Indianapolis Journal, Indianapolis, Marion County, 6 January 1887 — Page 4

THE DAILY JOURNAL.

THURSDAY, JANUARY G, 18S7. WASHINGTON OFFICK 513 Fourteenth St. P. S. Heath. Correspondent TI!K INDIANAPOLIS JOUUNAL Can lo found at tho following places: LOMK)X-American Exchange ia Strahd. Europe, 449 PATMR American Exchange in Paris, 33 Boulevard des Capucines. NEW YORK Gedney House and Windsor Hotels. CHICAGO Palmer House. CINCINNATI J. P. Hawley & Co., 15 1 Vine street. LOUISVILLE -O. T. Dewing, Third and Jefferson streets. northwest corner ST. LOUIS Union News Company, Union and Southern Hotel. Depot WASHINGTON, D. Hon so. C E:ggs House and Ebbitt Telephone Calls. Business Office.. :...23S I Editorial Rooms 242 Member of the General A$-mbly wonting (he Jovrnnl iurlng the regular $fion thovhl leave their bcriptiom. tsith direction a$to where they Centre to receive the paper. at lite Journal Connting-romn. If it wasn't for law and courts the Indiana Democrats might have a real nice time. Two Rochester (N. Y.) papers began the jew year by advancing their subscription price. TiJB Pennsylvania Republicans have nominated M. S. Quay to succeed Senator Mitchell. : ' 'Jurisdiction is a snag in the Democratic jath of progress, which causes one disaster After another. As a comic panes the Sentinel is looming up. Even its profanity is unintentionally in the nature of a jol;e. The Sentinel is safe from a proceeding ngainst it by the Supreme Court for contempt. The court cannot depress its guns enough to hit the Sentinel. In the course of time it will dawn upon the intellect of the lloosier Democracy that the law of the State means what it says, and is not a thing to be monkeyed with. THE Sentinel yesterday said: 8 to 7. ken again; it wa3 5 to O. Mista It is generally conceded in Illinois that Mr. Morrison will receive the complimentary Democratic vote for United States Senator. Ho is in a position to be thankful for small favors. It 'is plain euough that the Indiana Demo crats i'ave not yet secured a leader. Had there been one, the fiery and frantic Sentinel would not have been allowed to make such a break. 'Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity." For a practical exemplification of this beauti ful text,, the attention of Indiana Democrats is respectfully called to the harmonious In diana Republicans. The Sentinel abused the United States Commissioner because he did take jurisdic tion, and the Supremo Court because it did not. In both cases the abuse had the same origin and object a desire to use the court for partisan put poses. THE Journal publishes this morning the interstate commerce bill, for which there has beer, in ach demand, it is tuo most lm portant measure that has been before Con cress for rears, and its terms will be of inter est to all nersens Laving to do with railway commerce. Tun correspondent of the Louisville Cour ier-Journal says "the people, as a rule, are going to settle down to the conviction that Robertson ought to have the office without any further trouble." They will, indeed; and it will be well for the Democratic gang to Consider that fact TlIE Sentinel's attack on the Supreme Court was for not doing a thiug which, if it had done, every judge joining in the act would have been liable to impeachment. If they had overridden or ignored the law for the purpose of making a partisan decision for partisan purposes, they would have been so liable. THE Sentinel courts none of is hard to please with the them suit it It has been demanding for jurisdiction of a week or more that the the United States courts should be made r.n issue in the campaign of 1833, and now it damns the Supreme Court of the State in all sorts of language and in every style of type. The Sentinel will have to establish a court of its own. Children and fcols, it is said, tell tho truth on all occasions. The journalist from wayback who is editing the Sentinel is not a child, but in denouncing courts and law he is uttering the sentiments of a great many Democrats not all, however, it is gratifying to'aay. .Your average Democrat cannot conceive of non:partisunship in politics, even on the beuch, and as for abstract justice, it is beyond his line of vision. Colonel Hollistkr, brother-in-law and biographer of the late Schuyler Colfax, for icveral years a resident of Utah, is now in fVashington. He. eays that for some years fast the Mormon Church has supported in Washington as their attorneys, at an enortoou3 cost, eminent counsel, supplemented by I emule lobby cctnrjoied of four Mormon

