The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-04-04
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LOCAL ADMINISTRATION.

LOUAL ADMINISTRATION.
It is not inconsistent with a due respect for
the day that the good citizen should give
thought to good government; and there is no
government so intimately connected with his
interests as local control Immediately over his
pcssessions-his home, property and person
and the persons of his family. These are
points in which he is directly interested, and
from which he cannot escape. He is person
lily involved in and personally responsible for
ais share in the conduct of the affairs of his
immediate neighborhood. A community with
Ugh ideas of official probity and honest adj
.ninistration of public affairs will always en-
Joy the blessings of good government, and the
opposite state of affairs will obtain where pub
lie sentiment does not compel respect for law,
eivil and moral. The people of this city and
township have reason to arouse themselves to
Che necessity of better government. They
have seen, during the past four years, steady
and marked tendency to bad control of the
public business, and affairs are getting worse
They have seen the expense of township bust
ness increase from 81, 900 to more than $780,,
900 year, with every indication that. unless
checked and turned about it will be still fur
corresponding benefits. They have also seen
that plans have been laid whereby the chance
and temptation to official extravaganza shall
be greatly increased. The signs of the times
have very vicious and suspicious appear
ance. 1t is time that reform Of the
most pronounced character be introduced.
1t is an open scandal that the
Office of the township trustee has been so
managed as to turn the patronage all in one
direction with what purpose may be easily
imagined. 1t is public scandal that the bills
rendered have been extravagantly large, and
above what they should have been. It is
matter of record that the running expenses
have been rusned up to total that suggests
that somebody has been growing rich at the
expense of the people. The cost of managing
the affairs of Center township has trebled in
four years. while everybody knows that there
no honest reason for such state of things
he order has gone forth that, instead Of re-
ucing expenses, there must be more money
objected. If this does not mean increased
expenses, it is impossible to give its signif-
cance in accordance with common-sense To-
morrow the people will have an opportunity
TO pass on these things, and it will be their
fault if q change is not had. It is fully with
In the power of the voters of this township to
put an emphatic stop to these extravagances,
and it will be mockery if they do not. It
will be an Endorsement of all that has been
dong, and license to continue it at the pleasure
of those who have profted by it, Just at this
time, with thousands of men striking against
low wages and the burden of expense Of liv-
ing, it is Imperative that money be not wasted
in the management of public affairs To-mor-
row is the day that this question will be passed
on. Day after tomorrow will be too late An
Enforcement of the party responsible for the
extravaganza that has characterized the man.
Rgement of the affairs of this township can
Dnly have one signifcance it will mean
continuance of the schemes for personal en-
Echment at the expense of the people
There is no partisan politics in this It is
simply a question of business The present
trustee is a Democrat, elected in township
that is Republican. He has proved utterly
unfit for the trust imposed in him, and the
suspicion is well grounded, If not well founded,
that things in his Office are grossly crooked.
Even the Sentinel is compelled to admit that
s'Mr. Kitz is under a cloud" Some pets have
rofted inordinately. The people have paid
he bill, but 1t is not to be supposed that they
are to continue the arrangement. The result
# to-morrow's election will determine this
point. If the representative of the man who
has so rapidly piled heavy burden of expense
upon the people is elected it is morally certain
that tho policy of growing rich at the public
expense viii be kept up. The longer such
things are tolerated the harder it will be to
shake them off. Center township has made
some half dozen men rich. These, and twice
Or thrice as many more, will be tempted to