The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-11-20

hibit, not protect this. Some people believe that
its fruits are so unmixed an evil that the entire
power or the State should be directed to it's sup
preston. at least far as to prohibit tippling
houses, instead of taxing them and letting them
live.
should dissent from Mr. Conner's method of
reaching the extinction" of this awful evil, :"
but 1T is not the wisest thing in this emergency
to Sickle about measures. The traffic has as
sumed an attitude of defiance and arrogance that
appeals TO every good man to do something We
propose to take Vicksburg if it takes thousand
years; IL may be by assault, or it may be by ap-
proacnes, but we will take Vicksburg. / have
my personal views as to the best step to take,
but am wiling to hold them subject to emery
encleS as the emergencies arise. l am for doing
the best we can from day to day. Certainly
there is demand for every man who hates the
tipping hoese, and the control that it has of our
politics and politicians, to unite but we will
never unite on high license and local option, if
their advocates insist that or nothing. 1t
may come through these, but it must come by
all men holding their special crotchets in abey-
ance, ana making common cause against a
common enemy. T. A. GOODWIN.
Mr.. Edgerton and the TT. Wayne School Fund.
To the Editor of the Indianapolis Journal:
Mr. A P. Edgerton, recently appointed
United States Civil service Commissioner, has
returned to this city and given out for publica-
ton that ne does not intend to resign his posi-
ton as member Of our local school board
Allow me to lay before the people of
Indiana and the country at large a
few facts which may serve to explain
why person, occupying Mr. Edgertons
peculiar position. and filing an office the duties
of which are so entirely sui generis, should place
himself IN the light of holding onto petty,
provincial office, with salary of but $3.50 per
year attached thereto
There IS now in the hands of the. school trus-
tees OF this city an unexpended balance
likely to be reduced, but is rapidly
increasing, being available, under the law, only
for tuition purposes. 1t is on deposit, without
interest. so far can be ascertaned, in one of
our city banks. The vice president of the bank
is treasurer and one of the three members of the
school board. He is also one of the largest
stockholders of the bank. Mr. Edgerton q sec
ond member of the board is also largely inter
ested ID, md maintains the closest and most con-
tldentlal relations with the same bank. Should
Mr. Edgerton resign from the school board a
successor would have to be elected This sue
cessor mlght possibly not be in favor of making
our public schools play second fiddle to the in
terests of the bank, and the deposits might
either be split, or carried to some other institu-
ton.
Here then, you have the milk in the cocoanut
Mr.. Edgerton and the bank not being confident
as to what might be the result of an election,
propose to make sure of good thing by holding
on to it while they have it.
need not comment on the above. People
will naturally ask whether, like charity, civil
service reform ought not to begin at home. am
not disposed to believe that Mr.. Edgerton has
so keen an eye to 1.-The main chance as to hold
on to this Office for the sake of the salary.
Neither do | believe that he is led not to resign
it out of any consideration for the good of the
schools or the will of the people. 1t is absurd to
hal ha hal bo do f,,ll
the schools of Fort Wayne and reside in the city
of Washington. l cannot believe that he prop
erly appreciates the delicate and peculiar duties
of his new position else he would see the utter
inconsistency of serving as tool for private
interests While acting, at the same time, as the
high apostle of reform.
SAMUEL M. FOSTER
Fort WAYNE. Ind. Nov l6