Indianapolis Journal, Indianapolis, Marion County, 24 November 1886 — Page 4

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THE DAILY JOURNAL WEDNESDAY,'NOVEMBER 24, 188 G. WASHINGTON OFFICE—SI3 Fonrteenth St. P. S. Heath. Correspondent. THE INDIANAPOLIS JOURNAL. Csn found at the foliovrin? places: LONDON—American in Europe, 449 Strand. PARlS—American Exchange in Paris. 35 Boulevard des Cupucines. NEW YORK—St. Nicholas and Windsor Hotels. CHICAGO—PaImer House. CINCINNATI—T. P. Hawley & Cos.. 154 Vine street LOUISVILLE—C. T. Hearing, northwest corner Third and Jefferson streets. ET. LOUlS—Union Nows Company, Union Depot and Southern HoteL WASHINGTON, D. C.—Riggs House and Ebbitt House. Telephone Calla. Business Office 238 | Editorial Rooms 242 Does Preeident Cleveland think the people of this country will elect him to be the censor of the press or the regulator of free speech? Ex-Senator B. K. Bruce, of Mississippi, in order to meet his lecture engagements in the West, has selected Indianapolis as bis headquarters for the present winter. Mr. Henry George is going to write a letter in opposition to Archbishop Corrigan’s anti-Socialißtic pastoral. Mr. George will find the Catholic Chuicli a pretty big institution to tackle. _______________ A CORRESPONDENT of the New York Herald says that Walt Whitman is lying stricken with paralysis in his home at Camden, N. J., and is distressinglv poor. His receipts since 1883 nave not averaged S2OO a year. Mr. W. J. Craig announces that he is the sole proprietor of the Sentinel. This should be sufficient to stop the mouths of several of his esteemed Democratic contemporaries, who continue to insist that the Democratic State organ is owned or controlled by somebody else. We believe the Freeman to be eminently correct when it says: “The days of diseased pork and butterinc are over, for a time at least. We won’t see men like Dr. Harrison at th 6 bead of our great institutions until the lesson of the past election has been forgotten.”

The threat of reprisals on the part of the liquor-selling law-breakers should have no influence whatever. The people would be glad to see some of the saloon criminals exchange their white aprons for the striped garments of the work house. Then the laws would be obeyed. The New York Tribune thinks Harper’s Weekly has made the mistake of thinking the •recent anniversary was the 230th anniversary of Cloveland instead of Harvard University. In an article alleging to be a review of the eveuts of the day, the Weekly refers to little else than Grover Cleveland. Dr. FULTON, of Brooklyn, has been having a little trouble in his church, and blames the newspapers as the cause of it. the press, ho remarks, being Satan’s ally. Evidently Dr. Fulton is the man President Cleveland should tie to. Ilis is the sympathetic soul the persecuted occupant of the White House long has sought. TnE sudden development among Indiana Democratic politicians of a love and veneration for the State Constitution is at once impressive and edifying. They were as intimately acquainted with that instrument before their nomination of a Lieutenant-gov-ernor as now, but in the light of their own bitter need they are enabled to give its provisions a now construction. With cows, horses and hogs permitted to roam at will through the streets, and with express wagons standing around the principal place in the city’, the Circle, Indianapolis is disgraced in the ey’es and opinion of every respectable citizen aud visitor. Sometime, possibly, the people will rise up and elect a Council that will treat this as a city, and not as an unincorporated village. Rev. F. C. Holliday, after a long, honorable and useful career as a minister, has been joinpelted to relinquish, his charge at Rushville, and retire to private life. Mr. Holliday has been among the leading men in the Methodist Church in this State, and in the failure of his health and strength will have the sympathy not only of the membership of that organization, but of all who honor such H life as he ha3 lived and such services as ho has faithfully rendered. Asa little side-show to his Sunday mousing entertainment in Plymouth Church, Mr, Beecher exhibited to the admiring congregation several Choctaw Indians, who grinned trod jabbered to the edification, doubtless, of all concerned. No reasonable person can object to having Mr. Beecher gather ns many attractions about him as possible; but if he wants to exhibit heathen it isn’t necessary to go to tho wild West for samples while there are so many nearer home—the New York aldermen, for example. The public will be interested to note what answer President Cleveland will make to District Attorney 6tone, of Pennsylvania, who lias made a precisely similar explanation of be campaign speeches he delivered to that ftade by District Attorney Benton, of Mislouri. The Journal guesses there will bo no

♦eply mad© to it. There is no Pennsylvania Megation to tho Democratic national convention endangered by the removal of a Repub-