tw4

spectively a bishop and an apostle of thb Mormon Church. The duty of this strong lobby force is to look after the interests of Mormondom in Congress. To offset it, the gentiles of Utah have organized the Utah Loyal League, the object of which i3 to unite and combine the opponents of Mormondom, living in the Territory, for resistance to the machinations of the church. A CONSPIEAOY-WHOSE? The Indiana General Assembly of 1835 had a joint . JJemocratic majority or iorty-six, which was the number by which Daniel W. Voorhees was elected United States Senator to succeed himself. This majority of forty-six was secured npon the legislative apportionment then in existence, although the Democratic party then, a3 now, was in a minority of the popular vote. But this lcrge preponderance in the Legislature was not sufficient. A gang of conspirators, who proposed to make dead sure the return of a Democrat to the Senate as the successor of General Ilprrison, met in secret and conceived the infamous gerrymander, by which it was expected to re turn at least seventy majority in tho present Assembly. This was the open and gleeful boast of the Democratic leaders. Men like Mr. McDonald and Governor Gray rubbed their hands over the scheme and chuckled over the wholesale disfranchisement oi tne people. Mr. Voorhees himself, not later than October last, said to Senator Camden, of "West Virginia, that he should feel "personally disgraced" if the Iudiana Legislature did not have at least sixty joint majority. So infamous was this gerrymander that not all the Democrats could be secured to vote for it, or to even keep their silence. It was denounced by Democrats on the floor of both houses, and it did not have enough supporters to pass it. It is an open secret that influences were used to secure its passage that will not bear the light of day, and it will be a part of the duty of the present Republican House of Representatives to try and uncover the cor ruption by which the objections were got out of the way, and enough votes secured to enact it into a law. When the evidence i taken in this regard, it is not unlikely that some high heads will be bowed down in dis grace, and some gentlemen now in the city from the national capital may be "thoroughly wounded in every respect." At least, it will be shown that the gerrymander was conceived in sin and brought forth in iniquity that a corrupt measure in scope and purpose, it was only made into a law through the worst forms of corruption. This gerrymander was the initial point of a gigantic conspiracy to disfranchise the people, to vitiate the popular voice and to steal the United States senatorship. That conspiracy has steadily progressed, step by step, until the present time. The election came on in due course. Contrary to the expectations of the conspirators, the people pronounced em phatically against them. When it was discovered that the revolt threatened even the Legislature there was hurrying to and fro in the Democratic camp. Leading Democrats suddenly and secretly left the city to "fix" things irf close districts, and the assumption was made and maintained that the Legislature was uioeratic on joint bailor, though no one dared to give figures or particulars. When the canvass of the votes of Marion county came to be made it was known that one or two members would probably turn the scale, and so the tally-sheets were forged, erasures were made and acid was employed by thieves and scoundrels for the purpose, among other tnings, oi counting out jyir. urimtns as a Representative. Sim Coy openly boasted to Mr. Griffiths that they would count him out, and in pursuance of that purpose the crimes were committed with which every man in the community, and the whole country as well, are perfectly acquainted. But for a misjudgment as to Mr. Griffiths' plurality his office would have been stolen from him, as were the offices of criminal judge and coroner. But the thieves failed in this, and so the Democratic gang took another step. Contests were begun against a number of Senators and Representatives-elect, utterly without cause, and avowedly for the purpose of maintaining their fraudulent alleged majority, against the enforcement of the plain and imperative pro visions of the Constitution by the Repub licans in legal and proper investigation of the election and qualifications of certain members, In Cass bounty, for instance, and in the dis trict which elected Mr. Mackey by over two thousand majority, contests were begun on behalf of unknown and disreputable parties in the employ of the gang, the Democratic can didates declining to become parties to the proceedings. Schemes were set on foot to indict certain Republicans-elect for alleged violations of the election law, and in one in stance a plan wa3 laid to arrest and carry out side the boundary of the State a certain mem her. All these schemes and plots are perfectly well known, and show the desperate purpose of the Democratic ring managers. Like vultures over carrion, there is a gathering of Democratic leaders and "workers" in this city to further the partisan plans of preventing a legal majority of the people of Indiana from having their voice respected and obeyed. On another line similar tactics were used. Senator Voorhees and Mr. McDonald, in order to capture the senatorship for the latter, schemed to take Lieutenant-goveruor Manson out of his office, for the purpose of keeping Governor Gray where he is. Whan Manson vacated the place, Governor Gray submitted tho question to tho Democratic Attorney - gen - ral, and Mr, Hord decided that tlio Yacaucy

