The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-10-11
THE PHILOSOPHER ON THE ELECTION.

1
| The Philosopher doesn't often ''bother his
| head" about politics. Caring nothing for Office,
but content to ''peg along" as he calls it, at q
modest rate. at a stated salary per week and
find himself" he is a happy man. TO him
there is little difference whether Smith or Jones
| is pounGmaster; whether this man or that man
is city clerk and this or that mayor, provided
each be morally sound and competent standing
on good platform and backed by the proper in
| f1uences. One man is just as good as an
mother, provided he is good as the other.
Then there are men good enough in themselves,
perhaps, who are vicious and dangerous
because of their environment The man
who seeks Office should not only have
clean hands, but should work for clean-handed
men. The man who would serve the people and
receive compensation at their hands should be
worthy of the people. His ambition should be
to enter upon the discharge of his duties with no
entanging obligations. with nothing to impede
the conscientious discharge of his duty. To this
end he must not owe his election to anybody but
the people, to no coterie, no clique, no interest.
The man who is owned by another man. or by a
combination of men, is not owned by the people,
| "hU CdnuOt serve Inc peOpib lfnpdrLldlly.
II don't understand" said The Philosopher,
after following this train of thought for a time,
during which the customary serenity of his
countena nee became little moro serious than
usual, 81 don't understand how there can be any
question how honest, temperate, law-abiding cit
liens should vote on Tuesday next The one
man who looms up in this campaign is Simeon
| Coy. There is not man to match him in either
of the other parties, perhaps for the very
good reason that neither Of them is led by one
man. From all / have heard and read, it can
not be truthfully denied that this man is the or
| ganizer and commander of the forces
pushing the candidacy of Thomas Cot
| trell. With the resources at his command,
Mr.. Coy has made himself chairman of the county
committee of his party. With this prestige, he
arrogated to himself the organization of the
nominating convention of that party, and con-
troled its choice.
'This being true, it is pertinent to inquire who
Mr.. Coy is. 1 made this inquiry myself, and was
told that he was the ex-proprietor of one Of the
worst saloons in the city; that he was the patron
of the saloons and gaming -rooms-the man of
| all men in the city to whom saloon
| lists and gamblers look when tax
en- into custody for violating the laws.
To me it is astounding that, in city of the cult
ure and character Of Indianapolis man under
the tutorship and control of this fellow, can
stand even for day as candidate for the honor
| able Office of mayor. know little about prac-
tical politics, and that is the reason, perhaps,
why cannot understand that the Democratic
| party did not put forth better man, despite the
Vaccinations of Coy and his crowd.
But have been told that there are other and
even more practical reasons-though how
there could be cannot understand-why Mr..
Coy's man should be defeated. have been in
formed in some way-read it in the paper or
been told-that the saloons, under the leader
ship of Coy, are supporting Mr.. Cottrell because
of an issue between them and the people on the
question of paying taxes. 1t has been repeated
| ly shown in print that the $50 saloons of Indian
apols put direct expense upon the city Of not
less than $4,000 a year. This does not
take into account the incidental ex-
penses resulting from court costs aris-
| ing from crimes directly traceable
to the traffic l confess that I am not pract-
| cal enough to understand why the saloons
should not be expected to pay every cent of
this But they never have been, and are not
| now.
1.-THE Republicans, canvassing the law, and
unwilling longer to put this extra charge upon
citizens in no way connected with or profting
| by the traffic in intoxicating liquors, found that
| the tax could be increased to 800, or nearly
| double the amount now levied. This would
bring the revenue from saloons up to about
$4,000 which is $4,000 short OF the
account, but as near the law will per-
NIT. Against this very reasonable proposition
the saloon men, headed by Coy, went into re-
| beion, and nominated Thomas Cottrell on a
platform denouncing the movement to compel
| them to pay their taxes, and demanding more
| liberal Interpretation of the law regulating the
traffic.
Here, them we have an issue that has no
more to do with the old party lines than Bob
| Ingersoll has with the Westminster Confession
| of Faith. There may be something partisan
concealed about it somewhere, but if So the
Philosopher fails to see 1t. ! think could
I formulate q creed upon which Republicans,
Democrats, Prohbtionists and Greenbackers
could stand together. 1t would be something
like this:
81 The saloon keepers must pay taxes iast the
same as other citizens, and must pay more than
| they do, because their traffic imposes o great
special expense upon the city
%. Saloon keepers must obey the law like
| other men.
However, now that come to read the plat
form put forth by the Republicans, find 1t al
most exactly the same and / cannot SEQ why