The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-09-16

minority further state in their report
that as to the 100000 deposited In the Meridian
national Bank, they were informed and be-
iieved that this money had been recently Dor
rowed by certain persons from the bank and was
not the property of the State Treasurer at the
time the voucher was exhibited; that this in
formation was reported to the full committee.
but the majority refused to allow anv INQUIRY
into the matter They also state that they had in
formation that $40 900 of the funds of the State
had been deposited in two Indianapolis banks
that had failed, but the majority would allow no
inquiry into the matter The minority OF the
committee say in conclusion:
We regard the present condition of the State rraaa
ury extremely critical it is belief that there
is large deficit therein, although are unable ia
state with certainty the amount owing to the refusal
of the majority to enable to make any inquiry Wo
have grave fears however that it exceeds the entire
penalty of the Treasurers official bond It our clear
conviction that immediate and thorough investiga
ton is imperatively demanded, and earnestly re-
quest the respective houses of the General Assembly
ITO haveit instituted without delay. This do ire
speetiye OF al partisan considerations.
The minority report was promptly laid upon
the table by Democratic votes and the majority
report adopted, which declared that, in view OF
all these facts, no investigation was necessary.
| do DOT believe the honest tax payers of the
State will approve Of these methods of suppress
sion.
If there was force in the suggestion of the last
campaign. that the hooks of the national Treas
ury should be turned over to the Democrats for
inspection we submit that the public interests
will be subserved if the next Legislature is
composed of representatives who will deem it
their duty to ascertain beyond all doubt that the
money taken from the people by taxation is safe
ly and properly cared for, and that such amend
meDfs shall be made to existing law as win Sc
cure frequent, careful and impartial inquiry as
to the safety and use of the public funds.
LABOR QUESTION.
believe that a large majority of our people
not themselves wage workers-svmpathize with
hal al IN az
to make the burdens of labor lighter and its re-
wards more adequate. These added TO the vast
army of wage workers, can and will brinf. on in
orderly procession those well-digested reforms
which experience and study have suggested and
will yet suggest. A contented and thrifty work
ing class is the surest evidence of national
health, and the best pledge of public security.
The men who fought the war for the Union were
its working people. It was true OF the army as
of the kingdom of heaven--not many rich.
The reforms suggested have relation, first, to
the health and comfort of the workman. be-
lieve the law should vigorously. and under severe
penalties, compel all employers of labor to re-
duce the risk to health and limb to the lowest
practicable limit Overcrowding ill-ventilation,
unhealthful surroundings should be made unlaw-
full and Improbable. The life of man or woman
ought not to be woven into fabric. Every ap-
pliance for safety should be exacted I
believe that the wages of the laborer should
be given such preference as will secure
him against loss As long ago as 1878, in pub
lie speech, l said upon this subject: "If any
railroad or other business enterprise cannot earn
enough to pay the labor that operates it and the
interest on its bonds, no rlght-minded man can
hesitate to say which ought to be paid first
The men who have invested money In the
enterprise or loaned money on its securities
ought to have the right to stop the business
when net earnings fail, but they cannot fairly
appropriate the earnings of the engineer, or
brakeman or laborer. / believe the law should
require the prompt payment of wages in money.
Il halt Oh
in most of our industries be reduced without
serious loss to production and with great gain to
the health, comfort and conten TIM of our work
ing classes. l advocated and voted for the law of
Congress prohibiting the importation of labor
ers under contracts made abroad, and believe
that such legislation is just and wise. But |
cannot extend this discussion further. The
recent State platform of our party, in its decla-
rations upon this subject, meets my entire ap-
prevail The labor reform needs only to
trust to reason and fair argument to
secure success. It's two worst enc
mics are anarchy and the demagogue. If
it escapes these it will succeed. The masses of
our people are disposed to be kind just and lib
eral-hospita BILE to reason and reform. But the
majority in favor Of law and public order is
overwhelming. Nothing can succeed upon the
line of lawlessness. 1t is the most hopeful sign
that attends this great movement that the great
body of its promoters have not failed to see this
truth, and have united with their fellow citizens
in denouncng the fierce and destructive doctrines
of the Anarchist and his bloody work.
PENSION vEToEs.
Mr.. Cleveland has won great eminence-I will
not say fame-by his extraordinary exercise of
the veto power. He has vetoed more bills than
all Of his predecessors, from Washington down.
l must defer to another time discussion of this
feature of his administration. But as we have
been challenged to examine his vetoes of private
pension bills. will refer to one
SSallie Ann Bradley was the widow of Thomaa
j. Bradley VINO served as a private in Company
ID, Twenty-fourth regiment Ohio Volunteers,
from June Ii, 1851 to Oct 8, 1865. He was
pensioned on account of shell wound in the
back, received at Murfreesboro, Tenn, Jan. 3.
1862, and died Oct. 81, 1882 The Commissioner
of Pensions decided that his death was not en-
tirely attributable to his military service.
and that his widow could not Sc
cure pension under existing law
She was seventy years of age, as helpless as an
infant without means of support, or friends
able to assist her. Four of her sons followed
their father to the war Two of them were
killed upon the battlefield, and the other two
returned, one with the loss of an eve the other
of an arm. The bill gave her widows pension.
$l2 month. In his veto of this bill Mr.. Oleve-
land ls,S;o SAID No cause is given of the
claimed that it resulted from his
military service, her pension being asked for en-
tirely because of her needs and the faithful
service OF her husband and her sons This pre-
sents the question whether gift, in such cases,
is proper disposition of money appropriated
for the purpose of paying pensions. The passage
OF this law would. in my opinion, establish
precedent so far-reaching, and open the door to
such vast multitude of claims not On principle
within our present pension laws, that am con-
strained to disapprove the blll under considera-
tom
Does this case need any COMMENT Would
, the question have been raised in any other mind
whether, what the President is pleased TO call
gift, was proper in such case2 gift of Sl2
per month, and in exchange for WHAT What
gift had she made to her country? Two sons
that she had nourished at her breast iying In
nnknown graves upon distant battle fields.
Two more, her only ones. came
back from the war manned in limb and crippled
in their ability to maintain the mother that bore
them. A husband upon whom she had leaned
for support returned to her no longer the stall