should be filled at the November election. The Democratic State convention, presided

over by Senator Voorhees, nominated John C. Nelson for the office. Green Smith publicly indorsed the nomination, and pledged his support. Not a voices was heard in dissent The Republican convention, meeting three weeks afterward, followed suit and nominated Colonel Robertson. In good faith the people elected Robertson by a majority of foax thousand. Then the gang of conspirators concluded to steal the office, and began proceedings. An honest Democratic judge in this county threw their case out of court, and they appealed to the Supreme Court. That tribunal four Democrats to one Republican unanimously decided against the cabal, and the Democratic State organ insults the court and outrages the decency of the State by saying of the Supreme judges, "Damn their cowardly souls!" The officethieves and vote-stealers attempted to use the courts for their larceny, and because the courts declined to become associates of the gang, the baffled conspirators shout, "Damn their cowardly souls!" Despite all this, the gang do not yet propose to give up and allow the voice of the people to be supreme. It is announced that this steal is to be further kept up, and that, by force of arms, if neces sary, the Lieutenant-governorship is to be wrested from the man the people have elect ed. To aid in this last resort, the Democratic managers have called to their aid one of the most notorious and disreputable bummer politicians in the State, who has had expe rience in like work in other years. This is the history and present status of the Democratic conspiracy against the people of Indiana, How much further it will be carried time alone can tell. The Republicans have been commissioned,- by a majority of four thousand on the ; State ticket and by ten thousand against the fraudulent and void gerrymander, to stand for the people against the gang of thieves and scoundrels who are attempting to throttle them. They will be true to their duty. Standing well within the Constitution and the law, they will do all that is proper and needful to pre vent, if within human power, the success of a conspiracy against popular rights, conceived in the same spirit and not inferior in malignity and magnitude, to the crimes which solidified the South by the blood of hundreds and thousands of American citi zens, and which, by fraud and forgery, vio lence and murder, extinguished representa tive government in the interest of a crimina oligarchy. Shall Indiana be as the "soli South?" is the issue before the people. INFAMOUS JOURNALISM. The Indianapolis Sentinel probably had more readers yesterday than in any day of its existence. It does not often happen that a paper achieves as much infamous notoriety in one day. Its outrageous, blasphemous and brutal attack on the Supreme Court was the town talk, and a great many persons, Repub licans and decent Democrats, who are not in the habit of reading the papejLad a curiosity to see tho most infamous newspaper article ever published in the State. When they looked in the Sentinel they saw it. The first sentence of its leading editorial on "The Su preme Court" was its key-note. It read, "Damn their cowardly souls; the Supreme Court of Indiana are afraid of their shadows." Decent men of all shades of politics were shocked when they read it or heard it repeated from mouth to mouth. Nothing like it ever appeared in an American newspaper before. It casts into the shade the worst utterances of the Chicago Anarchist organ. The editor of an Anarchist paper in Milwaukee was recently fined and imprisoned for a less offense. It is probable that in the entire history of journalism, since the first issue of the first newspaper, so vile an attack on a court was never before seen in print, unless, possibly in some revolutionary manifesto or anonymous circular. Beginning with "Damn their cowardly souls," the Sentinel continues in the same vein, denouncing the court for its "judicial cowardice," its "poltroonery," its "pusillanimity," calls the judges "pettifogging hair-splitters" and "chattering owls," and notifies them that "not one of them need trouble himself to ask the suffrages of the people again." This to such lawyers and such men as Judge William E. Niblick, Judge Allen Zollars, Judge Joseph A. S. Mitchell, J udge George V. Ilowk and Judge Byron K. Elliott The Journal does not feel called upon to defend tho Supreme Court. The people and the bar of Indiana know full well that the out rageous charges and insinuations made against it by the Sentinel are undeserved. There is not a lawyer in the State who does not know that the decision of the court is good law, and not an honest man anywhere who will not say, politics er no politics, that it was a righteous decision. The court needs no defense. The aspect of the case to which we call attention is this: The insane rage of the Sentinel is owing to the fact that the court refused to ignore the legal questions involved, and lend itself to a revolutionary scheme to nullify a popular election and steal the office of Lieutenant-governor. The Green Smith scheme - l It.!. 3 Itf -r . . means jusi mis duu noining less. It IS a Democratic conspiracy to overthrow the will of the people, fairly expressed in a legal elec tion, and to steal the second highest office in the State. Because the Supreme Court re fused to become a party to the conspiracy in plain violation of the Constitution and law, the Sentinel exclaims, "Damn their cowardly souls." This sentence is a revelation of the plans and purposes, the temper and spirit of 1 the Democratic managers and of the attitude I of the Sentinel towards theni. It h the same.

