davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-29
ABUSES OF A LOOSE SYSTEM.

The facts published yesterday morning
from the Bureau of Statistics regarding the
financial management of some township
trustees make it clear why few of these
officials desire to have the office of state
statistician abolished and that of township
trustee let alone. The Journal reiterates
that it does not believe that any considera-
BILE portion of the trustees are operating
their offices for what they can get cut of
them regardless of the interests of the tax
payers Among the more than one thou
sand township trustees in the State are
many of the best citizens of Indiana never
theless, the reports which they make to the
Bureau of Statistics show that quite a num-
Der of them are either not good business
men or are conducting the offices for their
own advantage. Take the statistics regard
ing the receipts, expenditures and balances
on hand at the close of the last fiscal year.
They show in twenty or thirty cases cited
that township trustees carry from year to
year more money than they expend. In
several cases the amount at the close of the
fiscal year in the hands of the trustee was
twice the amount expended. There is one
case given in which the balance on hand at
the beginning of the year was $500. With
this money in his hands he made levy
which brought in over $1,000. His expendi-
lures for the year were $685.. That is, out
of 1850 of the peoples money he had ex-
pended $3.50, leaving 1,3O5 of their money in
his hands which should be in their pockets
This money he invests in his business or
loans to his friends and others. When his
four years are out there should be- no sur
prise should he prove defaulter. A score
of instances are quoted from the reports of
trustees which show that the unexpended
balance of road funds was larger at the
close of the year than at the beginning.
These are probably exceptions, but the law
should be so framed that township trustees
cannot take from the pockets of taxpayers
money which is diverted to their own use.
1t is sort of legal robbery, and the law
should make it impossible.
1t has been stated that but few township
trustees are guilty of such indefensible
methods. Those of them who are not
should, for their own reputation, refuse to
support those who are Directing to inter
ference. The reasonable and honorable trus-
tee when he comes to think the matter
over, will see the reasonableness and justice
of a law which provides that there shall be
five men to advise in regard to levies and
expenditures. He should not object to the
same restrictions which are placed upon the
President and Governors of States. Neither
of these high officials can raise or expend a
dollar of money without the warrant of
Congress and Legislature-why should the
township trustee be an autocrat?
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-29
A FAsTIDIOUs OFFICER.
The Gentleman with Twenty Dress
Suits Who Captured the Philippines.
National MAGAZINE

There was a time when England trem-
bled at Philip the Tyrant, called the Sec
ond of Spain. He was a supreme bigot and
thief He stole, among his many thefts
114,000 square miles of island real estate in
the Malay archipelago, and called them the
Philippines. Spain never conquered them;
Luzon, the largest, was never coloniZed;
Mindanao the second largest, was never eX-
pored. Some of the flora and fauna of these
islands are at this moment as well known
as those of Mars. One day fastidlouS gen.
tlemen in the Americna navy said to a
friend that he was getting old and would
like one voyage more before he retired. This
man was appointed to a rather obscure post
in the Pacific. The Pacific is quite large
and the old gentleman might have been lost
in one of it's many monSOonS. He had
small fleet, but it was well equipped. No
body knew a great deal about this Ameri-
can sailor. He had been in the civil war
and had tied a certain Farragut to the
main top of the Hartford
AT last the fastidious sailor turned up
at Hong-KOng with about twenty dress
suits. He was perfect gentleman. Very
difficult to snub this man. German prince
tried it once. but was severely taken down.
A message of import having arrived short
~ after our sailor reached China, he sailed
away toward the Malay archipelago. The
next heard from him was a story aston
ishing that the world was shaken. 1t was
said that this American gentleman with his
slim fleet had entered a defended haTbor
at night. silenced its guns and destroyed ut
terly and beyond remedy the feet which
guarded the entrance Wilder than all was
the incredible story that he had not lost
single man in the action The man of many
suits had played well. King Philips real es-
tate suffered a considerable Jar
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-29
HONOR TO THE TEACHERS.


