Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 September 1908 — EX-GOV. DURBIN USES VERY PLAIN LANGUAGE IN RESPONSE TO CERTAIN NEWSPAPER SLANDERS. [ARTICLE]

EX-GOV. DURBIN USES VERY PLAIN LANGUAGE IN RESPONSE TO CERTAIN NEWSPAPER SLANDERS.

Ex-Governor Winfield T. Durbin, on Thursday night at Indianapolis, made the following statement: “It is not a habit of mine to pay much attention to newspaper criticisms from a hostile quarter, bat I believe that a due regard for my own reputation and the right of the public to know the truth demands that I should make response to statements concerning myself which have recently appeared in the Indianapolis News: ‘‘The News some time ago made the statement in its news columns that either at the Instance of the Republican state committee or on my own initiative I had been engaged in soliciting the support of the brewing and distilling interests of Indiana for the Republican state ticket. More recently the News has made this statement of its own the subject of editorial comment, in which it is additionally alleged that I maintain ‘close relations’ with the brewing interests of the state. There is only one response that can appropriately be made to these statements. They are lies. They were known to be such when they were originally printed in the News and when they were commented upon by the News. The News cannot present a scintilla of corroboration for its statements in this connection. They originated entirely within the News office. They were given publicity, as other statements have been, both in thie news and editorial columns of that paper, for the purpose of discrediting me and of embarrassing the Republican state committee and candidates without care as to whether or not they constituted defamation. “Some time early in the present year tte Indianapolis News printed an alleged interview with a gentleman in Anderson and made editorial comment upon It, in which I was charged, in substance, with being a go-between for Mr. McCullough, my brother-in-law, who was then a candidate for the Democratic nomination for governor, and Mr. Crawford Fairbanks, representing the brewery interests. I settled this matter by declaring the allegation to be a malicious falsehood. I was told ■t the titme of this publication by seemingly good authority that the story, as originally submitted, did not contain my name, hut that the management of the News Insisted upon my being involved in it before it would give the matter place In Its columns —■ and my name was written in to supply this demand. On Monday I was told in the lobby of the Claypool hotel that it was claimed that I controlled twen-ty-two votes in the legislature, and that they were pledged not to be for county local option at the approaching special session. When I asked from whom the information came I was told •from a News reporter.’ “Another report of similar character was traced to the same source. In view of these facts It is not unfair for me to assume that reports of this character are manufactured , within the Newß office and circulated for the •fleet they are expected to have, and do not, as a matter of fact, reach the News from any outside source. And If my assumption in this connection is correct, it is only consistent with the usual course of the Indianapolis News when it sets out to accomplish a purpose of its own. It is utterly without conscience in the treatment of those who do not happen to agree with it as to matters of public concern and who prefer to abide by their own judgment ■nd conscience rather than to receive their orders from this publication. “The News questions my sincerity End that of Republican leadership in the matter of the county local option plank. The day the plank was adopted the Republican party lost in Indiana, the support of the brewing and distilling Interests. The party has not gained a recruit from that quarter llnce, and with these interests satisfied with the local option plank in the Democratic state platfoi-n. it is childish to claim that any sort of influence, if exerted, would bring this support to the Republican state ticket. It is ■ jienlal of what Is common knowledge In every Indiana community to claim that these Interests do not present a ■olid front of opposition to the Republican state ticket. That platform was adopted more than four months ago, and duringHhe period that has ensued Republican leaders, from the candidate for governor down, have been engaged in arousing public sentiment In favor of county local option. I have Spoken publicly several times within the last few weeks, the last time before the Marion County Republican eentral committee, and have spoken in ■o uncertain language In behalf of the •ounty local option plank. What right •r reason has the News, other than its desire to support tbe state ticket standing upon the Democratic local •ptlon plank, to question the sincerity of those who for week* have been engaged all over Indiana fighting the opposition of the very interests in politics which the News pretends to oppose?

