The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-16
RESULTS OF REPUBLICAN ADMIN
ISTRATION.

The Republican party of Indiana can
point with satisfaction q the good results
in the administration of state affairs. The
Democratic state officers who retired after
the election of 1894 carried with them large
sums of money. Democratic legislature
after legislature, under the guise of defining
the compensation of state officers, had so
ordered the fees and commissions that the
secretary of state was receiving three times
the present salary, and the auditor of state,
according to the report of his political
friends, had realized a. snug fortune from
his emoluments. The laws had been re-
vised so as to enable the attorney gen
eIal to thrust his hands deep into
the public treasury. All that came to his
mill was tolled. The school funds suffered.
The public does not yet know how many
tens of thousands of dollars he was paid as
fees Governor Matthews made an effort 10
ascertain, but failed. AS near as could be
estimated. the last Democratic attorney
general drew $4,000 a year for two years in
salary and fees. 1t may have been more.
The Republican Legislature of 1895 has
been frequently abused, but it left record
1t so revised the system of compensation
of the state officers that the salaries now
paid the secretary of state, the state audi
tor, state treasurer and attorney general
do not aggregate as much as the last DEM
ocratc attorney general took unto himself
under the artful proviso added tc the act
providing for the distribution of the school
funds The Republican fee and salary bill
doubtless imposes hardships upon few
county officials, but there seems no falling
off in the desire on the part of men in both
parties to hold these places. Last winter it
was very apparent that the mass of taxpay-
ers favSr the existing law. Business methods
have come to the state offices both by the
action of the officials and the legislation of
Republican legislatures.
For the first time in the history of the
State strict business methods are observed
In the management of all the state insti-
buttons. Sinecures like counsel for boards
of trustees with fixed salaries have been
discontinued; trustees no longer favor con-
tractors or expend their energies in finding
places for half and half deadbeats or their
own sons and daughters. The whole adj
ministration has been toned up. After he
had admitted that he had given a con-
tractor certificate of delivery for goods
which had not been delivered, in order that
the contractor might collect money not due
him, and in violation of law, one official
was permitted to continue in Office two
years, or until succeeded by Republican
If a superintendent or warden should, on
investigation, confess such an offense now,
he would be removed. In 1898, pending the
investigation of the charges against the
warden of the Southern Prison, the then
secretary of the Board of Charities had the
bad taste to appear at the investigation as
the assistant of the warden in his defense
His successor would never have done such
a thing, and so changed is the moral at
mosphere about state institutions that the
official alluded to, now filling another re-
sponsible position to general acceptance,
must regard his course in that investiga-
ton with downright disgust
OF course. there is some complaint. There
always will be, even when haloes are be-
slowed upon all. But the change for the
better all along the line under Republican
direction is most marked, showing that the
Republican party in Indiana has kept its
pledges