Jasper County Democrat, Volume 10, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 February 1908 — MARSHALL’S ‘VINDICATION.” [ARTICLE]

MARSHALL’S ‘VINDICATION.”

Wonder if that oooktail story has any influence in the Kentucky republicans seleoting Fairbanks delegates to the national convention ?

The cases against Harry Marshall and all of the others except those against Henry Brunaugh, growing out of the repairing of the asphalt streets in Indianapolis have been dismissed, In boodle cases ordinarily it takes two persons to commit the crime, one to give the money and the other to accept it. But there are several different kinds of justice at the state capital.—Fowler Leader.

© The democratic editors, at their mid-winter meeting at Indianapolis last week, held a conference with the member of the state committee and urged that an earlier date than originally intended be set for the state convention making it before the republican convention. Therefore Maroh 25 and 26 was decided upon, and the democrats will set the pace for the republicans. The editors also declared for a local option law to deal with the liquor question, and the unanimuty of opinion of the editors, the state committee and the candidates for state office that the democratic platform should be squarecut and meet every question squarely and in language that can not be misunderstood, is evidence that the party is on the right tack and is not in league with the brewery or saloon interests, as the republican press has been vainly trying to make the public believe. The speech of Editor H. A. Barnhart of the Rochester Sentinel at the editorial banquet, together with th 6 resolutions adopted by the editorial association, will be found elsewhere in today’s Democrat.

The Indianapolis News, the "independent” paper pablished at the State Capital, which [is never happier than when misrepresenting democrats and fighting for the election of republicans, has the following editorial in regard to the "vindication” of Henry W. Marshall of Lafayette, late republican chairman of their congressional district and whom the rerepublican papers, including the Rensselaer Republican, have just been telling their readers has been fully exonerated, vindicated and absolved from any connection with the street paving frauds in Indianapolis: We hope the people of this oity have noted that the only man now

nnder indictment in connection with street repairing frande ie Harry Brunangb, a mere underling. Henry W. Marshall president of the Western Construction Company, wbioh was the employer of Brunangb, and all the others, Baxter, Roeasoo, and Shnfelton, at the present time stand uncharged with any offense. All the indictments previously returned were nolled, not because the evidence had been found unsatisfactory, but bt oause the indictments were found to be defective as measured by a decision of the Supreme Court handed down after they had been drawn. But though the indictment of Marshall, for instanoe, was based on evidence satisfactory to the men returning it, though it has been nolled merely for default in form, the present grand jury has, it is said, refused to indiot this man. And so it is that the only one indicted is the employe and tool, whomi alone the present grand jury has so far been willing to reindiot. It should not be forgotten that throughout the country the demand is that the men in positions of power and authority should be held to answer for corporate wrong-doing, and not mere cashiers, clerks, bookkeepers, eto. And the demand is a most righteous one. We do not wish to be misunderstood in this matter. For we do not say that any of these men are guilty. That is a fact that ought to be considered by a trial jury. But we do say that praotically the same evidence was presented in the oases of Marshall and the others as was presented in the case of Brunaugh, And we protest that it is grossly unfair to hold the insignificant Brunangb the president of the company that employed him, and the city officers involved in the scandal, to go free. They should at least be all treated alike.

Prominenoe, wealth and power, are not matters to be considered, except indeed as hightening whatever of guilt there may be. Whatever consideration is shown ought to be shown to the men who are poor, weak, insignificant, unimportant and without friends— the men whom are subordinate positions, and who act simply as agents. Our present grand jury is believed to have reversed this rule. The evidenoe is as strong against the others as it is against Brunaugh. The grand jury should treat all alike, not put the whole burden of whatever crime was committed on Brunangh alone.