The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-29
A Low CONCEPTION OF PUBLIC
DUTY.

The removal of Dr. Ferguson from the SUI
perintendency of the City Hospital does not
surprise those who ere familiar with Mayor
raggarts political methods. but it must be
a disagreeable revelation to those who have
imagined that he had some political con-
science. TO fairly estimate the moral quail
ity of the act let us review little.
One of the strongest arguments in favor
of the present city charter was that it
would tend to remove the city government
from party and personal politics and place
it on a business basis. That is the spirit of
the charter from beginning to end. The
same object was sought to be further pro-
NOTED by fixing the date of the city cleo
ton at a time when no other election is
held and when municipal interests could be
considered apart from all others. This is a
growing demand of the times-the entire
enforcement of municipal elections and
municipal interests from national, and their
settlement on strictly local lines. The i'm
portance of the movement was recognized
in our last city campaign, which was made
almost wholly on business lines. Mr.. Tag
CARTS supporters studiously avoided all
reference to mis- record on the money ques-
ton and pointed with pride to his ''busi-
ness administration" This was the Repub-
lican line of attack and the Democratic line
of defense Mr.. Taggart's alleged business
administration was very much in evil
dence and it was promised that if
elected his second administration would be
better than his first-more businesslike,
more conservative of the public interests
and better in every respect. Largely on the
strength of these promises and assurances
he was reelected, receiving the votes of
many Republicans who, by some sort of
mental and moral hocus-pocus, brought
themselves to believe that he was a disin-
terested patriot in politics, and that the
chief aim of his life was to administer the
city government in the spirit of the char
ter, and, above all things to give the peo-
pie a business administration.
The time seems appropriate to ask these
people how they like the evidences Mr.. Tag
CART is giving of his sympathy with the
spirit of the city charter his. single-hearted
devotion to the public interests and his firm
determination to give business administra-
IlOu. Inc JOuILdl tSuLuASo tllS doSNAl Ot
that in every appointment Mr.. Taggart has
made since his reelection he has placed
party politics and his own personal inter
ests above public interests. We defy any
person to point to a single case where merit
and fitness alone have been made the rea-
son for the retention or appointment of any
person. He is giving new definition of
business administration. In managing the
affairs of other great corporations merit
and fitness are the only test of retention in
office Mr.. Taggart makes Taggartism and
free-silverism the test. A fellow like Bill
Flynn, a saloon keeper and brawler, is APP
pointed to snecure at $500 a year, be-
cause he was a noisy shouter for Taggart
during the campaign while a competent
and experienced official like DR.. Ferguson is
removed from the SUPPLEMENTARY of the
City Hospital because he is opposed to free
silver at 16 to l. 1t is not to the point to
saw that the new appointee will make as
good superintendent as DR.. Ferguson.
That may or may not be, but even If 1T
should prove true the fact remains that
Mr. Taggart has removed an experienced
official, against whom no charges were or
could be made affecting his competency or
faithful performance of duty-simply be-
cause the free-siver faction demanded his
removal. In this act there is not the remot-
est trace of regard for public interests. The
same motive runs through every appoint
ment Mr.. Taggart has made-personal serv-
ice or partisan politics. His conception of a
business administration does not rise above
the creation of a political machine with his
hand on the throttle He is showing very
low conception of public duty.