The annual meeting of the State Teach
ers Association should remind the people Of
Indiana how much the country owes to the
professional disseminators of intelligence.
The intellectual and moral advantages of
education are universally recognized. but its
practical and pecunary benefits and its
force as a factor in national progress and
expansion are apt to be overlooked. Bodily
exercise profiteth little,'' says Timothy, but
goodness is profitable unto all things"
Paraphrasing this we might say physical
labor and development profit a nation little.
but intellectual development is profitable
unto all things. OF all the factors that have
differentiated the American people from
others, making them alike invincible in
peace and in war, there is no other that has
been so potent, effective and far-reaching in
its influence as education. Our farms and
forests our mines, mills and factories, our
cattle ranges, sheep ranges and many other
things have contributed their quota to the
national wealth, but nothing else has con-
tributed as much as universal education.
Cotton, corn and wheat have all been king
a source of perennial wealth. but brain Gull
ture beats them all. The schools of the
United States have cost first and last an
enormous amount of money but it has been
far away the best investment the people
have ever made, paying compound interest
and cumulative dividends not merely in in
tellectual culture, but in energizing and
doubly and triply armng every force that
enters into national progress. 1t was our
colleges and schools that won the recent
war with Spain, for it was the intelligence,
patriotism and character derived from these
that made the American soldier and sailor
so immeasurably superior to the Spaniard.
1t was not merely the Anglo-Saxon against
the Latin race; it was education against
ignorance the college against the cloister,
professors and schoolteachers against friars
and monks brain power against brute
power. If it is true that good citizenship
and patriotism are Indispensable to the life
of the Nation, it is equally true that uni
versal education is Indispensable to patriot
ism and good citizenship. When Admiral
Dewey destroyed the Spanish war ships at
anu OdiupSOH o~lilSy pClAu
the same operation for Cervera's squadron
the world applauded American gunnery and
said it was not so much the ships or the
guns as it was the men behind the guns.
That was true, but, to go a little further
back it was the education behind the men.
Officers and men allie were imbued with
the intelligence and spirit that found
fountain head in the public school. The sue
cessful prosecution of war that added so
greatly to the national prestige and the ma
tional possessions clearly shows that brains
are the best crop any country can grow and
intelligence the best investment any nation
can make. All honor, therefore, to the men
and women who are engaged in educational
work
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-29

diana Tax Commission, was asked if this
as not low ngure Ior Indiana railroad
assessments he SAID many thought II 100
low but COlonei Walker BusklrkS col
league, said he thought IL all right.
You see, our Guy is very compact he
declared, and there are not so many miles
of track
The total of railroad assessments for the
entire county OF Marion. in which Indian
apolis is located, is -, S52,O24.
But Indiana officials 90 not find their law
without flaws. While all of them commend
The general principle that railroad, tele-
graph, telephone, express and sleeping car
companies shall pay taxes on the same basis
as other property, those who are Well posted
declare that there are many crudit1eS IN the
existing statute and are asking for changes.
For instance, all assessments originate with
the township assessors. who are mucn like
the township supervisors in NJ chlgan; and
even in the city of Indianapolis most of the
SCISSORS. In most of the townships these
men get only IS a day, ana much sipsnod
work results. The State Tax Commission
in its report TO the Legislature will this
year say that many of these officials are
incompetent and ignorant, and will ask for
an amendment calculated to improve the
standing of these officials.
The experience OF Colonel Walker shows
that the stringent tax collector does not be-
come the most popular man in the world
Walkers present term will expire next
March. ana, while he is a Republican, like
Governor Mount and the present IeglSla-
ture, 1t is not likely that he will get re-
appointment He has many enemies light
ing him bitterly, it being charged that he
was unduly active III getting men to appeal
to his commission against assessments on
corporate property whose tax figures were
said to be too low. A newspaper whose as
sessment was raised is also making a Bit
ter night against him and has brought out
the fact that some of Walkers own taxes
were in arrears.
Aside from the question of taxation the
Detroit committee found some things about
indianapolis that might prove interesting
to people of this city in a municipal way
Commissioner Roth, of the Indianapolis
Board of Public Safety, said that his city
gets along with about 100 policemen at So
day. while Detroit has over 800 men on its
police rolls indianapolis has one police sta
ton. DetIoit twelve. The expenses of the
Indianapolis fire department seem to be
about on a keeping with the police depart
ment the men also being paid $.25 a day
and the Captains $3.50.
The kind of men that go into police and
fire departments would do well to earn that
much money in their private capacities, "
said Commissioner Roth. He claimed that
the departments of his city did as good
work as any departments in the country.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-29
THEORIES ABOUT THE MAINE.
Capt. SiGsbee's Talk with the Spanish
Admiral After the Explosion.