lican from office, and there are no votes to be cared for in a State that is certain for at least fifty thousand Republican majority, against either Mr. Cleveland or any other Democratic candidate. Ex-District Attorney Stone will remain an “ex.” The President will display his Spartan courage and stern civil-service re* form virtue in his case, whereat the mugwumps will roll up their eyes and burn another censer of incense. GREEN SMITH AND THAT OFFICEThe new man, “S. M. 8.,” who has come here on behalf of the Louisville Courier-Jour-nal to reinforce the local Democratic statesmen engaged in the congenial work of nullifying the late election and stealing the Legislature, is, we understand, a Kentucky’“Kunnel,” and, therefore, what he says, must be treated with more distinguished consideration than if just a plain, ordinary man, not a Kentucky “Kunnel,” should say it. It is, therefore, with a proper appreciation of the temerity exhibited, that we venture to call bis attention to certain statem snts put forth in a letter published in yesterday’s C.-J., the major portion of which we reprint. The Journal gives it space in its columns for the reason that we desire all our readers to see the sort of stuff upon which the Democrats are predicating their proposed fraud upon the people. In this letter “S. M. B.” says that Green Smith has informed the “committee of safety” —another name for the Mariah IlendersonSim Coy’ gang—that he will contest the election of Lieutenant-governor Robertson, aud adds: “Mr. Smith’s course is entirely’consistent with his past conduct relative to the lieuten-ant-governorship. He said to me last summer, at the Scottsburg convention: * * * ‘I am the acting Lieutenant-governor, and entitled to the succession should there be a vacancy in Gov. Gray's office before the end of bis term.’ * * * Senator Smith gave ample novice of his claim to the office. At the Democratic State convention his name w’as placed in nomination for the office of Lieutenant-governor. He .was a delegate to the convention, and at once sprang to his feet and demanded that his name be withdrawn. He declined to become a candidate for an office of which he was the incumbent, with two year’s yet to serve. He notified the convention that he would not surrender the office unless he was compelled to do so.”

Now, as we have said, this being written by a Kentucky “Kunnel,” the same language cannot be applied to it that would be proper if it had emanated from any’ other source. In that event the Journal would say that the whole paragraph is false from beginning to end, except that referring to the conversation held at Scottsburg, and as to that no one but the “Kunnel” and Green Smith are qualified to speak. All the rest of the stuff is pure, unadulterated, absolute trash and untruth. Mr. Green Smith was a delegate to the Democratic State convention, held on the 11th of August last. His name was suggested for the nomination for Lieutenantgovernor. He did not “spring to his feet.” He did not “demand that his name be withdrawn.” 'He did not notify the convention that he would not surrender the office he thought he held, “with two years yet to serve.” None of these fiery and untamed things occurred. Mr. Green Smith may be able to have produced all the red fire and general consternation so graphically and luridly pictured out by the Kentucky “Kunnel;” indeed, his career in the Senate leads us to believe him capable of almost any spectacular performance; but the particular dramatic incident here related by the Kentucky “Kunnel” did not happen to occur. This is what did take place: When the Third district was called, in its order, some person arose and named Mr. Green Smith as a candidate for the nomination for Lieutenant-gov-ernor. Mr. Smith sat in his seat and heard the nomination made. Mr. Smith did not “spring.” Mr. Smith awaited tho lapse of several moments, until just as the secretary was about to call the Fourth district he calmly’ and serenely arose and addressed the convention. He declined to be a candidate for the nomination because he did not want the office, but pledged Jennings county (his own county) “to stand by’ the nominee of the convention as grandly as any county in the State.” Mr. Smith uttered a few more words, and closed by’ saying that “what the Democracy expects is success and victory.” Any gentleman desirous of consulting history on this subject can refer to the Indianapolis Journal of the 12th of August, where he will find the language quoted to have been used by Mr. Green Smith, taken on the spot bv our special stenographic reporters, engaged for tbe momentous, but, as it turned out, inauspicious occasion. Our incandescent friend, the Kentucky “Kunnel,” should have consulted these authentic sources of information and of history before he permitted himself to depict the thrilling scene when Green Smith “sprang to his feet” and “notified the convention that he would never surrender,” begad! But should the Kentucky “Kunnel” and his fierce Democratic colleagues decline to accept the Journal’s account of Mr. Green Smith's performance at ♦he Democratic State convention, we refer In.n to the simultaneous report appearing in tbe Nows, an independent, non-partisan authority. On tbe evening of the 11th of August, in the report of the proceedings of the convention published in the Evening News, there appeared the following: “Nominations for L ; eutenant-governor were then declared to be in order, and a delegate from the Third congressional district named Hon. A. G. Smith, of Jennings county. Mr. Smith declined the honor in a brief speech, in which he said he appreciated the compliment, but could not become the party’s candidate. Ho pledged himself to give iris hearty support to the nominee of the convention.” Not here does Green Smith appear as Job’s war horse, his neck clothed with thunder and his nostrils flashing fire at the enemies of

THE INDIANAPOLIS JOURNAL, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1886.

