The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1917-04-09

0Ie Oh OppOtto pO11tICe, were uOtuu6
II not personal. not only caustic in
character. but more often vituperative.
And woe to him who had been tndis-
Greet, or upon whom rested . bit Of
scandal. which was often held up In
public print in It's most hideous form.
William A. Bickle, an attorney Of
prominence. who had once been .
Wing. as mentioned in previous
article, but In the campaign Of 1856
was taking an active part as Demo.
crat In behalf Of his new love.
Criticized Palladium Man.
It was generally understood that he
was writing the leading editorials for
Jeffersonian, and In one Of these he
had very severely criticised Mr.. Davis,
OF the Palladium, Mr.. Davis In q
case of this kind was quite plain and
severe. In reply he brought up the
matter Of q scandal in which Mr..
Bickle had become implicated in secur.
Ing divorce for Mrs. Boswell, advis-
ing him to buy q copy Of 'Bos' and
read 1t WE'LL: This touched Bickle's
tenderest spot, and meeting on the
street the following day, no doubt lying
in wait for him. assaulted him with
heavy cane Davis warded off the
blow, caught his hand in the cravat Of
his antagonist, and struck him two or
three times in the fact, As Bickle fell
back revolver dropped from his
pocket. Friends interfered and took
Bickle away. He had for several days
a peeled face and black eye to show
for his folly Of assaulting an editor.
The Republican party was now Or
ganized and its first campaign inaug-
urated with Fremont and Dayton as
its national candidates, and Oliver P.
Morton as its candidate for governor.
The platform adopted by the national
convention was quite brief in compari-
son with present day platforms. It's
leading declaration was opposition to
those twin relics of barbarism, slav-
cry and polygamy."
Expect Good Round Majority.
It was cinch that Old Wayne would
give good round majority for the
national and state Republican tickets,
yet there we're some big rallies held,
and banners were swung to the breeze
proclaiming Fremont, Free Terrories.
and Free Speech" Among the speak
ers Of national prominence at these
rallies was Cassius M. Clay, the noted
antislaveryite Of Kentucky, cousin
of the great and beloved Wing states
man. Henry Clary.
Eleazer Malone, of Centerville, a
good and clean man whose worst
fault politically was that of being a
dyed in the wool" Democrat, had for
years desired to be sheriff Of the
county, and was his party's candidate
time and again. going down to defeat
"by the usual majority" He was the
candidate again this year. opposed by
Jesse T. Williams, a farmer and stock
raiser OF the vicinity Of Milton. He
and push, who had been prominent
as whig worker before that party
had given up the ghost, and was now
as strongly aligned with the new
party.
Party Takes Decided Stand
The Republican party of the county
had taken decided stand against the
saloon and against the use of intoxi-
cants. And it was here that Malone
and his friends made a. bitter per
sonal fight, charging that Williams
was given the use of intoxicants, and
frequently had been in a condition to
show for it. This was denied by Will
liams and his friends, and while the
Jeffersonian put the charge in print
the paper and the party were never
able to adduce proof. The fght was
bitter one, but Williams was elect.
ed by fair majority, which so re-
joiced him that in his rejoicing he
"fell down." got hilariously drunk.
and thus lost the respect and conf
dence OF those who had been his
warn friends. While he continued
more or less in politics his influence.
although he made a good sheriff, was
gone and be retired to private life
after serving out his term.
Starts West to "Grow Up"
In closing this series of articles,
may / be permitted to. indulge in
little personal history? I had been a
jour printer few weeks when about
the middle of November l took the adj
vice Of Horace Greeley, and started
for the West to grow up with the
country, and realize my ambition for
the publication Of country newspa,
per. I had my heart set on Kansas,
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