The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-04-22
ParsImoD1, Net Economy.

Communicated
Each individual kss strange and uusx-
plsinsble peculiarities. eccentricities. lido
syncracies, charsc Observation-Disclosures name
you may see fl to designate it by. They are
utterly Inconsistent with everything else be.
longing to ths individual, and not unire-
quently createi in others feeling akin to dis
gust and contempt, and as often, are wholly
inexcusable. Tney are generally kept al the
front-''worn on the sleeve" as it were-to
the serious msrring Of the otherwise comedy
appearance and admirable traits Of the ind.
Vi6uai in other respects.
Indiana, as an individual is not an ex-
ception to the rule; and some OF her pecu-
liarities are very unfortunate for her as well
es very repulsive to many good and RI ght-
minded people among her large family OF
citizens. Among them is the-ssemingly-
fixed idea that "public" psrsimony is puo-
/ lie economy" She has gone Sd far In carry
ing out this idee-eDdeavoriDg to practice it,
in the blind delnsion that it is profitable
that she has not only called out the pity and
81 GERS other neighboIs, bat she has turned
/ Is de and obstructed the forces that were
pushing her toward tha fIonL in the ranks of
| the States and retarded her Own progress for
! many wears | have been called upon more
/ than on CO to publicly condemn it. and had
hoped her officials would abandon it.
| That they have not done so is very clearly
! den onstrated quite often, and her session
! laws are bi ennisl evidence that she still
/ lators Bnder the miserable Authorization.
| She is an inland State, far from the sea-
board, but she has the largest Capital city Of
any State in the [ MON. She has more acres
/ OF coed land in proportion to her area, and
/ greater facilities for transportation in pro-
1 portion, than any other State. Her natural
resources are more valuable and durable,
/ considering other things, than those OF any
other State of the same area. Free from
mountains with great waterways by lake
and river, situated mid way among the great
est States. with population exceptional for
enterprise and intelligence, she should and
/ could have been the second State in the
Union st least, but for her few peculiarities,
the most inimical and least defensibls of
| which is this illusory ides that public par
| simopv is public economy" Her colleges
have been starved and treated like tramps.
Scholarly snd wealthy people hsye had large
| sums TO bestOw on such institutions; but
they have stunned those Of Indiana aud
made endowments on those of every other
| State, because her Legislatures have
treated them as il they we're unworthy Of
existence. The State University, the State
Normal, and Purdue. have been
sneeIed at and kicked out of the Legislature
| as If they were poor relations Hho were Fore
| ing themEelyes upon the State and were IN
worthy OF recognition. Had they been lib
orally fostered by the. State to day they would
|
ard women as objscts worthy OF great gifts
ar need not be beggsrs for enough to barely
exist, and be compelled to receive that with
sDeeIs ard CoDtumeliOUS curses for daring TO
ask for something.
There sfe many like instances in her his
tory relating to various things. The lmme-
de.e occasion OF this article is Professor
Collects report as State GeologIst. Ny fee
fairly burned with mingled shame and in
digDsiion as | ssw his report OF receipts Gnd
expenditures.
The fetal appropriation was $50 per
month, or sl,SC0 per yeaI-sbout the salary
OF second class bookkeeper IN 3 second
class commission house. The expenditures
were 81, 494.76; producing book OF nearly
200 ps ges, with engravings msps and the la
Dor Of several scientists in different depart.
ments and branches, paid ont by the
State Geologist, aId he relies on
the justice OF Indiana" to reimburse him.
Coed Lord Justice? A sense of justice in
such a soulless body? John Collett, q
man honored by the wisest among
the wisest men at home and abroad SIS
among the first in his profession, who mas
given to Indiana his skill and lSbors to the
development of her wonderful natural re.
sources and brought TO her millions of dol
lars OF capital, and given her an interna-
tiOnal Teputation-John Collett Is COM
PEELED to rely on the justice OF a State that
appTopriates 81 800 for her State Geologist to
pay his services and saary-to refund to
him three quarters of his salary, advanced
by him in necessary expenses? And he
furnishes vouchers for every item, even
down to 81 paid for packing reports to be
sent out under the law to the various conn
tiesl Look at these items and sums in the
fore part OF the book and then at his map in
the back part, and the Indianian's cheek
that does not redden with shame mu:t be a
queer compound to take human shape.
II there is any one thing that should have
been made the SUBJECT of liberal spPropria-
tons it should have been geology, II should
have been made department and every en-
eTgy supplied to it; the ablest professors,
with a corps of assistants; and aid should
have been given with liberal hand. Had
this been done it would have repaid the
S ate thousand fold. Thank fortune tor
giving us John Collett. There was nothing
little in him, and the State has the invalua-
bic benefits OF his voluntary labor and per.
sonsl sacrifice, to his own honor aud her
shane. 1t is high time for Indiana to real
'ze that it is not wise ito fave at the spig0t
al spill at the bunghole."
Compare the appropriations made to pay
the hangers on" ABOUT the existing General
Assembly since last January the clerks and
ianitors and other so-called employees az.
pointed for the Houses and committees, fully
one.half Of whom have nothing 10 do, and
not oyer seven or eight work two hours q
cayl-with that for the services rendered in
the Geological Department. Compare the
world, for that natter) in the two places.
Compare the mental cslber and acqaire.
ments OF the occupants OF the two places.
Even compare the General Assembly Itself
and the value Of its work, SIS q whole, with
its cost. The former runs into the hundreds
of thousands of dollars. and the latter dee;
not reach the plural number of thousands in
Indiana. Look at other States and see the
contrast with Indiana in the estimate placed
on the value of geological investigation, and
of the services OF competent men to make 1t.
Let Indians's legislators have done with
this picayune policy. Let the vicious leaks
in the Treasury be stopped-for they are not
few-and let such liberia! aid be given for ths
development Of the States highest Interests
es will command the best results, and give
Us self.respect at home as well as respeci
abroad. We have neither now in this con
nection, and are not entitled to any.
G. H. r.
Plymouth, April 16.
/ ~