the Constitution and of the peace and dignity of the State, who were attempting to deprive him of an office “of which he was the incumbent, having two years yet to serve.” But if this will not suffice, let the Kentucky “Kunnel” consult the files of the Sentinel of the 12th of August. He will there find no such battle scene as he has outlined. There are no sulphurous clouds out of which the awful voice of Smith is heard denouncing the conspirators and spoliators. Instead, there is but the peaceful announcement that when Mr. Smith was nominated he declined. That is all. Whence did our Kentucky “Kunnel” get this information? From Green Smith himself, or from some of the present Democratic committee of “safety?” Even the “Kunnel” will see now, in the light of the facts of history, that Green Smith did not make any’ claims to the office of Lieutenant-governor at the time of the State convention, but acquiesced with his party in the necessity of nominating a candidate for the vacancy, and ostentatiously pledged himself to “stand by the nominee.” There remains simply that apocryphal conversation at Scottsbilrg to interfere with tho belief that Mr. Green Smith became a “claimant” only when the Democratic conspirators found it necessary to have one in order to carry out tlieir schemes to cheat the people and to overturn the results of a popular election. THE SALOON LAW-BREAKERS, Terre Haute has been suffering, just as Indianapolis has been, from the non-enforce-ment of the laws against the saloon-keepers, while tbe poor devils who drink their whisky, and get drunk and disorderly, are arrested and fined without conpunction. Judge Mack, a Democrat, has grown tired of the farce, just as did Mayor Denny in this city, and on Monday, in his charge to the grand jury’, the Judge said: “I wish to direct your attention to the mournful record that is being made in the Police Court from day to day. It there appeal’s that from two to twenty persons are daily fined for being found drunk. Many of these unfortunates go to jail, and while there at a heavy expense to the county, their families are suffering at home. I have no fault to find with the officers, who do their duty in punishing them, but there is fault somewhere, else the men who sell liquor to intoxicated men would themselves, instead of their victims, be looking through iron bars at tbe outer world. The law’ fixes a severe penalty for this offense, yet we never hear of anyone being prosecuted for selling to a drunken man. See what you can do to correct this evil. Have all persons convicted of drunkenness summoned before you and learn who sold them liquor when drunk. A few examples of this kind will have a wholesome effect.” This business will stop just when a court can be found which will send to tbe jail or to the work-house the sleek and well-fed criminals who stand behind the bar and violate the law with arrogant impunity. It is not the fault of the Mayor in this city that this has not been done here, and the police are now doing their full duty, under the advice of a superintendent wbo does not take his orders from “Sim” Coy. Here in Marion county these whiteaproned criminals have had a refuge in the Criminal Court, and by frauds and forgeries committed for them and in their interest, that court is still in the hands of the friends of the law-breaker3. The man who assumes to sit upon that bench has no more title to the place than “Sim” Coy’ himself; he knows that he is sitting there by virtue of a gross and blundering crime. He knows that he owes his place to penitentiary offenses committed by those who should be in the State-prison, crimes perpetrated at the command of, or under the direction of, or in the interest of, the very’ gang of law-breakers who crowded the Mayor’s Court and so defiantly “appealed” all their cases to their tool and creature. The people of no civilized community were ever so outrageously insulted and disgraced as are the people of Indianapolis by having this fraudulent acting judge on the bench of the court upon which they must rely for protection against all grades of criminals. With wrhat cheek can such a man look into the face of any one brought before him and presume to pronounce a sentence upon him? There should be virtue enough in tbe people and in the courts of this county to end this scandal peremptorily. If courts are to be stolen by high-handed crimes, for the benefit of high-handed criminals, and tho pusillanimous tools for whom they are stolen'will consent to usurp the functions of justice and carry’ out the wishes of their masters, without an effective protest on the part of an honest citizenship and an honest judicary, then we might as well surrender at once. The Journal believes this man, this fraud, will be speedily hurled from tbe bench he disgraces, followed by tbe indignant execrations of an outraged pub}jc. This is not a littte matter; it is not a “partisan” question. It is whether courts of justice are to lie one the prizes of desperate criminals, and whether judgeships are to be decided by fraud and forgery. Are penitentiary crimes and penitentiary convicts to determine . who our judges shall be?

