The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-05-09


1t is somewhat remarkable that Indi-
ana, always a distinctively agricultural
State. SHOULD have had so few farmer
Governors. The State was admitted TO
the Union in 1916 and has had twenty
three Governors. Some Of these, before
the adoption Of the present Constitution,
served two successive terms and some
were elected Lieutenant Governor and
became Governor through the death of
the chief executive. OF the entire num-
Der. from Governor Jennings in 1916 to
Claude Matthews in 1894 only two were
farmers, namely, Governor James D..
Williams. from 1877 to 1880, and the pres
ent incumbent. Nineteen were<lawyers.
There is no good reason for this dispro~
portion. 1t is true the Governor has to
deal more or less with legal questions,
but If he needs advice or information the
Attorney-general is always within call.
1t is not at all essential Inat the Gov
ernor should be a member of the legal
profession. 1t is probable the great pre-
dominance of lawyer Governors has been
due to the fact that from early times
oratorical ability has been regarded as
a valuable qualification for a candidate.
and lawyers are apt to be good speak
ers. But oratorical ability is not always
accompanied by executive ability. In
fact, most popular speakers are some
times conspicuously lacking in this quail
ity.
When Governor Williams died Senator
Voorhees, in an obituary address said:
From the days of Cincinnatus to the pres
emit time, men seeking popular favor have
been paraded and eulogized as farmers VINO
could not tell a field or wheat from he'd
of oats, but the farmer in whose memory
we are here to-day drove his team and
held the pow; planted the corn, attended its
small grain and reaped his harvests; raised
horses, cattle, sheep and hogs, and fed them
With his own hands.
That was true of Governor Williams.
1t could not have been said Of one Gov
ernor of Indiana who posed somewhat
rs a patron Of agriculture, and who,
when asked what variety of ram he
thought best for laying the foundation
of flock Of sheep. said he preferred the
hydraulic ram. Cover nor Matthews
knows great deal more about farming
than that. though 1t is doubtful If ne
could ever have acquired his broad acres
by his own unaided efforts and knowl-
edge of practical husbahdry. Governor
Williams was essentially farmer and a
good one. of the old school. a good
enough school in it's day, but very unpro-
gressive. 1t would scarcely be doing
Governor Matthews injustice to say that
James d. Williams was the only real
farmer Governor Indiana ever had.
Governor Matthews has raised some fine
stock, but the Journal has never heard
that he raised any blisters.
The next election will give the people
an opportunity to reduce the dispropor-
ton between lawyer and farmer Gov
errors by electing a man who has been
| a practical farmer all his life,. except
during the few years he was in the ar
| my, who is in touch with the progress
| sive thought of the day, and who can
hold his own in a political discussion
with the best trained professional
speakers. In addition to these recon-
| mendations, Hon. James A. Mount pos
sesses the supreme one of being a life
| long member Of the party which the
people recognize as the true exponent of
American ideas and which they have evil
IDENTIFY determined to place in charge of
the national government. Indiana
should fall into line