The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1875-03-10
RICHMOND,


dence, somehow engendered IN the
public credulity. that they would
reform things 1t mattered not at
all that there was nothing to reform;
that the State administration was just
as cheap and saving as it could be to
meet public engagements and pay
necessary expenses; that no dollar OF
dishonest money could be traced to
any Republican State officer; that no
cent was ever lost by defalcation or
negligence since they first took charge
of the government, and that 1t was
about impossible to change their sys-
tenn without making it worse. Neither
did it matter that the party proposing
these reforms of nothing was the
same party that approved the Georgia
land swindle; that stole l 300 900 acres
of school lands, that closed the asy
lums; that increased the public debt
So 900 600 in four years; that brought
State bonds ut par and sold them at
thirty per cent. discount; that kept
man in two Offices at the same time to
get his vote as Senator Tor Jesse ID:
Bright; that fostered the Sons OF
Liberty and proposed schemes to
make peace for the State separate from
the Nation; that tried to repudiate
schools; that assailed the 'nigger"
till he got vote, and then truckled
to him; that tried to force the people
to pay cash for the debt satisfied by
the Wabash canal, by refusing to pay
the "old bonds" which the canal
would have been sold from its holders
to pay-a neat operation that would
have made debt OF $50, 900, 600; that
in 1871 left 5000 600 in the treasury
unused, to make a fortune for the
Democratic treasurer, as it did; and
at the same time cut down the State
tax so low that over 5000, 600 had to
be borrowed to pay necessary expens-
es, thus adding interest to other ex-
penses, and making the administration
that much more costly than it would
have been if the tax had been higher,
and paid expenses as we went. A
party with such a record was a most
fit and senseless" advocate of re
forms,' and a nice agent to entrust
with their execution. But the people
determined to trust it. Now let us
see what comment facts have to make
on the promises that induced this
trust. That it should have made no
reforms is not surprising, simply
because there was nothing to reform,
no leaks or stealingss, or negligence,
or surplus Of clerks, or abuses OF
power, or frauds An honest admin
istration is hard to reform, and the
Republican State administration had
been uniformly as unimpeacha bic as
it is given to mortal weakness to be.
But though the Democracy could not
reform anything, it could at least
prevent the creation of abuses requir-
ing reform, and it has not done that.
just remember that fact, reader.
The party of reform has reformed
nothing, has not tried it even, and 1t
has piled up abuses enough already to
sink it. So much for general results.
Let us look at a few details.
The platform which promised so
much that the party has not tried TO
DO. and never meant to do. says,
First-That the party is opposed to
high fees and salaries. either IN the
State of Indiana or the United States,
and we demand reduction. Com
meDt of facts-the party has not re-
duced the extravagant pay of the
Legislature, though the increase last
session was denounced by it in every
township: 1t has not reduced the
perauisities of the State Auditor. h
at all. Second-That platform says,
I'VE are in favor of liberal system of
education for the negro, but opposed
to the mixture OF white and black
races in our public schools" Facts
say. Tberality to the negro is illus
trated by his exclusion from all edu-
cational benefits for which he is taxed,
except where there are enough of his
color to make school. and as there
is not one district in three hundred
with that proportion, this liberal
system virtually steals the school
taxes of all other negroes for the
benefit of white children. Third
The platform denounces the Baxter
bill and demands a license law, for
the benefit OF the schools, but the
party has not made and can't make a
license law, and won't amend the Bax-
ter bill so as to make it pay revenue
to the schools. Fourth-The plat
form demands legislation in restraint
of railroad extortion. Facts say that
the party has done nothing at all, In
this direction, any more than any
other. Fifth-The platform demands
a law limiting local taxation. Facts
say that the party has not only not
enacted such law, but has squareiy
beaten a constitutional amendment
that covered very important part OF
the limitation of local power. These
be nice samples of reforms" made
according to promise, but they are
brilliant achievements of Democratic
statesmanship beside some others that
we propose to look at.
The platform says I'VE are in fa-
vor of severe retrenchment, reform
and economy in all branches of the
public service" What say those
troublesome disturbers of Democratic
promises, facts? Severe retrench-
ment and reform are gloriously illus
trated in the report of the House In
vestigation Committee-that a janitor
has been getting illegal money ever
since the session began; and has got
$3.50; that stationery clerk" and
warrant clerk, and clerk who new
er did anything, and clerk who was
employed at the Union depot at s35
month, had each got from $3.50 to S75.
In all. this party of severe reform"
has to admit that it has let its servants
steal nearly 81 900 from the treasury
in two months 1t illustrates its 'se-
we're" taste in economy farther, by re-
fusing to build State House and
paying $1,000 to $4,000 year rent for
offices and committee rooms. Also by
holding on to full leg glative pay. Also
by leaving county and State fees un-
changed, as yet But this platforms
biggest blow is over the practica-
bility and prudence of running the
State government on tax Of five cents
on the hundred dollars. 1t denoun-
ces larger tax as "a wanton outrage
nnon the tax-ridden peonle of Indi-