A Flemingsburg, Ky., special says: “A few days after the recent congressional race it became known that the Rev. Louis Hughes, an aged and highly lespected resident of Menifee county, had voted the Republican ticket, which was the first vote he had ever cast with that party. On the strength of this a crowd of brutes, under the guise of regulators, went to his house, and, although he was in bed sick at the time, tied him so he could not offer any resistance, and beat him with hickory sticks until life seemed extinct. Before leaving him, one of the number wont into the house and beat the victim with a handspike, breaking his jawbone and fracturing his skull. Sam Poffert,

one of the gang, has been arrested.” This would seem to indicate that in the baliwick of the Louisville Courier-Journal there is still a necessity for a vigorous waving of the bloody shirt of a free and equal ballot. It seems that another Democratic member of tbe Legislature-elect is ineligible under the Constitution. William Brinks, of LaPorto county, is an Englishman by birth, and only became a citizen of the United States, if the taking out of final papers be held to be essential to that fact, on the 25th of last August. One of the results of this election will be to compel a closer examination into tbe legal • qualifications of candidates hereafter. It will be remembered how the close election of IS7G sent everybody to searching into the possible disqualifications of presidential electors. Since that date no presidential elector has bee:j chosen about whose eligibility there could be the least question. It is said in defense of Senator Green Smith’s position iu claiming the lieutenant-governor-ship that his views were formed before the result of the elections was known. He, it is claimed, notified Judge Nelson before the election, and even prior to the nominating conventions, that he would contest the right of the lieutenant-governorship of the successful candidate, whether Republican or Democrat. —The News. The Journal has disposed of this latest bugaboo elsewhere. If Mr. Green Smith bad notified Mr. Nelson before the nominating convention, as is alleged, it is very’ strange that in the Democratic nominating convention he not only said nothing about it, but pledged his aid to the nominee. Another man has turned up, this time a “well-known but unnamed Republican,” wbo knows that Hon. William R. Morrison was defeated by the use of money, and discloses that he saw the lucre paid over to corruptible Democrats at the rate of $3 per head. The point to be observed in this disclosure is that the Democratic vote comes higher as it moves westward, $2 being acknowledged by leading members of Ihe party as the market price for the commodity in Indiana. By the time tho enfranchised Democrat reaches the Pacific coast no one not a millionaire can buy him U P- _______ Tiie Evansville Courier, the leading Democratic paper of the State, in an article on the lieutenant-governorship, says: “The Attorney-general's opinion was that there was a vacancy and that it could lawfully be filled by an election. Upon this opinion all parties acted, and the people expressed their will. They elected Mr. Robertson, the Republican candidate. We have fallen on strange times, indeed, when a Democratic State Senate is urged by Democratic leaders and certain Democratic papers of the State, to defy the will of the people, so expressed!”

