning
through its pages he pointed to letter adj
dressed to Miller Elliott, superintendent
After acknowledging receipt of the pass Mr.
Allen said in his reply:
Relieving this pass would not have been
rendered If l had not been a member of
the Council and as there is a controversy
between the city and the Citizens Street
railroad Company, | think it would be i'm
proper for me to accept any favors from
this company which might even seem to
place men under obligations to them. | be-
lieve in dealing fairly with the Citizens
Street railroad Company. and l also believe
in compelling them TO perform their obli-
cations to the city and public. l Herewith
return the pass"
when l received that pass" said Mr.
Allen, Il talked with William II. Cooper,
councilman from the Eleventh ward, about
returning it. We agreed to send our passes
back together. In another day or two Mr.
Cooper told me he had already returned his
and then l wrote this letter. | did not
think 1t was necessary for me to break into
print about the subject. If | undertook to
run down TO the News every time have &C.
casion to turn down a man who has an ak
TO grind, l would be kept pretty busy at
times
The News says that, as far as we are
able to leahn, only one man has done the
star act (return the pass.) Did any repre-
sentative of that paper ever inquire wheth-
er you had returned your pass, Mr.. Allen?"
.queried a Journal reporter
mo, sir. No reporter ever said anything
to me on the subject"
Mr. Aliens letter to Miller Elliot, super
intendent of the car company, in which he
returned dated 2
two weeks ago. Mr.. Allen had not seen
the editorial until it was shown him. He
regarded 1t as impertinent, or rather out
rageous, for any newspaper to make such
false and malicious accusations without
first taking the trouble to investigate
whether men whose names were mentioned
had returned the passes. The article was
regarded as particularly, aggraYating from
the fact that it charged directly that the
were successful There are no inunendoes
nor intimations, but the direct charge is
made that all the councilmen except Mr..
Oheyer retained the passes.
Frank e. Wolcott councilman of the
Fifth ward, was asked what he had done
with his street-car pass. He said that he
had proof that it was not in his possession
more than fifteen minutes
1.-THE pass came with other mail while
was down town" said Mr.. Wolcott, and
| found it amongst other letters on my re-
turn. l wrote note on the bottom of the
letter inclosng the pass, declining to re-
ceive 1t. AS l remember said that | had
but little occasion to use the cars and that
/ preferred to pay my fare when did ride.
| mentioned the fact to one or two persons
who were in my store beside my clerk.
sealed the pass up and put 1t in a letter
box. Since that time l have scarcely talked
about it at all, with the exception of to
some of the councilmen, to whom l said
that | had returned my pass. All of them
have talked to have done SO SO also. r4o,
or representative of the News on the sub
Il was not"
Mr. Wolcott said that he had refrained
from talking publicly about the street-car
passes, as he did not care to rush it INTO
print AS long as the subject had been
given publicity, and was being discussed in
a general way, he was willing to give his
side of the subject
NO PASS TO Golfer.
George r. Golfer, councilman for the
Tenth ward, did not receive a pass at the
time they were sent to others. His name
is included in the News editorial as one of
the twenty-one councilmen who had re-
ceived passes and of the twenty who were
using them. Mr.. Golfer said that he had
formerly held a pass, but it was before he
went into the Council. 1t was so long since
he used it that he did not know what had
become of it.
A reporter called at the residence of Will
liam H. Cooper, lSl North Capitol avenue
last evening to ascertain what he had done
with his pass. Mr.. Cooper had represented
the Eleventh ward in Council several
terms His name is in the list published
OF counclmen who received and used
passes from the street-car company. Mr.
Cooper was very indignant, and condemned
in strong terms the unjust and unwarrant-
ed attack that had been made on himself