Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 October 1892 — THE PROFANE PARSON. [ARTICLE]

THE PROFANE PARSON.

Republican Explanation* that Confirm the Charges Against Governor Chase. It will be remembered that the state committee and all the Republican managers of the state opposed Governor Chase’s nomination at Fort Wayne. They advised against his nomination because they believed he would be a load on the ticket to carry; that his labor record would lose the ticket’s vote; that he had no soldier record, having never smelt powder; that he was in the habit of using intemperate language and was too much of a demagogue for the dignified office of governor. At the congressional convention last April, in Union City. Governor Chase’s speech was so profane that the Union City Eagle, the Republican organ of Randolph county, denounced it. The Indianaplis Sentinel, having lately resurrected the profane section of the speech with The Eagle’s comments thereon the Indianapolis Journal and News, both Republican organs, undertook to disprove the charge, but they only succeeded in making the matter more serious. Here is what The Sentinel carries at the head of its editorial columns: “Democrats are imps of bell. If I bad a mind to swear I’d say God damn them to hell. They ought to be dead and mouldering in the dust of the earth, and the dust be scattered to the four winds of heaven that they might be completely obliterated from the memory of man.—Governor Chase at Union City, April 21, 1892. “We submit the question whether Governor Chase’s speech was as courteous, dig- j creet, patriotic and manly as the resolution claims it to be.- Was it discreet or courteous for a minister of the church of God, a follower of the lowly Nazarine and a teacher of His word, with its lessons of mercy toward ‘even the least of these,’ to speak of human beings, even the vilest, as ‘imps of hell,’ and express the wish that ‘God would damn them to hell,’ thereby violating his command, ‘Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain ?’ Was it discreet, courteous, patriotic or manly t We leave the question with our readers.’’—Union City Eagle, Ropudlican Organ of Randolph county, April 26, 1892. First, The Journal published a letter from U. B. Hunt, editor of the Winchester Herald, andlftr Republican organ. Mr. Hunt’s statement, which was published on the editoriai page of The Journal on Saturday, Sept. 24. is as follows: What Governor Chase did say in substance was: “That copperheads, rebels and rebel sympathizers who opposed the pensioning of crippled, maimed and dependent Union soldiers should receive the execrations of every loyal American citizen; that no price that could be paid the brave and heroic soldiers of 1861-5 could compensate them for their sacrifices in the long and dismal marches on the fields of blood and carnage, and in the prison hells of Confederate hate: that were he permitted to swear he would say that God might damn' them for such baseness, as He had promised He would do in cases of like character.” Mr. Hunt does not deny that Governor Chase used profane language, but that it had reference to “copperheads” and not Democrats. As the Indianapolis Joprnal daily refers to Mr. Stevenson as a copperhead, as it always referred to Mr. Hendricks, perhaps they were the ones Governor Chase wanted to damn. The most cruel stab to Brother Chase, however, was reserved for The News of Sept. 26, which gave two letters received in answer to inquiries from it, as follows; "Union City, Ind., Sept. 24,189 a. “I heard Governor Chase at the time to which you refer. Ido not desire to misrepresent any man. I did not try to remember his utterance. Have never sMken of it to any one until since receivingWdur letter of inquiry. I think he was speaking of ‘rebels’ and their ‘sympathizers’ when he used the strong language which, I am i informed, was criticised by one of the Republican papan of this city. Ido uot

think that his language was quite as the clipping you send represents, but it was so hear the same that certainly there is no substantial difference. (The clipping wra the one above quoted from The ludiaf. apolis Sentinel.—Ed. News.] I exceedingly regret that our governor did on that occasion give bo much encourage ment to profanity. A prominent mem ber of the Disciple church informed me that his son, a young man, heard the speech, and insists that he did say ‘Democrats’ but I think that he is mistaken, and that the governor applied his language to ‘southern rebels’ and their ‘sympathisers’ in the north. Henry U. Johnson followed soon after in a lengthy speech, but it was, if I remem ber correctly, entirely free from profanity. “E. F. Hasty. “P. S.—The pastor of the Disciple church says that my letter is a very fair repreaentation of the facts. He perhaps did use the word ‘Democrat,’but did not apply it in a general sense, but only referred to those who were ‘rebels’ and ‘sympa thizers’ or ‘copperheads,’ for that word was used by him. I just now obtaiued a clipping from tins Union City Eagle, a Republican paper of this city " The News also has the following letter: iIT , "Union City, Ind., Sept. 84. In reply to your inquiry I will say that the article of The Sentinel concerning what Governor Chase said at Union City on the 31st of April, 1803, is all false and untrue. The language that he used was this: He was speaking in reference to copperheads, and rebels, and rebel sympathizers, who opposed the pensioning of crippled, maimed and dependeent Union solifieim, and who called tfasi lousy beggars, scoundrels and thieves; corrupt followers, rednosed patriots, who loaf about doggeries; thieves and perjurers; dirty, lousy beggars; scum of the earth, coffee coolers, loafers, robbers, bummers, shirks and vagabonds. It was the men that called the brave and heroic men of 1801-5 by these names, that Governor Chase referred to. He never said one word about a Democrat in his speech at Union City. He said if he was a swearing man he would Hay, MAY GOD DAMN THEM. He also said that this government could never compensate them (the soldiers) for their sacrifices in the long and dismal march, and in the prison hells of the Confederate states. 1 heard every word that he said on that occasion, for I was there from the time the convention convened until it adjourned. „ _ , Daniel Woodbury, “ Commander Sedgwick Poet, No. 88, Department of Indiana ‘F- S.—J. B. Ross and Dr. Commons." "I). W." Mr, Hasty says that Governor Chase’s language was so "near the same" as that quoted by The Sentinel, ‘‘that certainly there is no substantial difference," and that "the pastor of the Disciple ohurch says that his letter is a fair representation of the facts.” This substantiates the charges of The Eagle. It is immaterial whether Mr. Chase refer wl to Democrats, copperheads, or rebels or Hottentots. The question is, did he use profane language ? The Republican organ of Randolph county, the commander of Sedgwick 4;.®! D, 08t| Hasty, the pastor of the Christian ohurch, and the editor of the Winchester Herald, all Republicans, say that Governor Chase did. As The Eagle says, was it discreet or corteous for a minister of the church to speak of human Iteings, even the vilest, as ot hell." sed express a wish that “Goa would damn tbdm to hell f" What has Governor Chase to say in reply to the letters of Mr. Hunt, Mr. Hasty, Commander Woodhury and the pastor of a church of his own denomination published in Republican organs f

