The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-01-28
Governor Matthews Tells of the His-
tory of the Bicycle Contract mt
Michigan City.
A PRISON SOUTH STORY
CONTRACTORS RECENTLY OWED
THE STATE $4,000 FOR LABOR.
The Governors Idea of Nonpartisan
BOards-BuiIding and Loan As
ISOLATION Legislation.

Friday to inspect the affairs of the north
ern prison, returned to the city yesterday
afternoon. Several members of the two
committees went to Chicago. and will not
return to indianapolis until this morning.
The members who returned to the city yes
terday afternoon did not give out a vast
amount of information, and it did not APP
pear that there was much to give. The
committee made a cursory examination of
the books, looked through the contracts and
looked about the prisons. On the face of
things there was nothing to which the COM
ulittee could take serious exception but
there were no charges of defalcation nor of
malfeasance and the investigation was not
as searching nor conducted as much in de-
tail would have been the case if the COM
mittee had been trying to unearth a scan
dial or probe alleged crookedness. The BIZ
cycle factory in which number of Demo-
cratic State officers said to be inter-
ested was an object of special interest,
and some sharp questions were put to
Warden French, but with the effect to dis
close little that has not been hitherto pub
lished.
Walter j. Ball, of Lafayette, is manager
of the business, while William c. Smith,
formerly OF the Goshen bicycle works, has
charge of the factory. The other men in
terested in the enterprise, it was stated,
are Capt. d. f. Allen, of Frankfort, who
is member of the State Tax Board; D. J.
Coulter, of Frankfort, and ex-State Senator
M. F. Hutchinson Of Michigan City. War
den French stated that he had not cent
invested in the industry, either directly or
indirectly; that the contracting of labor to
the company was purely in the line of
his duties as warden, and that the price
paid for labor was up to the scale that was
paid by any other company that
ploying convict labor AS yet the bicycle
company has not made much of showing.
The building is up and a few machines
have been turned out, but the factory is still
incomplete, and more men are engaged in
putting in machinery than are employed in
making bicycles. It will be two months
yet before the factory is running anything
like full force, and when complete 1t is
stated that the factory will not employ
over $50 men. The managers declare that
it is their purpose to keep prices up to the
present schedule, unless the Legislature
compels them to brand their product
prison made, in which event it is presumed
they will have to undersell the free labor
product in order to find market.
The committee discovered that at Mich
igan City there is tremendous interest in
the question whether the management of
Warden French, or whether there is to be
a change. Senator Crumpacker. the pres
ent Republican Senator from LaPorte
county, In which the prison is located. is a
candidate for warden to succeed French.
The politicians Of the county have taken
sides for one man or the other, and feeling
what strange as it may appear, the d.
vision is not on party lines. Crun1packer
has the Sf Krugsr ex
among the Republicans. The Opposition Of
he Was Vas a candidate for Mayor last spring
French and the prison gang assisted IN
aoM ae ana cap 6 his
position to Crumpacker within his own
party lines is formidable: Many Republic
management OF the prison is source of
weakness to the party that has. it, and If
a warden shall be chosen from outside Of
LaPOrte county
Senator Crumpacker has candidate for
who will be down to Indianapolis within
the next few days to lay few wires in the
Shut will have the active support of Harry
Tuthill and other prominent leaders of the
defeat him composed of Mayor VanDusen,
Mr.. Villas, banker, and others. Senator
Crumpacker will have opposition, even
Inent of the prison out Of its present hands.
Hon. Aaron Jones, of South Bend, who was
d
the last Republican State convention, has
announced himself as a candidate, and Ii
is understood that If it is decided to make
a change IN the management. Hon. Charles
Harley, of Delphi, member of the Republic
an State committee for the Tenth district,
will ask for consideration of his claims.
Whether there is to be change, of course,
depends on what the Legislature does with
take r o Se Of the
or at least modify it, there can be no
change.
day gave 1t out that 1t would present no
report of its findings or declare its policy
until 1t has paid trip to the southern
prison, at Jeffersonville. which will prob
ably be made next week.
The chief subject for discussion that will
come before the joint Republican caucus
called for next Tuesday evening will be
the appointing power Republicans do not
hesitate to admit that the problem is a
troublesome one. 1t is perfectly plain that
unless the present method of giving the
the appointments is at least modified the
party can make no progress toward placing
the institutions of the State on nonpar-
this pledge. Numbered from the stump, and
adopted for dozen years. the point is
made that the party cannot, with good
grace, go before the people again and ask
for their support upon the promise that if
| they are given authority they will reform
| the State institutions. There is consld-
cradle element that favors the taking of
| the appointing power out of the hands of
| the Governor, or at least modifying it by
the creation of appointing board. to
| consist of the Governor, Secretary of State
| and Auditor of State. This plan is en-
| bodied in the bill that was introduced in
| the House last Friday by Representative
| Hamrich, of Hendricks county. and this
| bin will be made the subject of chief con-
| sldera ton at the Tuesday night caucus.
] The bill will be warmly opposed by those
| who insist that the party shall maintain
| consistency in the attitude it has taken
| with reference to the lodging of the APP
| pointing power with the Governor and some
| members are so determined in this view
| that they declare they will not abide by
| the action of the caucus il Ii is determined
/ to strip the Governor of the authority TO
| make the appointments.