everywhere. In the city they resort to smashing ballot-boxes, altering tally-sheets and

orging election returns, and in the State to overriding the will of the people and nullify ing an election, and at every point the Democratic organ defends them. These conspira tors and their organ have no use for fionest men. There are honest conservative, lawabiding men in the Democratic party, but the party managers have no use for them. The Sentinel gives notice to the judges of the Supreme Court that "not one of them need trouble himself to ask the suffrage of the people again." The notice is given, in effect, to every Democrat in the State who does not approve of the ballot-box smashing, tallysheet forging, office-stealirg tactics of the present party managers. They seem to have burned the bridges behind them, and through their organ give notice to the world that there is no longer standing-room for a decent, honest man in the Democratic party of Indi ana. STATE LEGISLATURES. A Pennsylvania paper makes the following remark: "The Legislature meets to-dav, and Harrisburg is happy. Some time in the more or less distant future it will adjourn, and then the rest of the State will be happy." Paragraphs of a would-be facetious char acter like the above are afloat concerning the General Assemblies of various States, and are occasionally directed at the national Congress. Such utterances are in very bad taste even in a "funny" column. It occasionally happens that a Legislature does no particular credit to a commonwealth whose interests it is elected to consider; but until such body proves itself incompetent it is entitled to respectful treatment. As a rule, legislators are chosen because of a belief that they can and will properly represent their respective districts, and it is the exception when one fails, to fulfill his duties in this respect or the expectations formed of him. Idle talk of the sort quoted creates a contrary impression among thoughtless people, and, in particular, caus?s the youth of the period to look lightly upon an important part of the governmental system. It is essential to the American idea of selfgovernment that its methods should not fall into disrepute, and there can be no question that this tendency to belittle the members of legislative assemblies must lower the dignity and standing of the bodies to a level with town councils or police board meetings. It is high time that the custom mentioned fell into innocuous desuetude, and that for the sake of the State, if not their own, the people's rep resentatives were treated with respect as the honest, honorable gentlemen the majority of them are. There was a very general feeling yester day that the Sentinel's attack on the Supreme Court had placed the paper in contempt, and that it should be proceeded against. Public opinion accords large license to the press, but there is a limit even to license. It is one thing to criticise the decision of a court in a proper spirit, and quite another to denounce its motives in terms calculated to bring the court into public contempt The people do not regard the courts as infallible, but there is, withal, a deep-seated sentiment of respect for them, and a feeling that their authority and dignity must be maintained. As to what kind of a publication constitutes contempt of court, Bishop, in his work on Criminal Law, vol. 2, p. 258, says: "Ac cording to the general doctrine, any publica tion, whether by parties or strangers, relating to a cause in court, tending to prejudice the public as to its merits, and to corrupt or embarrass the administration of justice, or reflecting on the tribunal or its proceedings, maybe visited as a contempt. In general it is only necessary in point of law that the cause should be pending." Another writer, Rapalje on Contempts, says: "Any publication, pending a suit, reflecting on the court, is a contempt of court." The same authority says, p. 70: "It is a contempt to publish remarks in a newspaper which have a tendency to prejudice the public with respect to the merits of a cause depending in court." The Sentinel's publication falls within this definition. It reflected upon the court and related to a cause still pending, as under the law a petition for rehearing may be filed within sixty days. But it is not probable the court will take any action against the Sentinel for contempt. TnE two houses of the General Assembly will meet this morning at 10 o'clock. xne Senate will be organized by Auditor Rice and the oath of office administered by Judge Howk, of the Supreme Court The Ilo.ise will be organized by Secretary of State Myers and the oath administered by J udge Mitchell Whether any attempt will be made to deprive legally-elected members of the Senate from entering upon their offices, cannot certainly be stated in advance. The necessities and the desperation of the gang are sufficient for any sort of outrage they may think necessary; but it is to be hoped that the work of organization will proceed with asdae regard to right and justice. The Republican caucus nominated Hon. Warren G. Sayre, of Wabash, for Speaker, a man thoroughly equipped for the place in every respect, and who will bring to the office dig nity, experience, capability and thorough honesty. Hon. W. R. Gardner, who opposed Mr. Sayre, received a handsome vote, but the caucus evidently believed that he could be of more public and party service on the floor of the House. That he will distinguish himself wherever placed there cau be no doubt Mr W. H, Smith was chosen for clerk. Mr,