Chase's Bad Break. The Indianapolis News had this to say in explanation of what it calls a “bad break/’ that the governor feels sorry and “won’t do it again?' The documents In the case of Governor Chase and his speech at Union City, produced in The News Monday, ware highly interesting reading. They embraced the statements of friendly witnesses, and, more important, the testimony of Governor Chase himself. For two reasons unuiual interest attaches to the spoken woi 'a of Governor Chase. He is the lnoumbent of a high office, the nhl«f executive of a great stats. The fact of his candldaoy does not divest his person of the dignity of that position. Ha Is a party candidate but he is also governor over the people. Then, again, he U a minister of a church of wide influence aad large membership. The position is somewhat unusual. Hence his words are to be followed with an attention not always accorded to those of a candidate. The testimony of Governor Chase In part, and the testimony of his political friends in his behalf are amazing In obliviousnes to or disregard of the gravamen of the oJens e charged. At Huntington the governor said (quoting the words of The Journal’s special dispatch) that “his address at Union City was to the veterans, and the remarks hs mads did not refer to the Democrats, but to the copperheads, soldier-haters and rsbel sympathizers. He said he had nothing to retract. 7 ’ His language, according to his own statement, was that be had no words adequate to express his condemnation of those who insulted veterans by calling them “coffee coolers, red-nosed patriots, bounty jumpers, perjurers and coward*." The severest thing he quotes against himself is that when the persons above defined die “their ashes shouH be blown by the winds of heaven to the four corners of the earth.” The commander of Sedgwick post, G. A. R., at Union City, in his letter in Monday’s News, says that the words were used in respect to "copperheads and rebels, and rebel sympathizers.” But the commander of Sedgwick post goes on to say what the governor’s words really were, viz.: “He said if he was a swearing man he would sav, God damn them." This seems to tie a rather roundabout way of "dan ling.” It was not a flattering Assumption on his part that the people of Union City would be amused by his cleverness in swearing so adroitly, while at the same time putting from himself the ignominy of his malediction. We are charged (a» Governor Chase ought to know) to swear not at all! Citizens Hasty and Woodbury, of Union City, do not deny that the governor used the language attributed to him. The former says it was substantially the same; Mr. Woodbury has a memory (unfortunately for Governor Chase) ana draws upon it most damagingly. From all the testimony (and we take only the evidence of Republicans), Govseems to have made a pretty bail break. No doubt he is sorry; no doubt he gsvould be more careful another time. He is uot the first speaker who, confronted wiffca “cold-type” reproduction of his | hot speech, has failed to recognize it.i His denial, which is doubtless sincere, is entitled to ite full weight. But due weight is to be accorded likewise to the testimony of his party friends who have come to his defense, and who, with singular unanimity, agree that he did indulge in the profanity, but that the object or it was not Democrats but “copperheads.” In the lattor regard the governor agrees with them. In the former e disagrees. Glycerine is said to be effective in removing stains of coffee or tea, even if they are of long standing. Bnb it on I and then wash out, washing the linen ! afterward in the usual vf&y. | If you want to vote a straight ! Democratic ticket* stamp the I big square containing the ! rooster. Oct. 8, yon will loose year Vote.

T o vote a straight Democratic ti k stamp within the square enclosing t 3 rooster at the top of the ballot, andn •• where else. If any other square is stam • - ed in addition to the lnige square tU ballot will be thrown out. After stam).' ing fold the ballot so as to leave the ini. tials of the poll-clerk on the outside an * hand to the election offioers.