The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-04-07

ST.. Louis, like Indianapolis, has suffered
pillage and profigacy in her public affairs
through party machinery and the realization
that the city can here for nothing under
partisan rule, has inspired the taxpayers 20
revolt and invoke an independent move
.ment to put honest men in the council To
that end the following significant address
signed by hundreds Of the best and most
responsible names in the city was put forth
mall the leading papers Saturday morning:
To the Independent Voters OF the Fifth, Sixth,
seventh and Eighth wards of the city, and to
al other citizens of st. Louis, who are in favor
without regard TO party lines:
Hecan on you to aid Us aud save yourselves
The.condition of affains in this city is full of
deadly peril. Our public debt Is rapidly reach
ing limits which will neosSsitate either repudia-
ton ora taxation which will confscate property
and pasalyze business. In the last ten years our
city funded debt has adxancedfSrom less than
i've to salore than fourteen millions of dollars:
and, by tie action of the last general as
sembIys SIX millions certainly, perhaps ten mil
lions, have been added to the enormous sum.
Wsstefulness, recklessness, and dishonesty on
the partOf the officials, and apathy and neg
ligence Onsasrown, have brought as 10 this con-
dition, and threaten us with the cons sequences
we indicate. Nothing is palmer than that
cOntinuanee,i1 the same for ten Yeas longer
will bankrupt city. We must now and
here put someeheck TO abuses, or we deliver
ourselves the helpless victims OF q TENACIOUS
and unscrupulogs set Of plunderers- We, Ehere-
fore, earnestly cell on all who have st heart the
Esiorm of these InoDstrous and ruinous abuses
and who are deteFnined to disregard partyf mes
an6 party nominations, in the interest of hon
estT and economy 10 assemble in mass meeting
on saturday evening. at o'clock, at the court
house. to take into consideration the emergen-
cies Of the present crisis.
ThGt Is apicture, to the life, of the condition.
in which this city will find ITSELF eoun-
Gil VIGOROUSLY corrupt and incapable. and
party machinery so in.renehed in rings that
1t is hopaess to expect better men or meas
ures FROM the present order of things. A
East asseusblage came together in ST. Louis
Ia response to this stiHing call, and with
the battle olce joined, the issue can not
be for rsoment doub<ful. The plum
deSers are never stronger than hon
est mon. They simply depend on the
of the taxpayers They see that
most men dislike 10 take pstt in the ignoble
strife Of ward politics. Presenting OIL this
reluctance the rings go forward and engi-
neer the most obnoxious men into places of
trust, and, with the tremendous power of
party machinery at their back, the
day Is won. A single cheek would
cripple all this prearr ansed ras-
cality. The whole city recognizes
the pass we have come to. and most men
are eager for an opportunity to make their
adherence of the present infamies practi- |
cally felt. So long. however, as none take
the outright action, the movement is SHAPE.
less and of no avail. Each ward which sees
Itself about to be put at the mercy of a
dishonest, mercenary or incapable council. !
man should at once take measures to select |
some trustworthy citizen, whose voice
N the council may be trusted. The
men put up for these Offices Iby back
DOM caucuses are certain to be unfit.
hey have won the nomination as