The Journal has received from one of the oldest and most prominent ministers of ludiana the following letter, which, although not intended for publication, we make public as an indication of the general feeling prevalent throughout the State respecting the Democratic attempt to steal the Legislature: so the Editor of the Indianapolis Journal; “I want, in the name of the many brethren of my profession—-a preacher for forty years—to thank you for the good fight you are making for tne sanctity of the ballot-box. I have, In the fortnight passed, heard many strong words of cordial approval of your manly fight for the sacred right of suffrage. A free ballot and a fair count is now the great issue in this Republic. Voting is about the sum of the active participation of our profession in elections, and to have these votes fall into the hands of thieves and gamblers is a proceeding to quietiy submit to would be a crime that would 'smell to heaven.’ If there are rascals found among the Republicans, don’t let us ever hear of our leaders, as is the case with Democratic leaders, screening and defending them. What a sad spectacle these great Democratic lights (?) now present to the world. Shame! Shame! They vainly try to make peoplo believe it is theft to prevent their theft from bringing forth the fruit intended. They die hard, but God grant them grace to die quickly and gracefully, and let us have no more such. “ ‘After the manner of beasts we fought at Ephesus.’ —St. Paul. ‘•God helpjmu in the good fight.” We feel constrained to republish from the Terre Haute Express of yesterday the following notice because of its truth and justice: “The position of State Librarian in Indiana has for many years been filled by women: inis regarded by our Legislature as an office to which men need not aspire. Miss Anna Nicholas is mentioned among many deserving and competent candidates, and she is peculiarly adapted to fill the place acceptably. For four years she was assistant clerk of the Supreme Court, and since that time has held an editorial position on the Indianapolis Journal. She is a remarkably modest and retiring woman, so that few have recognized her work as among the very best of the editorial writing in the Journal, which is always of a superior quality. She will hardly press-her claims to the place* individually, but her friends throughout the State, both personal and professional, will use their influence in her behalf. The selection of Miss Nicholas would be, in everyway, an admirable ap pointment, and one which could not be improved upon.” Tebre Haute, Ind., Nov. 22, 188 G. To tlie Editor of the Commercial Gazette: I (ind in a copy of thoO. -G. of Sunday that makes Badeau say Prince Leopold and General Grant are both in hades. I have compared with the Indianapolis Journal and G.-I)., but neither have the sentence in. I presume some smart printer has taken the opportunity to vent his spleen. Very truly, D. C. Gwinn. Not at all. We printed the article as General Badeau wrote it. Tho New York Tribune did the same. The sentence is not disrespectful or irreverent. Look at the definition. Worcester says: “Hades—The place or state of the dead; the spiritual world.” The Journal excised the sentence from the article on account of the popular belief in the meaning of the term hades, knowing that Gen. Br.deau’s real meaning would be liable to just such misinterpretation as Mr. Gwinn has given it. Tiie four-dollar reporter who reported the funeral services of the late President Arthur should be given a vacation. He speAks of “death’s sickle,” and refers to “subdued grief” and also to “silent grief," and says “the silent form of Chester A Arthur passed through the door of his earthly tenement for the last time. ” This may be regarded as fine writing, but it is cheap and tawdry stuff to work off in connection with the burial of an ex President of the United States. Mr. John E. Keys, of Henry county, will be a candidate for the position of Door-keeper of the House of Representatives. He is an exsoldier, and a gentleman well qualified for the place.

THE LEGISLATIVE STEAL. An Inside Democratic Correspondent Tells About the Proposed Programme. What the Wicked Republicans Will Do, and What the Noble and Inoffensive Democrats Will Attempt to Circumvent. “S. M. 8.,” In Louisville Courier-Journal. The Republican programme is now pretty well understood. They will, of course, organize the House, appoint a partisan committee on elections, and refer all contests to that committee. They expect Mr. Robertson to be sworn in as Lieutenant-governor, and thus become the pre siding officer of the Senate, which has a Democratic majority. Under the law, the balloting for a United States Senator must begin on the second Tuesday after the organization of the two houses. The Democrats will, of course, have their committee on elections in the Senate, to which the contests in that body will be referred. As the Democratic plan is to act on the defensive, the Republicans propose to let things drift along quietly until the day before that fixed for electing a Senator, when they will have their committee on elections to report in the House, the gag law will be put in operation, two or three Democratic Representatives will be ousted and their Republican contestants'wilt bn seated. Thus, you see, the Democratic ascendency will be overcome, and at the next day’s balloting Mr. Harrison wiil be elected as his own successor. Os course the Democratic Senate will hear immediately of the unseating of Democrats in the House, and will attempt, by way of keeping even, to oust as many Republican Senators as there have been Democratic Representatives kicked out of the House. The question of a contested election being one of the very biehe6t privileges, the committee on elections is always entitled to the floor. The committee will report, and tho Democrats will attempt to rush thocases through. Just here is where Lieutenant-governor Robinson is expected to make a display of his skill. Tho grand performance of Lieutenant-governor Bob Kennedy in Ohio is to be repeated by Mr. Robertson in Indiana on a greater scale and with far more dazzling effect. Mr. Robertson will recognize no Democrat who attempts to move the previous question, but will readily recognize a Republican who wants to adjourn. He will refuse a call for the yeas and nays on that motion, and will declare the Senate adjourned. If the Democratic Secretary of the Senate does not arrange the journal as Mr. Robertson wants it done, then the latter gentleman will keep the books himself. The Democrats may refrain from voting for Senator the next day, but the record will show seventy-six votes for Mr. Harrison, a majority of the whole number of Senators and Representatives, and this will suffice for a Republican Senate to give Mr. Harrison bis seat.