Smith has served in that office before with efficiency and satisfaction. The Democratic senatorial caucus nominated Webster Dixon for principal secretary.

The present intention is said to be to have Green Smith, the claimant, call the Senate to order thi3 morning, and Auditor Rice to act as clerk in the calling of the roll. Section 49GI of the Revised Statutes says: 'In the absence of the Lieutenant-gov ernor, it shall be the duty or the Auditor of State to preside at the organization of the Senate." Does Mr. Rice propose to violate the plain letter of the law in the interests of the gang? The Lieu tenant-governor is absent. Mr. Rice's dictum cannot make the Jennings county yahoo Lieu tenant-governor. Will the Auditor of State signalize his last days in office by a flagrant and willful violation of the law? If the Sentinel reflects or represents the sentiments of the Democratic party, or any considerable part of it, then the Democratic party expected that the members of the Supreme Court elected on a Democratic ticket should decide questions before them in the interest of the Democratic party, regardless of law. No matter of jurisdiction, or law, or common honesty, or justice should enter into the question. The Democratic members of the Supreme Court were to find out the Democratic side of the case and so decide, and then "telegraph it to the boys." But the Court were not or the conspiring gang, and decided the law. Hence the howl of the Sen tinel. In a suit brought by a Missouri bank against one in Chicago, to recover the value of bonds deposited with the latter, and used by the cashier in speculation on the Board of Trade, Judge Gresham ha3 decided that the Chicago bank is liable for the amount, with interest, not having used due care in protect ing the depositor. The decision is in the direction of holding banks to a higher degree of responsibility to depositors than has here tofore prevailed. In order to be popular with his party, it is necessary that a Democratic politician shall declare himself opposed to the civil service policy of the administration. Indianapolis bentinel. It might be thought from this that the Sen tinel, which has declared its opposition to civil-service reform, is popular with its party; but such is far from being the case. Para graphs of this sort are very misleading, but, we trust, not intentionally so. In the days of Blackford, Davrey and Sul livan the decisions of the Supreme Court of Indiana were esteemed by the bar of the country as establishing the law in its purity, Then came a time when small men and parti sans rendered opinions that smacked of poli tics. The present Supreme bench have by their decisions restored the confidence of the people in the judicial fairness of the court. The Supreme Court did not render a de cision yesterday in the lieutenant-governor ship case, as was expected. It will not be made until after the holidays, lhe court will pardon us if we remark that the decision would have been a very pretty Christmas gift. Sentinel, Dec. 24. 1 es, it is; beautiful and very appropriate. But the Sentinel don't appear to like it as a New Year's offering. Congressman Curtin, of Pennsylvania, announces himself as unalterably opposed to civil-service reform. . This is not surprising. After a man has left the Republican party, and become a Democrat of his own free will and accord, itisnot.to be expected that he will keep apace with the country's progress. The people did not care who had jurisdic tion. They only wanted to know who was Lieutenant-governor. Sentinel. The people wanted to know who forged the tally-sheets Tind eleotion return J, and the Sentinel objected. It only then wanted to know who had jurisdiction. Mr. Rice has, for many years, supplied a large proportion of the brains of the Demo cratic management in the State. Sentinel. Borrow some. Under the head of "A Sound Decision," the Chicago Times, Democratic, says of the Supreme Court's opinion in the Lieutenant-governor case: "The decision rendered yesterday by the Indi ana bupreme Jourt in the lieutenant-governorship contest is an eminently righteous one. " The decision is aound law, and a correct application of the theory of our Constitution. The question raised by Mr. Green Smith is Plfe-l7 PoHjicah an4 exciusiyejy within the lurisdiction of the political part of the Constitution of Indiana, ror a court to have sought, bv the method of an injunction, to prevent the Secretary of State from discharging the ministerial duty of certifying the returns of the recent election, as required by law, or to have invaded the prerogatives of the Legislature by assuming to determine a question of which the Constitution makes that body the sole judge, would have been a monstrous abuse of judicial authority, which would have warranted the impeachment of the (mending judges. "The Supreme Court could not have decided otherwise than it did without making itself an object of merited popular conteinDt. That it has chosen not to do this, even in obedience to the clamor of benighted partisans who look uoon the bench as a legitimate auxiliary in political warfare, i3 a gratifying manifestation of viftue and wisdom by a tribunal that was supposed to . n . . . i m oe saaiy aencieni in ootn. It is a lucky thing for the judges of the Su preme Court that they can't be sent to jail on account of the contempt they feel for the SentineL If it were otherwise, the degree of scorn tbey must naturally cherish would entitle them to life sentences. COMMENT AND OPINION'. There need be tiO alaf ra Cleveland's health. "Death mark"" Minneapolis Tribune. about President loves a ehining The national stomach has received about as much humbug as it can digest during one administration. New York Tribune. Yesterday, "Jim Cummins" waa a princely train robber, with a pen that fairly dripped humor. To day, ha ia a convict, without a emilo

