Rensselaer Republican, Volume 19, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 November 1886 — Those Senatorial Contests. [ARTICLE]

Those Senatorial Contests.

The Indianapolis Srnfhirl announced last Saturday that the election of seven different Republican state senators-elect were to be contested. Among those mentioned as contesting was Dr. D. H . Patton, of this district. This whole business was the result of a rascally scheme * hatched by the disreputable gang that runs the Democratic organization at Indianapolis, the ooject being to have a large number of contests pending in the State Senate for the purjxjso of enabling the democratic majority in that body, in case any of the ineligible or fraudulent Democratic members of the lower house were thrown out, to turn out enough Republican Senators to off-set the losses to the Democrats in the lower house. The blank affidavits for beginning the contests were sent out from Democratic headquarters and all alleged fraud and bribery upon the part of the Senators-elect. Every man who subscribed to o*e of these affidavits, knowing them to be probably false, as most of those who signed them did know, is liable to prosecution for perjury and for defamation of character. . In this district the affidavit was signed by one Dr. Roberts, a dentist of Fowler, at the instigation of a fellow named Keefe, who lives in KentlaiuL The affidavit and notice of contest were filed Friday but was withdrawn the next day. In the same manner preliminary steps were taken to contest the election of Col. Jasper M. Dresser, of Lafayette, but that too was withdrawn. Grover Cleveland is a man of fine discrimination. He gave twenty dollars to the Charleston sufferers, and appropriated ten thousand dollars of the people’s money to buy a new dinner service for his own table. This is the highest exemplification of -genuine,, unselfishness and Jeffersonian simplicity. „