The Republican plan, as I have outlined it, is faithfully correct, and it is a pretty programme; but will it work? I think not. There is good reason why it will not work. In the first place it may be set down as a certainty that Mr. Robertson will not be Lieutenant-governor of Indiana this winter. He may be next winter, but not this. Hence he will not be the presiding officer of the Senate, and he cannot perform the Bob Kennedy act, according to advertisement. It is the opinion of nearly every eminent lawyer in this State, no matter what his politics, that the election for Lteutenant-governor in this month was unauthorized, because there was no vacancy in the office. When it was vacated by General Manson, Senator Smith, by virtue of his position as the pro tempore president of the Senate, became the acting Lieutenant-gov-ernor, and is entitled to hold the place till the end of Governor Gray’s term. In the event of Governor Gray’s death or resignation, he would become Governor of the State. There has been some doubt as to what Senator Smith would do in the matter, because, as was said in my dispatch of yesterday, the question is one purely personal. But there is no longer any doubt as to the course Mr. Smith will pursue. At a meeting of the committeo of safety yesterday, he announced his intention of contesting Mr. Robertson's claim to the office of Lieutenant Governor. He will sue out an Injunction to prevent a certificate of election from issuing to Mr. Robertson, and the matter will be settled by the Supreme Court before the Legislature convenes. It is dollars to cents that the decision of the Supreme Court will be in favor of Green Smith. -The majority of the Supreme Court judges are Democrats, though I do not know that the political complexion of that tribunal has anything to do with the case. Mr. Smith’s resolve is entirely consistent with his past conduct relative to the lieutenant-gov-ernorship. He said to me last summer at the Scottsburg convention, which nominated Hon. Jonas Howard for Congress, that the opinion of the Attorney-general that there was a vacancy in the office of lieutenant-governor was erroneous. “I am,” said he, “the acting Lieutenantgovernor and entitled to the succession, should there be a vacancy in Governor Gray’s office before the end of his term. I propose to hold on to the place no matter who is elected.’’ I had forgotten this conversation until reminded of it on yesterday. Senator Smith gave ample notice of his claim to the office. At tho Democratic State convention his name was placed in nomination for the office of Lieutenant-governor. He was a delegate to the convention, and at once sprang to his feet and demanded that his name be withdrawn. He declined to become a candidate for an office of which he was already the incumbent, with two years yet to serve. He notified the convention that he would not surrender the office unless compelled to do so. The Constitution of the State provides that a Lieutenant-governor shall be elected for a term of four years. Yet Mr. Robertson cannot claim that his term will extend beyond the next regular election, now only two years distant There are several instances where the pro tempore presiding officer of the Senate has become Governor of a State. Yon will remember one in Kentucky. When Governor Magoffin abdicated in 1862, there was no Lieutenant-governor in office, and General Robertson, then pro tempore President of the Senate, became Governor. The more you study the case of Senator Smith, the more cortair.ly you are convinced that his position is correct. And the Republicans need not shriek “Conspiracy!” because, forsooth, be proposes to hold on to his office. As I have previously said in this correspondence, the Democracy has nothing to do with this matter. Mr. Smith is responsible for his own actions, and I feel safe in asserting that he would insist on his rights if the Lieutenant governor elect were a Democrat. With Green Smith as the President of the Senate, the bottom tumbles out of the Republican conspiracy. Their game will be one at which both sides can can play with equal advantago. Whenever a Democratic Representative is fired from the House a Republican Senator will be promptly pitched after him. The Democrats do not intend to lose their mnjority of two on joint ballot They want no mare than that, and they mean to keep what they have got They are for peace, sweet peace; but if the Republicans want revolution tho Democrats are ready for business. The Republicans are greatly alarmed at the situation, now that it is highly improbable that they will get the Lieutenant-governor. They will have to lay out anew conspiracy. * * It is set down as among the probabilities that the contest for United States Senator may be prolonged until the adjournment of the Legislature. The