on his smog; face or a joke in his pear-shwA

head. This is the brief biography oi a tool. -v It seems quite safe to say that it costs less to

live now than at anv previous time for A gener- J - i T1 : J fT 1 . j-TV-

The Czar will make no treaty or agreement that would compel him to sijjn the temperance pledge. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Ik Coos county, New Hampshire, the Prohi bitionists voted for a ra-n who had been dead several months. They goem to know who can be trusted up that war. San Francisco Alta. The tally-sheet forgers at Indianapolis rav well be made uneasy by the success of the third attempt to indict the men who committed the same offense at Columbus, O. Springfield Re publican. It is believed that there will never be another rebellion in the South so lone as Mr. Henry W. Grady and Miss Winnie Davis are living to tell their people what a big place the North is. Pittsburg Chronicle. They were seated at a late Sunday dinner

when the door bell rang. "Goodness gracious'," -4lJ

she exclaimed, "its our minister, and Ive be a eating onions." "Never mind, my dear,'' replied her husband, "you need not kiss him to-day. Brooklyn Banner. It is amusing to sea the mugwump papers eirlng columns of facts showing that the civil-serv ice law is systematically ridiculed by this administration, and then praising Cleveland as a reformer. Is he. then, eo heirless against hit own subordinates? Boston Record. Br all means let Mr. Cleveland carry on the government on Democratic principles. He

