Democratic Sentinel, Volume 7, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 November 1883 — OLD BEN ONCE MORE. [ARTICLE]

OLD BEN ONCE MORE.

(Extract from Mansfield Speech.) I come to tell you my views of what should be done in the State, and to give you some slight account of the little that has been done by me, in order that you should say whether you maintain the Dresent administration of the state government or go back to the former one. Through the confidence of my fellow-citizens of all parties, J was made governor of the commonwealth last year. What had 1 befote me? Nothing but the strongest desire, temptation and ambition to do the best I could for the state. Anything other than that would have been an in suit to those who chose me —a wrong to myself my conscience and against my interests; for the highest interests I have, or can have, is to stand well in

the judgment of the people of this state. I have been acquainted with public affairs now, intimately, forquite forty years. I have held many public stations, and, with the exception of a military appointment, the offices nave been elective. I feel bound to call this much to your attention, because, with that experience and with that ambition, if I have done anything wrong to •the state, it must have been done from sheer folly. Now, I have been called pretty much everything except a fool. — S Great laughter and applause.] ndeed, my opponents do me honor overmuch. They accused me of possessing the power to dragoon all men into my support, the power to twist the great parties of the state around just as I turn my hand. Too high and all too great a compliment! More than that, they say—what I have never said to mortal men—that I am doing this to be President of the United States. They seem to think I would be fit for it if I could only reach it. (Applause.) 1 have grave doubts upon that subject. What is the logic of that? That is to say, I have done the worst I could do in order to get the highest praise I could get.— (Laughter.) Isn’t that the logic? There are sensible men and sensible women here.— What do you think of that argument? Here is a man of great acquaintance with oublic affairs, of great cunning and shrewdness,they say, doing the worst he can do in order to get the most that can be got. (Renewed laughter.) Judge ye! You do not exactly know the powe. of the governor of this state. I did not know till I got in (laughter); but I found that, while I was away at the war, in congress and other places, they had all tered the laws, taken away all the powers from the governor they could, and left him about as useful and ornamental as Queen Victoria in the British government- a good figure head, nothing more. In the matter of appointments, as I have no power without the consent of tho council, and as there are eig li t councillors against me and only one for me, there is no reasonable chance that I could do very badly.— When I assumed my office, the acting insurance commissioner wrote me. congratulating me that I had overthrown all my enemies. Said he: “What does that mean? There is something wrong where he is. and he wants to make friends wi?h the mammon of unrighteousness. I guess I will look into him and see what he has been about,” and I did. You see lam an old lawyer and a lit tie suspicious. I aid look into him and found him a bad man; and I found what was worse, that the insurance laws of Massachusetts had been badly administered. Mr. Tarbox has been cleaning up the insurance department, which he found in a wretched condition. If Governor Butler must go on account of what he has done in the state prison, he is willing to go. (Great applause.)

Secretary Folger is fixed in his notions of morality. A young man named Evans is in the virtuous secretary’s employ. Evans had a salary of $2,000 a year. One night last summer he was found drunk on the streets of Alexandria, in company with a descendant of Mrs. Potiphar. So grossly lewd and indecent was the conduct of the pair that I t led to their arrest. Tlle a tte i ition of the secretary was called to the matter, and, after a labored investigation, Evans’ salary was reduced from $2,000 to sl,800 a year. That is to say, the secretary finds the defendent guilty, but only S2OO worth. When a giraffe wants a drink, he knows what a long felt want is.

® Jje gcmocrttticgenttnel RENSSELAER, INDIANA. 7, W. McEWEN, - - - Ppbxjsheb.