constitutional session extends through a period of sixty days. The Legislature CAnnot, therefore, adjourn until after the 4th of March, when Senator Harrison’s term expires. This being true, if there is no election by the Legislature, Governor Gray has no power to appoint It would be different if the Legislature adjourned prior to the 4th of March. In that case, if there had been no election, the Governor could appoint a Senator, who would bold until the assembling of the next Legislature. You will remember the celebrated contest between Gwiu and Foote, in California, which was prolonged until the new term began, and the Legislature adjourned without electing anybody. The Governor, it was decided, had no power to appoint, and the State of California, fora period of two years, had but one representative in the Senate of the United States. But I think there will not be a failure to elect a successor to Mr. Harrison. Green Smith apparently holds the key to the situation, If ho is

President of the Senate the Democrats will havt smooth sailing, according to all present indications. There might be a slip somewhere, of course. For instance, the recount which takes place to-day in the Jeffersonville district, where I>r. McClure is only two votes in the lead, might turn out differently from what is expected here. But, granting that th 6 face of the returns will remain as they are at present, there does not seem to be any likelihood of a dead lock. Again, if the Republican Lieutenant-governor should be installed in office, it might suit the purposes of the Republican conspirators to abandon their bold attempt to steal the senatorship, and to content themselves with leaving the State without representation. With the presiding officers in both houses they could easily establish a dead-lock and prevent au election. Still, this is all speculation. It is patent that Republican hopes have gone down and Repubhean courage is fast turning into cowardice, since Senator Smith resolved to hold on to his place as President of the Senate. The situation has, indeed, changed, and in more than one particular. For with Mr. Smith established as the Acting Lieutenant-governor, with the right of succession to the office of Governor, in case of a vacancy during Governor Gray’s terra, the great obstacle in tne way of the Governor's senatorial aspirations is removed. As matters have been it looked as if Mr. McDonald would have a walk over. But the moment the Supreme Court decides that Colonel Robertson is not entitled to the office of Lieutenantgovernor, you will see Governor Gray renew hia canvass, and he will, it is conceded, make a strong fight for the succession. Another View of the Case. Letter in Cincinnati Commercial Gazette. They have finally determined to refuse Lieu-tenant-governor Robertson his seat. They will claim that the Senate alone has the power to fill -a vacancy in the office of Lieutenant-governor, and upon'lbftt-clalco. will refuse RcfbertsocThis' seat. This is to be feta Test of Governor Gray. With a Republican in the Lieutenant-governor’s chair, Gray's chances for the Senate would be gone, even if the Democrats have a majority on joint ballot. The Lieu-tenant-governor presides at all joint conventions of the two bodies, and it is expected that by the rulings of an unscrupulous Democrat like Green Smith the Republicans will be defeated in every effort to elect a Senator or to purge the benevolent institutions. They expect to unseat Republican Senators so as to give them a majority, but if that scheme is met and checked, as it will be. then, rather than have Harrison elected, they will resign in a body, and thus prevent a quorum in either house. By the Constitution it requires thirty-four members of the Senate and sixty-seven members of the House to make a quorum. The old plan of the Democracy was to bolt and pay a visit to Kentucky, bnt a severe law was passed against that method of procedure, and now resigning is the only thing left to them. It is possible that even that scheme will not work, as many of the Democrats were elected by such narrow margins that they will not desire to lay the matter over. There is a large amount of much-needed legislation, but all such matters are secondary in the eyes of the gang to the holding on to the few offices that are left them. Meagher, the Democratic member from Vigo, is so clearly barred by the Constitution that there will be no delay in determining bis case, when a tie on joint ballol will result. There are three or four other Democratic members whose claims are, in reality, no better than those of Meagher, and they will be unseated, when the Democrats expect to resign in u body. The peoplo of the State will not stand any such foolishness, and anew election would resuit in giving the Republicans a majority in both houses.

