The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-11-01
THINK ABOUT 1T.


ington Post informs it's readers that the
election was "a general uprising against
dishonorable administration of the city's
affairs and the Burlington Hawkeye
points with pride to the fact that 1.-The
dishonest administrators were all demo-
Gratis" To every one who lives in Indi-
annapolis the absurdity of such state
ments is apparent There is not a sensi-
bic man in the city who does not know
that Mr.. Sullivan's administration was in
fact the first honest one that we have
had for years. No one questions it.
The local papers that DETAINED him
most maliciously have conceded his
honesty and good purpose since the
election. Moreover, under our new
charter the municipal boards were non
partisan-each had a republican repre-
sentative. The police and fire depart
ments were divided as nearly evenly as
possible between the two parties. The
only complaint made of the political
character of these republicans was that
they supported the municipal admins
tration of which they were a part. The
process by which the Post arrives at
its conclusion is peculiar. 1t says:
It was shown by the Journal that the
democratic organization had been cap
tured by set of men who were prosti-
tuting the city's welfare to further their
personal ends, and the only means the
democratic voters had was to join with
the republicans I'm wiping out the objec-
tionable administration This was done
and after the election the Journal ac-
knowledged their services of the demo-
Gratis who deserted the party ticket and
admonished the new republican officials
that in the future they might look for
considerable non-partisan voting i'm In
dianapoliS. When such a stanch repub-
hcan newspaper as the Indianapolis
Journal can lay aside political feeling in
order to secure municipal reform there
are excellent reasons for believing that
in the future IL will not be so difficult
to secure more wholesome local govern
ment.
This is extraordinary. The Journal is
a republican paper. 1t supported the
republican ticket, without regard to
race. color. or previous condition OF
servitude 1t is we'll known that the
Journal was opposed to the nomination
of the republican candidate on account
of his bad record. and did what it could
to prevent the nomination of the demo-
cratic candidate on account Of his good
record. If there was any laying aside
Of feeling the Journal laid aside its de-
sire for the welfare of the city in order
to secure a political victory. The ques-
ton which now confronts the repub-
lican party is whether the new admins
tration can be held up to the level Of
the past one. We say this with no i'll
will to Mr.. Denny. He has given some
his past record. But the fact is ap-
parent to every one that it will take
hard and careful work to keep his record
up to that of Mr.. Sullivan.
Will he do it? Can he do it? Already
there is a strong pressure put upon him
to abandon street Improvements by in
fiuential republicans. VIII it succeed 9?
Has he nerve enough to do what is for
the welfare Of the city without regard
to the effect on the men OF Influence"
in his party? Mr.. Sullivan and his
board had the requisite nerve, and we
believe it the chief cause Of the defeat
of the party. But 1t was right. Have
Mr.. Denny and his board equal courage?
Look at the issues. The republican
Oh, r.,
failure to put curb and sidewalk in
front of the Big Four depot. The new
board can have one put there If it de-
sires. but II will not, and no republican
paper will say a word about it. They
raised great outcry about the enforce
ment Of the gambling and liquor laws.
The new mayor gave orders for their
enforcement, but they are not enforced
and will not be. and no republican paper
will say anything about it except to
pretend that they are.
They clamored about municipal ex-
travagance, and yet we now have the
new administration insisting that It
cannot get along on the revenues which
were sufficient for the old one. We have
talk about cutting down expenses ana
decreasing-oh, no, not decreasing, but
increasing taxes. The former admins
tration "lived from hand to mouth" you
know. and the new one cannot be ex-
pected to do that. They maintained
that the street car issue amounted to
nothing. and yet Immediately after the
election the Citizens street car company
files an amended answer in the case OF
the city against It, i'm which It claims
everything forever. They claimed there
was nothing I'm the street Improvement
issue. and yet the result OF the repub-
lican campaign as conducted from house
TO house Is a widespread distrust OF
one OF the best boards of public works
that any city ever had. and an oppo-
sition TO street Improvements that will
be very hard to overcome There are
hundreds Of men who have been led to
believe that there is not a foot of Trini-
did asphalt pavement in this city, and
yet during Mr.. Sullivan's term there
was not foot laid that was not genuine
Trinidad asphalt There are hundreds
who believe that there is steal" in
the asphalt paving. and yet we get II as
cheap as any city in the country. ana