should not be willing to make a record for hit 7

there should happen to be on will trample upon with ghoulish glee. New York Mail and Express. Theue should be no doubt about Senator Har rison's re-election. Let the Republicans of tha Indiana Legislature pursue the firm, dignified coarse, and stand by Harrison solidly, and we predict that they will be again represented for six ; years by their foremost citizen. -Cincinnati Commercial Gazette. There is a deep and abiding conviction, oi vsentiment call it what you will in the mind and heart of every man who ia worthy of tha name, that a woman roust not bo treated on tha same terms as a man would be treated, even when she has committed a grievous crime. Thie sentiment has always asserted itself ia oal American courts, so far as the law allowed it to be asserted, and time and atraln, in defiance o the law, and that it will always be asserted wa firmly believe and earnestly hope. Charleston News and Courier. If the interstate commerce bill is defeated thii winter by the powerful railroad combination now being arrayed against it, the next CongreM elected by the people will take the granger law of Illinois for a model and provide for fixing "maximum rates," and not fixing them too high, either. The longer railroad regulation is fought off by Wall street the more stringent the legislation will be when it is enacted. If railroad influences can defeat a miid, conservative measure like that now pending it will not be many years before radical legislation in the Statea will be supplemented by a rigorous act of Congresg that wiil put a summary end to cut-throat prae tices. Chicago Tribune. -, ; Tho Sentinel and the Supreme Court. The Journal yeBterday received the following from a leading Democrat of this city: To the Ed'tor of the Indianapolis Journal; That the entire people of the Stata of Ib diana may know the infamy of the Indiana State Sentinel, I roost respectfully request you to publish entire, in a conspicuous placo ia tomorrow's issue of the Journal, the . Sentinel'a leader of this morning on the Supreme Court of this State. A Democrat. In accordance with this request, wa give tha article, as follows: "THE SCFREME COURT. "Damn their cowardly souls. '"The members of the Supreme Court of Indiana are afraid of their shadows. "Yesterday Judge Elliott delivered the opinion of the court in tho Smith-Uobertson Lieutenant governorship case. There was no dissenting opinion, m ore's the pity. "The court decides that the Circuit Court, before which the injunction proceedings wera originally instituted, had no jurisdiction. That being its opinion, it begs to be excused from considering the validity of Robertson's election. "The opinion closes with these words: "It is a rudimentary principle, acted upon again and isdiction, courts will go no fuctifT"TcAvould not oTft" ptrain. that when it ia ascertained that thiK nr- win be a vain and fruitless thing to assume to decide a question where there is no jurisdiction, but it would be a mischievous thing, because it would gire an ap pearance of autbontv to that winch is utterly desti tute of force. Such a decision would be the merest shadow of authority, binding nobody. (Poop.le vs. Comm., US N. V.. 403; Weoden vs. Town. 0 It. I.. 131.) It is laid up among the earliest principles of the law that a decision where there is no jurisdiction is absolutely and incurably void. This principle fre-. quently finds expression, although not always accurately or elegantly, in the statement so often found in the books: 'That such a judgment is coram uba judioe and void.' "This by way of apology! "We invite the attention of the peorla of In diana to this decision. The proceedings were be gun in good faith by Senator Smith in order to

avoid trouoie. ine oniy oojeci wa to securat from the courts of the State a definite determin-"

atton of his rights. "But the Supreme Court dodges the main question, taking advantage of a technicality to escape the responsibility of a decision upon the only vital issue. It is a most disgraceful exhibition of judicial cowardice. "The opinion is devoted to an elaborate investigation of the right of the lower court to issuo an injunction. Ton lines would have been sufflcient, but the court must parade its erudition upon this inconsequential question in order to cloak its poltroonery. What the people wanted the court to decide was whether or not Robertson's election was valid. That was all they wanted. To decide such matters is the purposa for which these gentlemen are hired. To shirk their duty and to excuse their pusillanimity by pleading a technical privilege is utterly contemptible, and not one of them need trouble him self to ask the suffrages of the people again. Tha court prates of precedent. There are reams upon reams of precedents, volumes upon volumes of authorities, which warrant a judge in brushing

away cooweDs, ana aeaaing upon tne iunaa- -J mental question of a cause. It is the first thing

a law student is taught, and it is the continuous iteration of the United States Supreme Court that judges must be guided by common sense, and must sweep aside purely technical considerations when tbey 6tand in tho way of justice. "But these pettifogging hair-splitters evadoa plain duty by taking advantage of just su;h a technical eonsidratioij as the masters of the law expressly protest against Instead of striving lo satisfy the demands of the people, they have wormed through the statute books and racked their trains to find how not to do it. The people asked for bread, and they have been given a stone. It matters not how much they may gild it, and how strenuously they may assert in plausible platitudes that it is not a stone, it it utter mockery and deception. "If only one man had shown honesty enough and courage enough to have dissented, something of the august character of the court would have been saved; but it stands now a crying shame. Have not these chattering owls sense enough to perceive that the reason why the laboring men of tho country declaim so bitterly against the courts is that thoy find it so hard and so expensive to obtain justice when attorneys for corporations can so frequently and so successfully block the operation of the law by raising the barriers of technical construction? And do they not see that they have done tha very thing in this case which has tonded to bring the judiciary into disreputer TJrgeucy Haste. Phi'ndolphii Inquirer. The public tenders its sincere congratulations -to Secretary Lamar on his expected marriago, and trusts that the ceremony may be performed as soon as possible. The public is getting tired of hearing about it r j; v.1 The 6reea Suiiih Decision. LouUtIIIc Courier-Journal, fDem.) This is the first blood of the Senatorial cam paign, and we grieve to state that it ia in favor of the Republicans.

A Quostion ol the Season. Pittsbnrc Chronicle.' Have you received the bill for that ChrtatnuL pmeat jour wife sent you! y

y