The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-11-19
HOME RULE,
the case.

the desert. Democracy and home rule local
self govemment, have been synonymous.
The one sin with which the Republican party
has been charged has been that of "centiali-
cation" Of strong government, of autocracy'
''The world is governed too much has been
the legend at the head of the great Democratic
column. We have had taste of what
Democracy means in practice in Indianapolis,
and we are promised an additional mouthful
when the next Democratic Legislature con
venes. 1t is practically useless to indulge
in glittering generalities and to say
that Republcanism means the largest
possible individual freedom; the emanci-
patton of individuals and Of local
communities from dominant pressure of
ring" rule, whether that rule be imposed and
maintained by fraud or murder, as it is and
has been by the one influence in New York
city and by the other in the solid South. But
when it is possible to illustrate principle by
a fact that presses home to mans conscious
ness there may be chance to point a moral
The last Democratic Legislature Of Indiana
police bill, and under its provisions a metro
politan police force was organized in the cities
of Indianapolis and Evansville. The plea
upon which this was done was that the police
would be bipartisan" This, together
with the undisputed fact that the city police
board rule had been shame and
scandal for years, blinded people to
the real evil of the measure, and
prepared them to accept the new scheme
with complacence. The Journal is in posi-
ton to crticise with freedom all manner Of
"board" government, for it has consistently
opposed it, as much when the ''boards" were
under the control of the Republican City
Council as now, when the police board is I'M
der the control of the Democratic State Of
.fce1s and when other departments of the
city government are threatened with the same
rapine that overlook the police under the bee
tie proved, blear-eyed ward bummers. headed
by Congressman-elect Bynum and saloon
keeper, law breaker "Hon." Sim Coy. the
Democratic chairman of the county commit
tee The metropolitan police bill has not been
permitted to work out its legitimate results
although, to some degree the people of this
city know what its possibilities are. To check
its full development under the influences that
| -
elected of three very reputable gentlemen,
whose other interests are too onerous and
whose standing in the community is too high
to allow OF warrant them in making policing
a business Yet, under these safeguards, the
police force of the city is already the most
absolutely inefficient and worthless the city
ever had, and is rapidly drifting into the most
shameless partisanship, under the lead of one
member of the board, who is devoting him
self more and more to f'politics" is the treas
urer of the Democratic State committee, is a
/ forceful, working partisan, one who has so
impressed himself upon the police force that
the members know they have a friend at
court, one who will not only wink at but de-
fend any and all partisan practices they may
indulge in. At the late election, members Of
the police force did what the Republican city
board police certainly never outdid. At
least one sergeant openly and busily acted
as ticket peddlel and worker. But, outside
of this, every citizen Of indianapolis knows
there is not even a pretense made to enforce
the laws, while what enforcement there is is of
the most scandalous partisan type. There is
no adequate protection to person and property;
police protection is farce and burles9ue
If such a condition of things is possible un-
der board composed of men like the present
one, what may be expected when the Hon !"
Sim Coy, and the bruisers who swarmed
through the legislative lobbies at the last
General Assembly, obtain perfect control of
the machineY If such things are done in the
green tree, what will be done in the dryf
| But we are given notice that this metro
| politian system is to be extended to embrace
the fire department, the markets and the
streets of the city. In every possible direc
ton home rule and local seif-government are
to be taken away from indianapolis, and
the city is to be ruled entirely, so far
as possible, from the General Assembly,
which meets but once in two years. its powers
delegated in the meantime to an irresponsible
board or boards, who can do as they please so
| long as they please to do whatever will help
the party. What this means in its full flower
and fruitage, in its thorough consummation,
let New York city answer, with its miserable
| oovernment its enormous debt its crushino