The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-22

The present city charter was adopted as
a reform measure, and such it is. One Of
its fundamental principles is the entire sep
ar&tion of executive, legislative and judicial
functions Further by concentrating all
executive power and responsibility in the
mayor it sought to increase the dignity Of
the Office and make it's duties so important
that they would require for their proper
performance the entire time and undivided
attention Of the person holding the office.
In pursuance of these ideas the duties of
police Judge were separated from those Of
the mayor, the new Office of police judge
was created with salary of $1,000 year,
and the salary of the mayor was continued
at $4,000, Notwithstanding the fact that his
official duties had been materially lightened
by cutting off those of police judge Before
the adoption of the charter Mayor Denny,
during two terms, and Mayors McMaster.
Grubbs Mitchell and Caven, all able men,
performed all the duties that Mayor Tag
CART now performs and those of police
judge besides for $4,000 year the same
that Mayor Taggart receives. 1t will not
be denied that every one of the persons
named was at least fully equal in ability
to Mayor Taggart, and quite as good
business man with the additional qualifca-
ton of being a lawyer. Under the old re-
gime Mr. Taggart never would have been
thought of for mayor because, owing to the
fact that the mayor had to perform the
duties Of police judge, it was almost essen
tial that he should be a lawyer. But a
trained lawyer is always a good business
man. and all of those above named ranked
high in this regard. The duties which they
discharged during a long term Of years for
$4,000 a year now cost the city $1,000 a year,
viz: $4,000 for mayor and $1,000 for police
judge and there was not one of the mayors
above named who did not give more time
to city affairs and interests than Mayor
Taggart does. The separation of the duties
of police judge from the mayors ONCE was
a good thing, provided its purpose had been
accomplished, viz, that of securing for the
city the undivided time and attention of
the mayor. That this object has conspic-
uously failed of accomplishment during
Mayor Taggart's term none will deny. Be
fore he was nominated he pretended not
to desire the nomination and repeatedly de-
clared that he could not afford to sacrifice
his private interests by accepting the office.
He knew then, as everybody else dld ana
does now, that to discharge the duties or
the office properly would require the whole
time and attention of the person holding
it. and that the charter contemplated moth
ing less. Yet he accepted the office with
the same salary attached that had been
paid during a long term of years to mayors
who gave their whole time to the city and
performed besides judicial duties which he
is incapable of performing. with no inten-
ton of giving his whole time and attention
to CITY affairs Everybody knows that he
has not done So Everybody knows that
he has other large business interests, when
have not been neglected. If he had part
ner to whom he could have turned over the
control of these interests for the time being,
the case would have been different. He has
not done that and he has not neglected his
nrivate business The sum of the whole
matter is that he has been very eXpen-
sive MAYOR in the double sense of receiv-
ing the same salary for less work than his
predecessors performed and of giving only
part of his time to the citys business in
stead of the whole, as they did. The city's
business is varied and important enough to
demand the undivided attention of the may
or. 1t should not be required to divide time
with any other business whatever. Mr..
Taggart comes altogether too high.