THE LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR. An Examination Into the Laws and Precedents of the Case. Fort Wayne News. The Fort Wayne Journal, in its review of the questions arising in regard to the threatened &M tempt to oust Colonel Robertson froth the posifl tion to which he has been elected, seems to look some important features in the Constitution! ana laws which govern the question. It assumes that the contest will be decided by ‘ the Senate. The Constitution (Art. 5, Sec. 6) provides that “contested elections for Governor or Lieutenant-governor shall be determined by the General Assembly, in such manner as shall' bo prescribed by law.” The mode “prescribed by law” is that specifications of the grounds of contest shall be delivered to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, who is to give notice of such contest to both houses and to the party whose election is contested, and each house is to elect viva voice seven of its members, who shall be a committee to decide such contest. (Revised Statutes, Sec. 4743-46.) It thus appears that the Senate, which is only part of the General Assembly, cannot decide the question. It is also assumed that Mr. Smith, who was elected president pro tem. of the Senate iu 1885, will be the presiding officer of the next Senate. The Constitution says—(Article 5, Sec. 11.); “Whenever the Lieutenant-governor shall act as Governor, or shall be unable to attend as President of the Senate, the Senate shall elect one of Us own members as president for the occasion.” It would seem from this that on the next occasion some other member may be chosen, and it is also probable that in January uext the Lieutenant governor wiil not be acting Governor, and will be able to attend as President of the Senate. The Journal also omits, in citing the act which provides that “all existing vacancies in office" shall be filled, to add, that that act only took effect Sept. 19, 1881 (see Revised Statutes, 1861. Sec. 4735), and that the precedents cited all arose before the passage of that law, and when therd was no provision of law upon the subject. There can be no rational doubt that a positive enactment annuls all precedents and laws which are in contravention of the statute passed subsequently. The Journal speaks of “an attempt of Col. R. S. Robertsou, the newly elected Republican Lieutenant-governor, to exercise the duties of ex-officio president of the Senate,” as if there were a doubt of that being one of tbe du-> ties he was elected to exercise. He will undoubtedly attempt to exercise all the duties of the office the people have elected him to, and though it may seem foolish to give advice to the Democratic party, we warn its leaders that the people will not submit tamely to any attempt to over ride their will, but sooner or later crush out all revolutionary methods of this kind. If there is any question upon which the Dtsmcrats ought to be estopped, it is this. Their Attorney-general, on the question being submitted to him by Governor Gray, on a review of all tne constitutional and legal enactments, and the precedents cited, gave a written opinion that a vacancy existed, which should be filled at the November election. The Democratic cofi-j vention first nominated Mr. Nelson for the office, and the Republican convention, held later, followed its example and nominated Mr. Robertson. The election followed and the voters elected Robertson. If the abolished “precedents are with Mr. Smith,” the law, common sense and justice are with Robertson. Captain White’s Citizenship. Indianapolis News. If Mr. Lowry, of the Fort Wayne district, knows what is good for him, he will not Contest Captain White’s election to Congress. The grounds alieged are that White did not take out his naturalization papers until a few days before the election; but since he bad beeu in the country twenty years, and declared his intentions, and, what is more, offered his life as a soldief, one would think he was something of a citizen. We intend no mpeachment of motives, but we improve the occasion to say that if contests for Congress wer * d?cided by courts instead of by Congress, there was no cbance of money award for the unsuccessful, we should have vastly fewer contests, less corruption and expense, and moro justice Some Significant Figures. Lafayette Journal. Indiana can no longer be classed as a doubtful State. She stands to-day unquestionably a Republican State, and there is every prospect that she will give a substantial Republican majority in 1888. Two years before the last presidential election the plurality in the State was 10,924, and yet Cleveland led Blaine only 0,512. Two years before the coming presidential election the majority is over 4,000. Tbe blindest can see the significance of such a change &• that. It ought to insure at least 7,000 majority at the next &a* tional election.