The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-01-28

COnbIuef1ng
owners of small properties. often after the cost
and per cent. of tax sales. Let us freely discuss
viaducts, and elevated railroads and all that,
but let us allow them to wait until our rolling
mills. and factories and shops begin to sing their
old songs. q. L. SEE.
Red "Reform" Administration.
TO the Editor of the indianapolis Journal:
desire to say word in behalf of Mr.. Cleve-
lands administration. Within the last few days
nave been panied and shocked at the remorseless
clarnor that has been raised by the Republican
newspapers all over the country in consequence
of the appointment of Barney Conroy to an i'm
portant and valuable position in the mail service.
Tie editors of these papers seem to forget that
this is areform Observation-Disclosures was elected
to be reform administration-tha the battle
cry-the very shibboleth-in the last presidential
campaign was reform" with Dig "R."
True, in certain quarters, and by certain lead
ing politicians, that term was slyly explained to
mean reforming Republicans out of Office and
Democrats in. But Mr.. Clevelands views were
much broader. His understanding of what was
meant was the reformation of Individual Demo
Gratis who had lapsed from the paths of recti-
tude even to the extent of having been required
to perform penal service for the State in its peni
tcuIidrkcS III consequence Oh Ln0lr disregard or
its criminal laws, by taking such persons by the
hand, according to the idea expressed by his
Postmaster-general in his letter to Mr. Swift,
and placing them in fat Offices, and thus gently
and kindly lead them to amend their ways.
Nor was this idea of Mr. Cleveland without
reason. During the last presidential campaign
these same newspapers had aired certain 'irreg-
ularties" in the private life of Mr. Cleveland
himself in regard TO which the chairman of the
Democratic central committee of Indiana
dropped into poetry" anc produced that sub
lime poetcal effusion beginning
"Hurra for Maria hurra for the hd!'
(which seems now by the way, to have become
stumbling block in the way of his obtaining
recognition at the hands of this administration,
in the shape of an appointment to an Office which
he very much desires.
Yet, Notwithstanding all this, did not the coun-
try take Mr.. Cleveland by the hand" in the
graphic language Of Mr.. Villas. and bestow upon
him the very highest Office within its gift to aid
him in the work of personal reformation9
"a fellow feeling makes him wondrous kind"
and when he sees a man whose moral instincts
are so low. and whose moral nature is 30 utterly
degraded and depraved that be does not refrain
from robbing his neighbours henroost or burg
larously entering his neighbours house, and who
has been SO unfortunate as not to have been able
to escape punishment by means of all the techni
calities and bubbles that the law provides and
courts and iuries enforce, what more natural or
logical thing for Mr.. Cleveland to do, especially
IL that man votes the Democratic ticket, as most
of that class do, than to 'take him by the hand ("
as the Nation did Mr.. Cleveland. place him in a
good, fat Office, and thus help him to reform9
Certainly no citizen of Indiana ought to COM
plain, for is not our entire penal code based ON
the principle of reform? Does not our Constitu-
ton, in its 18th section of its Bill of Rights say
1.-THE penal code shall be founded on the princi-
Piles of reformation Why, then, keep up this
clamor about the appointment of the numerous
ly convicted Barney Conroy. or our bribing ex-
councilman, and all that classs What, though
Barney Conroy, who served his country under
compusion in the interest of his own reforma
ton. crowds out soldier who served it volun-
tarily, solely to save his country's life at the
peril Of his own? That soldier needs no reforma-
ton. He is moral and upright now and always
has been. He never stole horse, or picked a
pocket. Turn him out and let him root hog or
| de-" and make room for a man who needs re-
| forming. Let US have done with this Repub-
| lican clamor about the appointment of ex-con-
| victs to valuable and responsible positions.
| venture single suggestion for the benefit of
| this reform" administration. In addition to
| the Recommendation of such congressman as Mr.
| Bynum, when any applicant is presented for ap-
| pointment, the President and Cabinet should
make particular inquiry to ascertain whether he
has been through any of the penal institutions
of the country. and hence whether he is fit
subject to be taken by the hand by this ad-
minstration, and given one Of the important
Offices at its disposal, to aid him in his personal
X.
INDIANAPOLIS, Jan. q.
| Shall the Women of Indianapolis Aid in
Building tho New Y. M. G. A. Hall?
| To the Editor of the indianapolis Journal:
| No appeal that has come before the public OF
this city for years has such force to touch the
hearts Of the women Of this city, young and old.
as the one now being made by the Y. NJ. c. A.
for suitable building in which to entertain our
young men. The sum now asked for $35, 900,
will surely not be sufficient to it up such II place
with all the attractions that such a building
should possess in order that may compete sue
cessfully with the glded palaces of sin, where SO
many of our sons and brothers arc
| tempted to their ruin. Let the
women of indianapolis value its $1,000
| young men at one dollar apiece, and pay that
| sum in addition to the other $50, 900 now asked
| for, and it will give our young men at least a
| respectable place in which to congregate. Let
| books be opened somewhere, either at the w. G..
| L. u. parlor, or at the journal Office or some
as she goes down town to market or shopping,
stop, write her name and the amount of her sub
| scription, such subscriptions ranging from %
| cents up. as she can afford it. OF some it will
require sacrifice on their part, but have not for
/ gotten how; when boys were enlisted, we
women sometimes equipped and uniformed whole
| companies by making sacrifices of unneces-
sary articles Then, young girls, by
| going bare-handed. gave generous contributions
| to such funds in the form of what they called
| "glove money" Where is the brave young girl
who viii start the fashion of going bare handed
to receptions and other social gatherings. that
| she may make donation to the Y. NJ G. A.
building, and in this way show appreciation of
| the many sacrifices made by our young men for
/ the qualification of her pleasure. Do not the
girls know that one finger of those bare hands
will possess more potent influence over many q