The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-28
j. b. KEALING's SPEECH.
The Park, Garbage and Other Scan
daIs Discussed.


]. B. Healing, when introduced, spoke
as follows:
raigned the present city administration on
a number of matters that are of vital inn
portance to the citizens and taxpayers OF
Indianapolis. Two weeks from tomorrow
the city election will be held and during
a campaign of more than four weeks the
closed Not word has been said in defense
of the grave and serious charges made
against it, 1t is true that the Democrats
about three weeks ago opened their cam
paign in BeattyS beer garden, on Shelby
street, and speeches were made by Mr.
Warrum and Mr. Hoffman Mr. Wafrum,
the apostle of the free-silver wing of the
Democratic party, in flowery speech, ar
raigned the gold wing of the party for its
treachery to the Democratic party in the
last campaign and tried TO convince his
audience, of about seyenty-tive people, that
the success of this ticket would be taken as
an advancement of the free-slver idea ak
over the country and that it would be her
aided as a great free-silver victory. Mr.
Holtzman. the advocate of the gold Demo-
cratic wing, tried to convince his hearers
that they were as good Democrats as the
supporters OF Bryan and begged the silver.
ties during the campaign to not say harsh
things about them. Not a word was said
by either of them in defense Of the ADMIN
istration of Mr.. Taggart and from that day
to this neither Mr.. Taggart nor any one
representing him has answered the charges
made against him by the Republican party.
we have arraigned Mr.. Taggart for his
weak, vacillating and almost criminal
course Win reference TO pubic Inc
administration has spent vast sums OF
money in mapping out a park system It
has borrowed $350,000 and issued bonds
or the city therefor and allowed the pro-
ceeds thereof to lay idle. entailing upon the
city the expense of over $1,000 per year
interest, and the money thus borrowed can
be used for no other purpose than park
purposes. 1t has already paid out on the
park system adopted by Mr.. Taggart's
board nearly $4,000, which can never be re-
covered 1t mas now an office for which
the city must pay rent and has employed
a clerk, Mr.; Spencer at a salary OF 500 a
looking in the books TO find out what the
plan of the park system Is and what the
assessments Of the people will be while the
whole park system IS hung up in midair
bv a silit brought by Mr.. Lieber against
the city for the purpose Of holding IL uD
until after the 18th of October. 1t has pur-
chased real estate at enormous prices in
undesirable places for the benefit of favor
ties. 1t has even gone So far as to take
in the park system the worthless land OF
Mr.; Taggart IN the south part of the city
an appraised value, by Mr. Taggart's as
SCISSORS. of $500 an acre. IT has adopted an
unwarranted, outrageous and oppressive
method of assessment of BENEFITS wherehSy
the rich and the political favorites of this
administration are relieved at the expense
has been so universally condemned BY the
people as to compel the mayor TO suspend
al operations until after the election. when
the burden will again be imposed upon the
taxpayers.
GAS MEASURE sMoTHERED.
We have arraigned Mayor Taggart for his
efforts to smother preliminary legislation on
the gas question until twenty-five months of
his administration had gone by and until
after his denomination. We arraign him
now for the dilatory action of his city attor-
ney for failing to press to a final conclusion
the litigation between the gas company ana
the city. We charge that now the gas com
pany is bending its whole energy for the
election Of Mr.. Taggart because there is I'M
doubtedly an understanding between them.
We have arraigned the present admins
tration for granting a franchise to the pres
ent telephone company providing for a
higher rate OF tolls for service when lower
rates We're offered by competing CONF
pany. a company rs responsible as the Gen.
trail Union Company and composed of some
OF our best and most responsible citizens
who formed company and offered TO fur
nish telephones, for which we are now pay
ing s. per month, for IS per month. and they