The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-03-04
WEDNESDAY. MARCH 4. 1891.
TWELVE PAGES.
Reform In the Benevolent Institu.
fiOue

lions.
The editor of THE SENTINEL has re-
.ceiyed congratulations, both in person and
by letter, from many leading democrats of
Indiana upon the article published in last
weeks issue regarding the defeat of
the Magee bill in the senate. Among the
letters received is one from prominent
democrat of Frankfort-a man who has
always been active in the service of his
party, spending his time and money freely
in its behalf. This letter was not intended
for publication, but we take the liberty of
printing the man portions OF 1t:
want to take YOU by both hands as an
expression OF the cordiality with which l
Endorsed your editorial expressions in to-
days SENTINEL, especially on the Magee
bill Your advice to the legislature has
been timely, and had 1t been followed
would have saved the democratic party
the chagrin and Humiliation OF future ex-
plantations and apologies. Can't some
thing be done to have the Magee bill re-
considered? For the good If the party,
for the good of the state, let something be
done next week by the legislature 10 save
it from shame. don't deal in fiattery,
but mean ali / say when | write that you
have proven youTse a patriot, and there
fore, in the broadcast sense, a good demo-
crat by your courageous course in TIE
SENTINEL l may not have approved of
all your editorial sentiments, but you
have proven my ideal of what a file leader
in the democratic party should be. A good
many members OF the legislature act as
though they thought the people did not
read and tHinE. IN this they deceive them
selves. This Is progressive age, and If
the democratic party expects TO absorb
the votes OF the young men OF push, 1t must
in action as wei as name be democratic.
The curse OF the party has always been its
political barnacies. We must cleanse the
hui, Of our gallant old vessel of them, else
we SURELY will be dstanced IN the race for
popular favor. The actions OF our legisla.
tGre may have potent effect on the
national campaign of %, and it is exas
perating in the extreme that it should
thus put in jeopardy the democratic party
of the whole country. Commencing you
again for your courage, as we'll as your
sound Judgment, remain yours sincerely.
Another Indiana democrat of eminence
"a man who has voted the democratic
ticket and worked for the democratic
party more than fifty years-writes
The SENTINEL lamenting the defeat of
the Mage bill. He declares that a con-
tinuance of the existing system, with all
of its evils and abuses, Fought to be
enough to bring down the vengeance of
GoD upon the state and people who SUI
fer it." He adds that if this legislature
"does not DO something in the line of the
Magee bill it must not claim to be hon.
est in lis professions of reform" He con-
tinues:
Merely pretending to do great reform
work by cutting down the salaries of pub
lie officers viii not satisfy the demands Of
humanity and Christian charity. The
SENTINEL has shown its willingness to do
q good work in this direction heretofore,
and / hope it will not quit now.
Our venerable democratic friend need
have no apprehensions on this score.
The SENTINEL is not gutter. 1t is not
''built that way" One swallow does not
make summer, and the defeat of the
Magee bill is merely an incident in the
struggle for reform in the benevolent in
situations. We believe, as we have fire.
ouently said, that these institutions, with
one exception, are today as well man
aged as it is possible for them to be un-
der the existing system. Whatever
abuses exist in them are the fault of the
system and not of the men who are in
charge of the institutions. That system
will have to go sooner or later. The re-
form contemplated by the Magee bill has
been postponed it has not been defeated.
1t has been established in all the eastern
and middle states and in several of the
western states. Two years hence it will
be introduced in Indiana, and by the
democratic party-the only party which
has ever given the people OF this state any
valuable reform in legislation or admin
istration.