The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-06-11
Mr.. LASBY DETERMINED
TENT To Go UP ON CAPITOL GROUNDS
DESPITE THE CUSTODIAN.
Latter's Course Generally Commended
The Minister Talks of
Politics.

-
the Epworth League convention will defy
the State officials in the controversy as to
whether the big convention tent shall be
pitched on the S~tatehouse grounds. Rev.
Charles c. Lasby, chairman of the COM
mittee. said last night that the committee
would ignore the decision OF Custodian
Vest, Of the Statehouse, not to allow the
tent to go up on the Statehouse grounds.
Mr.. Lasby said the Legislature had au-
thorized the Epworth League to use the
Statehouse and its grounds during the in
ternational convention, and the executive
committee did not think Custodian Vest
stronger than the Legislature. The tent
would be put up when the time came, he
said. and if the question then were pushed
into the courts, Custodian Vest and those
who stood with him would be responsible
and must stand by the consequences. The
consequences" he intimated, would be the
political damage which might be done TO
those State officials h opposed the Ep-
worth League. 1.-The Republican party con-
trolled the legislature said Mr.. Lasby,
suggestively. land Indiana is a pivotal
State. There are 10000 Methodists in In
diana"
Custodian Vest announced his conclusion
yesterday in the following letter:
o Friday. June 8, 1 called a tent and
awning maker to the Capitol. He took a
careful and accurate measurement Of the
grounds, he being employed by the Ep-
worth League to erect a tent for their meet
ing. Owing to the size of the tent there
are only two places on the lawn on which
it could be located. namely, on the north.
fronting Ohio street, or on the south, 'front.'
ing on Washington street. To locate on
the north ii would necessitate the taking
out of twenty-one a trees and blocking
the driveway TO the grounds and the tun-
nelway to the building completely. In case
of fire the department could not drive on
tie grounds. To locate on the south 1t
finest shade trees on the southwest corner
or the grounds.
while 1 have the kindliest of feeling for
all who are interested in this matter, nv
duty compels me to say that this destruc-
tion Of property cannot be made while 1
am custodian OF the State Capitol"
APPROVED Mr.. VESTS COURSE.
When the fact of Mr.. Vests ultimatum
became known through the Statehouse the
only comments were those Of strong ap-
proval. AT casual meetings of the state
officers 1t was regretted that they had taken
a hand in the matter at all. They wished
they had let it rest with Custodian Vest in
the first place, because, they said, he had
sole authority under the law in matters per-
tanning to the Statehouse itself, the
grounds, the trees and the shrubbery. The
Governor Was at his office in the morning.
He said he would not interfere with MIR.
Vests decision, because the law, he found,
gave all such matters into Mr.. Vests hands.
and furthermore. put him under 6ond OF 50,
w to keep intact the Statehouse and
grounds. The information found its way
out into the city and the matter was dis
cussed at noon by business men. Express
Sims 0f pproual of Custodian VQct'c actfon
were heard everywhere. 1t seemed to be
felt that after the number of years II has
taken to bring the lawns to a hourishing
condition and that as the young trees are
just taking root, it would be entirely mad
visable to allow thousands of people to
sa1ney in said, the sT if his t 6hs p eets into the
courts i will volunteer my services to help
defend the custodian of the Statehouse."
said Mr. sin s Vest i in the ms fs sGnssa - :. ip believe 1
am acting for the good of the State, and
that 1 have the right to take this stand"
the convention was held in the afternoon,
but nothing was done about the tent ques-
ton, Mr.. Lasby said last night.
The committee will take the stand that
the Legislature has given 1t permission to
use the grounds and the Statehouse," said
Mr.. Lasby. "Of course. we will not at
tempt to use the offices In the ~Statehouse.
ado about a little matter. When the State
house grounds were used by a convention
the last time, beer bottles and cigar ends
ing Of that kind at our convention. We
have agreed to resod the grounds and We
would put the trees back into the ground
after the convention was over. 1t would
be necessary to take up only about a dozen
trees # the tent were pitehe ed on the north tn
leave the grounds as We found them. If
Custodian Vest is afraid he will lose on his
bond we will put UP a bond. We are worth
5000: But surely our word is as good as
our bond"
THE JOINT RESOLUTION.
A peculiar feature of the matter is that
the joint resolution that was passed by the
Legislature giving the Epworth League per-
mission to use the grounds "as far as prac-
ticable'' has not the signatures of Speaker
Lttleton, of the House, and Lieut.. Gov.
Haggard. president of the Senate, and
therefore is looked on as void by the state
officers, even If Custodian Vest could not
interpret the ''as far as practicable as he
saw fit. Mr.. Lasby limited last night that
there was some underhand business about
the resolution of the Legislature.
THAT resolution went from the House to
the Senate" he said, land surely Speaker
Littleton would not send 1t without signing
it. Our people saw Lieutenant Governor
Haggard go through the motion of signing
1t. at least. The resolution shown does not
look to me like the resolution that was
pdSSCu uuTlnS Tie lfkiSldtuTe. lou hnOW
how those things can be handled by per-
sons who wish to see them disappear. /
think the resolution with the proper sigma
lures on it could be produced. Still. 1t may
be in an ash can somewhere. / think II
Speaker Littleton, who is a man of ability
and integrity. were to be put on the wit
ness stand he would say that he signed
that resolution"
Mr.. Lasby was asked what motives could
be imputed to the State officers in spiriting
away the resolution. He did not reply d.
rectly, but said he understood Custodian
Vest had been opposed to the Epworth
League using the grounds from the first
of the proposal that they should be used.
This will be the greatest convention In
dianapolis has ever had" Mr.. Lasby said.
There will be no camp. and the crowds
will pass In front Of the stores. The Knights
OF Pythias convention had a camp and bust
ness men will tell you that 1t was a frost
When we went to Toronto to invite the
convention to come here we paid our own
expenses. Other cities which also wanted
the convention were able to show that they
had the attractions of mountain scenery or
some other feature that Indianapolis had
not. We showed that indianapolis, being at
the center of population. would be more ac-
cessible han the other cities proposed, and.
therefore. the convention would be more
largely attended. We also showed that the
theaters and Tomlinson Hall were In a block
OF each other. and, besides. we showed that
the tent might be pitched on the S~tatehouse
grounds so that the points of assembly
would be so near together that the fires
would burn from one to the other
we had invitations from Mayor Taggart.