The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-11
THE WORK OF THE LEcIsLATuRE.

AAsN w UNI VT AEs
When the work of the Legislature
which adjourns to-day shall be laid be-
fore the people 1t must be the Judgment
of candid and reasonable men that it
has made good the pledges which the
majority party made to the people and
is entitled to the good will of the party
which elected it. In the first place, it
has been an economical Legislature. 1t
began by rejecting two or three little
jobs in the interest of members, and it
has fixed by statute the number and
compensation of the employees of the
Legislature. and fixed them with an ex-
penditure less than that of the two
previous bodies. 1t has made a legis-
lative apportionment which will insure
a majority in the House to a party car
rying the State by 1000 votes. 1t has
made an equally fair congressional APP
portionment 1t has kept the party
pledge in regard to placing the benevo-
lent institutions upon a nonpartisan
basis by passing law which, while 1t
maintains the Republican position that
appointments shall be made by the
Governor, requires that more than one
party shall be represented upon the
boards, and that no subordinate shall
be appointed or removed because of po-
litical affiliations. 1t is the first law
ever enacted by an Indiana Legislature
requiring that merit shall be the only
test for employment in the benevolent
institutions. different course has been
pursued in regard to the two prisons, to
which most Republicans assent, to the
end that the power of appointment may
be judicially determined. 1t has passed
bill which would restore self-goyern-
ment to cities which are now deprived
of the control of their police because the
power to appoint police commissioners
has been conferred upon the Governor
That it is not law is due to the veto
of the Governor. 1t has passed salary
act in accordance with past party
pledges 1t has passed. an act which
makes the plundering of the school tut
ton fund by Green Smiths impossible,
and at the same time corrects the evil
of the retention of school moneys by
township trustees. Tt has placed upon
the statute book several laws designed
to insure a stricter accountability of
local officers and to curtail the evil of
GAOI ClaISCS ny c1hSioi,- fti
short all of the acts of the Legislature
touching public administration in State,
county and municipality have been to
secure better and more economical
methods.
The general appropriation bill proves
by comparison with its predecessors
that the party pledges to observe an
intelligent economy have been faith
fully observed. Even including the APP
preparations for the State soldiers
home. to reimburse the Governor for
the strike expenditures and the Chicka-
manga monuments-all of which need no
party .defense-those of this Legislature
are thousands less than those of the
two preceding legislatures. The higher
institutions of learning. which have al
ways been aided by the State, are placed
upon a positive basis, which is more
economical and every way better.
Much attention has been given to tenn
perance legislation AS the result an
act has been passed which received on
its final passage more than two-thirds
of the votes OF both parties, and conse-
auently is in no sense political meas
ure. 1t was passed in obedience to what,
at least, has appeared to be an over
whelming popular desire, though many
Republicans doubt its wisdom while
admitting the popular sentiment lin it's
favor.
1t has been a clean-handed Legisla-
ture The Roby lobby. which was to
purchase immunity by bribery, did not
materia1ize because the managers ascer-
tanned that money could not influence.
The much proclaimed county officers
ring, which was to purchase a fee bill,
did nothing that was not legitimate,
acknowledging that it was not a Legis-
lature to be manipulated. All the chat
ter about noneyed building and loan
association corruption fund is refuted by
the facts and ridiculed by the Senators
leading the side in favor of the proposed
bill.
While there are several topics upon
which legislation may have been de-
sirable, failure has not been due to in
disposition, but to lack of time. Far
better that a few desirable measures
should fail than that the record should
be smirched by few indefensible acts.
Because the record is as it is the Jour-
nal, which has often criticised, believes
that the Republican Legislature has a
right to claim the respect of the party
which elected the majority of it and of
intelligent people generally.