CHAPTER XXVIII. GOVERNOR BAKER'S ADMINISTRATION POLI EVENTS OF 1868. OLITICALLY Indiana took the lead in the memorable campaign of 1868. Both parties held conventions early in the year, setting forth the principles on which they proposed to conduct the canvass, before any other State became actively interested. The Democrats nominated Thomas A. Hendricks for Governor, Alfred P. Edgerton for LieutenantGovernor, and R. C. Kise for Secretary of State. The resolutions constituting the platform denounced the reconstruction policy of the Republicans, recommended the substitution of United States notes in lieu of the national bank currency, denied the right of the General Government to interfere with the question of suffrage in any of the States, and opposed negro suffrage, etc. The Republican convention nominated Conrad Baker for Governor, William Cumback for Lieutenant-Governor, and Max T. A. Hoffman for Secretary of State. The platform adopted endorsed the policy of the party in strong terms, defending the plan of reconstruction, and opposing a further contraction of the currency, etc. The canvass was very excited, and resulted in the election of Conrad Baker for Governor, by a majority of nine hundred and sixty-one votes. The presidential election followed soon after, in which the State polled 343,532 votes, of which 176,552 were for Grant, and 166,980 for Seymour, giving the Republican Board of Electors a majority of 9,572. At the close of the fiscal year the State debt was $7,195,085.94. Over three and a quarter millions of this amount consisted of balances of old debts, incurred for internal : improvements, of which we have spoken at length in previous chapters. These debts had been adjusted by what is known as the "Butler Bill," in 1846-7, at which time five per cent. certificates of stock were issued to the creditors of the State. Over three and a half millions of this debt, as reported in 1868, were represented by non-negotiable bonds, held by the State school fund, for money borrowed therefrom to redeem a portion of the certificates issued to help the State out of its financial difficulty in 1846-7. The balance of the State debt consisted of six per cent. bonds, issued in 1861, for war purposes, and bonds held by the Vincennes University. In 1868, the State of Indiana was energetically engaged in prosecuting claims on the General Government on account of expenses incurred in the civil war, to the amount of about three millions and a half. The State appointed an agent to prosecute the claims, and during the year $1,958,917.94 were allowed. During the previous year the legislature had appointed commissioners to hear and consider claims against the State for losses sustained by the "Morgan raid." A report was submitted by the commissioners, in 1868, showing that $413,599.48 had been allowed to persons suffering loss of property from the raid. It was during the year 1868 that Governor Baker, pursuant to the act of the legislature of the previous year, obtained a a site for the then proposed House of Refuge. He purchased one hundred and twenty-one acres of land, near Plainfield, Hendricks county, and expended about forty thousand dollars in improvements thereon. As to other benevolent institutions, "the Soldiers' and Seamen's Home, near Knightstown, originally established by private enterprise and benevolence, and adopted by the legislature in 1867," was in a good condition. Up to that date the institution had afforded relief and temporary subsistence to four hundred men who were disabled in the civil war. A substantial brick building had been built for the Home, while the old buildings were used for an orphan's department, in which were gathered eighty-six children of deceased soldiers. During this year, 1868, a feeling began to be prevalent in the State, that the processes of law in relation to criminal proceedings were neither prompt nor sure for the punishment of crime. It appeared to be easy, by means of affidavits, no matter how false, to obtain numerous continuances and changes In consequence of of venue, and in that way delaying, and injuring confidence in the administration of the penal laws. this fact "Lynch Law" became of too frequent occurrence in the State. A remarkable case of this kind occurred in 1868, in the case of several robbers of express cars on railroads in Indiana. "A gang of these desperadoes had operated for many months in the southern counties, and on the twentysecond of May an extensive robbery was committed on the Jeffersonville road, upon a car belonging to the Adams Express Company. Though the perpetrators of the robbery were soon afterwards arrested, and kept for several weeks in custody in the city of Cincinnati, Ohio, on the twentieth of July they were put on board a train of cars to be taken to the county of Jackson, in this State, for trial. An armed body of so-called Vigilance Committee of Seymour county, laid in wait for the train, and stopped the cars by hoisting a red signal on the road. They then proceeded to seize the prisoners, and after extorting a confession from them, hanged them without the form of a trial.”* Almost immediately following this outrage, they published, and widely circulated, the following proclamation, which, together with the demonstrations of "Lynch Law" referred to, created no little excitement and comment in the State and Nation: ATTENTION, THIEVES! The attention of all thieves, robbers, assassins and vagrants, together with their aiders, abetters and sympathizers, is called to the doings of the Seymour Vigilance Committee last night. We are determined to follow this up until all of the classes above named, whether imported or to the manor born," are driven forever from our midst. Threats have been made of retaliation in case we should resort to capital punishment. In answer we say, "should one of our committee be harmed, or a dollar's worth of any honest man's property destroyed by persons unknown, we will swing by the neck until they be dead, every thieving character we can lay our hands on, without inquiry whether we have the persons who committed that particular crime or not. This applies not only to Seymour, but along the line of the two roads, and wherever our organization exists. Law and order must prevail. Seymour, Ind., July 21, 1868. BY ORDER OF THE COMMITTEE. In the following October four others of the railroad robbers were arrested in Canada, and taken to New Albany and there confined in prison, and on the night of the twelfth of December, the Seymour Vigilance Committee, to the number of * Annual Cyclopedia. seventy-five men, all armed and disguised, entered that city, and forcibly took the keys of the jail from the sheriff, and proceeded to hang the ruffians in the corridors of the prison. CHAPTER XXIX. GOVERNOR BAKER'S ADMINISTRATION EVENTS OF 1869. VERY person in Indiana who has taken any interest in EVE the recent political history of the State, will remember the "Fifteenth Amendment lock" in the legislature in 1869. The regular session commenced in January, and after listening to the Governor's somewhat lengthy message, the members proceeded to business, but accomplished very little. An attempt was made to alter the constitution of the State courts, but the Amendment question interfered, and the assembly adjourned prematurely, in March, without transacting any business of importance. During the short session serious complaints were made against the management of the State prisons, and nearly the whole of the two months' session was occupied in investigating the conduct of prison, and other officials. Party spirit was at a very high pitch, owing partly to the necessity of electing a United States senator to succeed Thomas A. Hendricks. The Democrats were strongly united on Mr. Hendricks, and the Republicans were somewhat divided between Will Cumback and James S. Frazer. The joint convention of the two houses occupied nearly the whole of three days, and finally elected Daniel D. Pratt. The Fifteenth Amendment came before the legislature, and the Democrats, as well as a portion of the conservative Republicans, opposed its consideration strongly, on the ground that it would be unfair to vote on the question until the people of the State had had an opportunity of expressing their views at |