Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 September 1908 — ACT DISGRACEFUL. [ARTICLE]

ACT DISGRACEFUL.

“County Option” Zealots At State Capitol MAKE THEMSELVES RIDICULOUS - \ la Denouncing Democrats Whom They Fall to Bulldoze Into Repudiating the Democratic Platform. A number of Indiana preachers made asses of themselves down at the state capitol this week. Qf course we occasionally run across one of these reverend gentlemen who doesn't have to do this—nature having saved him the trouble. People of other towns as well as Rensselaer can bear testimony to such fact. Their actions in the local option controversy in this state will do more to disrupt their churches and put back the temperance cause than a quarter of a century of time can remedy. Assuming that all the honesty of opinion. ,all the morality and virtue and integrity of the people of the state was wrapped up in the republican party, these fanatical zealots heaped unstinted abuse upon lawabiding, god-fearing and highly respected democratic representatives and upon the democratic party of Indiana because they declined to repudiate their party platform and could not see things in the same light as these fanatical disciples of an honored calling. The action of the so-called Indiana Anti-Saloon League and these religious bigots in bringing the temperance cause into politics, and lining up with the republican party—we do not believe they should have allignqd themselves with any political party in this movement—will surely have the effect of caaslng thousands of democrats and other fair minded people to withdraw further financial or moral support from this ally of the republican partyThe particular instance to which we refer in the beginning of this article is in their going down to the capital and lobbying for the passage «f the republican county “local'” option measure—not their presence thebe, but what they said and done while there. The Indianapolis News has always been an earnest advocate of the temperance cause, and even rt deplores the bringing into polities of the liquor question. From its report of the disgraceful actions of some of this “crowd - ” we •copy the following: More than one hundred county •option workers who had congregated in the chamber of the House of Representatives at noon yesterday were driven into the State House corridor when personal combat between the optionists an<| Representatives who were still In the hall became threatening. Argument between the optionists and Representatives had become bitter, and the lie had passed several times, when assistant doorkeepers who were in the lobby were asked to put out the white ribbon men. The doorkeepers impressed by the snowy badges, hesitated. and it was then that the Capitol police/headed by CapL Isaac 'Hiatt, were summoned from the floor below. Captain Hiatt acted summarily and a crowd of more than one hundred, many of them protesting bitterly, filed into the corridor and out of the building. “You put us out and leave the brewery representatives in,” said one of the temperance workers, making reference to the Democratic Representatives who remained at their desks. 1 “Those men are Representatives and have a right to remain there,” replied Captain Hiatt. "You must get out and get out at once.” The trouble began when Horace G. Murphy, a lawyer of Muncie and member of the Muncie White Ribbon delegation, climbed to a chair in the rear of the hall of the House and —began speak in favor ot county local option. He had discussed the question in many of its phases when he was interrupted by Representative C. P. Coble, of Dubois. Coble is a Democrat and an exceedingly quiet man. He has been known to go through an entire session without speaking more than a dozen words In public. This morning, however, he was full of words. “Why aren’t you people willing to leave this to the people in the coming election?" asked Dr. Coble. “Why do you want to storm in here and try to Influence men to vote your way?” i ( It was at this juncture, according to Coble, that Mr. Murphy declared that those who were opposing county JPPtion were saloon bums and brewery representatives. 0 “You’re a liar," cried Coble, as he left his place and starteth toward Murphy. , Murphy climbed' down from his chair, and it seemed that a fight was imminent, when the Rev. C. J. Everson, a Muncie minister, stepped between the belligerents and averted trouble. “I was to mad 1 hardly knew what was going on,” said Dr. Coble.

later. “There’s one thing certain, and that is there would have been a lot of bloody noses around here if the police hadn’t come. ‘Coble was not the only lawmaker at whom the shafts of the whiteribbon men were directed. In the edge of the crowd Representative Frank B. Hay, of Terre Haute, was under Are. Hay is a Democrat, and he was just making some declaration against county option, when a whiteribbon man lnterupted him. “You’re from Terre Haute, and I smell liquor on your breath,” said the white-ribbon man. Representative Hay smiled and did not take time to deny the charge. Representative Barclay was told that be also was in an intoxicated condition. He denied the charge, and the whole delegation was marched out of the room while Barclay was trying to get at the man who accused him. Barclay comes from College Conner. He is a Democrat and has always been known as an abstainer.