"And what of the sincerity of the Indianapolis News? The struggle has been on—what part has it borne in it? Where docs It stand? Does anyone know, or can anyone even guess, other than to sssert the belief that its decision in the long run will be on the Side of self-interest? It professed la the earlier months of the year, I believe, to advocate county local optloa. While the fight has been on It has giysa to the people of the state as

; : -> yr". " "■ •xfcfMtion to oowardfjT oqnfroeattoh Which puts upon it the burden erf demonstrating its own sincerity, rather than that of questioning the sincerity of those who are and have been in this fight The News in one Mans contained ah editorial dearly favoring township local option. Subsequently it reversed itself and claimed to prefer county local option. But so far as this issue is concerned, Its influence, because of its failure to assert its views even after a campaign has been in progress for four months, has been something less than nothing. Tike people know only that it has run away from the fight, that something or other has happened to make it change front. “In its editorial reference the News says: ‘lt is notorious that the brewers With whom Mr. Durbin’s relations -are close,’ etc. It is a matter of no small Importance for a newspaper of the News's professions to make a statement of this character. It is a personal reflection, slanderous in its character, which I resent, and which I again characterise as deliberately false. If, during my administration aa governed, there were close relations between md and the bfewers of the state, the News, which overlooked no means foul or fair of attempting to discredit me, failed in its duty to the people by not making and proclaiming the discovery at the time. “As a matter of fact, it knows that there is no basis whatever for such a charge, and that neither at that time nor before, nor since have I had alliance. pf any sort with these Interests. In my second and last message to the general assembly I called attention in strong terms to the evils of the saloon and the growth of sentiment among the people against, the defiance of law by the liquor interests, and I recommended the enactment of a law placing upon the applicant for liquor license the burden of securing a majority of the voters of any township or ward as petitioners 1 in his behalf before a license should be granted to him. This is further than the News has gone in the direction of eliminating the saloon, with all the professed hostility to the liquor interests with Which it now couples its covert support of the state ticket these interests are now working overtltme to elect.

“It is true that I had and expressed my own views concerning the necessity of an extra session of the legislature at this time. I believe it is my right, also, to express my own opinion as to whether it is practicable or expedient to pass a county local option law at this extra session, with members of the legislature to deal with who claim the right to exercise their own judgment and who have not been elected upon the county local option Issue now before the people for determination. On this point I am willing to yield to the judgment of my party associates, anxious as I am for the welfare of my party, and feeling that I would be properly described as an ingrate were I to do that on the eve of an election which would serve to disorganize and defeat the party to which I am under lasting obligations for personal preferment. I have at heart the success of the party which I believe to be besft qualified to conduct the affairs of my state; I have at heart the success of all Its policies, Including the policy of county local option, and my position in the matters affecting the extra session, has been controlled only by my judgment as to the effect any action er attempted action of the~general assembly might have upon the control of tiie legislative and administrative affairs of the state during the next administtation. ’ ' “It would be of little avail to pass a county local option law now, or attempt to pass it and fall, If the ultimate effect of such action should be the repudiation of this course at the polls by the people in November.

“The essential difference between the News and myself is that I am openly and actively in favor of the •lection of the state ticket standing upon the county local platform arid the fulfillment of every pledge of the party to the people, which I have always stood for, while the News is secretly controlled by a desire for the election of a state ticket standing in opposition to the county unit, which it has as yet riot had the courage openly to declare. "My opinion is that if the legislature should fail to pass a county local option bill, no matter how honest and earnest an effort may be made to put it through, the News will oppose the Republican state ticket on the ground that Republican leadership is insincere on the question. If the legislature should pass the county unit law, the News, I predict, will still oppose the Republican state ticket “The fact remains that the Indianapolis News is today counted by the organised liquor interests of Indiana among the forces working for the delivery of the state over to their keeptng. It has already done more for these interests in this campaign than any other newspaper In Indiana, and that Its purpose now is the embarrassment and defeat of the party which has placed upon the statute books of the state all the temperance legislation that now appears upon them, and which offers to the people of the state their only hope for progress along these lines, IS more evident to the people than, in the wisdom of Its own ooneeit. it now Imagines. “I would have answered the strictures of the News through the oolumns of the News exoept for the fact that on the occasion of Its last reference to me at the time referred to earlier in the year, I attempted to set myself right by a communication to that paper. and it took the liberty ot garbling my latter, leaving out such portions as did not meet its approval, and otherwise refusing me the opportunity for fair play Involved In a reply of my own to Us statement#." ... :