Nothing could be written in better taste
and temper than Captain Sigsbee's Per
sonal Narrative of the Maine" the third
installment of which appears in the January
Century. The Wrecking and the Inquiry"
are the special subjects of this concluding
paper. The captains personal relations with
General Blanco and Admiral Manterola
were, he says undsturbed by the explosion
They remained cordial to the last" Soon
after the catastrophe the admiral called
upon Captain SigSbee, and conversation
occurred which is tersely summarized in
these words:
The admiral assumed from the first that
the explosion was from the interior of the
vessel. He asked if the dynamo boilers had
not exploded. told him had no dynamo
boilers. He said that the plans of the vessel
as published, showed that the guncotton
storeroom, or magazine, was forward near
the zone of the explosion. He was informed
that those plans had been changed, and that
the guncotton was slowed aft. under the
captains cabin, where the vessel was Vir-
tually intact. He pointed out that modern
gunpowders were sometimes very unstable
This was met by the remark that pow
der was of the old and stable brown prs-
matte kind, and that we had no fancy pow
der. He referred to the probable presence of
boilers, lighted near the forward coal bunk
ers, which were adjacent to the magazines.
This again was met with the remark that
for three months no boiler in the forward
boiler compartment had been lighted: that
while in port the two aftermOst boilers in
the ship had been doing service.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-29
DEFENSE OF PoLYGAMY
WHAT CONGREssMAN-ELEC ROB-
ERTS Is ALLEGED TO HAVE SAID.
He Thinks 1t Would BE Wrong to
Cast on the Wives He Has and
Abandon His Children.

NEW YORK Dec. 2S.-A dispatch to the
World from Salt Lake City says: Con-
gressman-elect b. H. Roberts to-day made
the following statement: If time comes
when it is necessary for me to defend my
self / shall be there right on the spot and
l appreciate that the members of Congress
and the American people are more liberal,
broad-m minded and generous than a few
bigoted ard contracted preachers of the
Presbyterian Church, whose training. mode
of life and trend of thought tend to unfit
them for practical life.
Joseph Smith received a commandment
from the Lord to introduce our order OF
marriage into the church and on the
strength of that revelation, and not by rea-
sons of anything that is written in the
Jewish Scriptures, the Latter-day Saints
practice plural marriage. Polygamy is not
adultery, for if 1t were so considered then
Abraham, Jacob and the prophets who prac-
tsed 1t would not be allowed heritance
in the kingdom of heaven, and If polygamy
is not adultery, then it cannot be classed as
sin at all. 1t appears to me that modern
Christians must either learn to tolerate
polygamy or give up forever the glorious
hope of resting in 'Abraham's bosom.
That which God approves and so strik-
ingly approves, must be not only not bad.
but positively good, pure and holy. Not
withstanding this, however. the hand of the
gentiles laid so heavy upon the people
of the Lord that, in his mercy, God per-
mitted them to cease therefrom. from ex-
pediency. and, true TO the pledges given by
the church, no polygamous marriages have
since been celebrated by the church. But
not even the church can take away from
man the wives ii has already given him.
They are his for time and for eternity, and
L think the great broad-minded and just
American people will not require man to
+ cast off the wives he has, with whom he
has lived, nor TO abandon his children.
At the most Mr.. Roberts says his offense
is unlawful cohabitation and he remarked:
Il am mere and the courts are open. II any
one wants 20 test The OH the way is clear
1t has been urged by some that Roberts,
owing TO the operation of the Edmunds-
Tucker act, which disfranchised all polyg-
amists is legally barred from taking his
seat in Congress. In regard to this Mr..
Roberts says he has had the best legal adj
vice obtainable, which convinces him that
there are no legal obstacles in the way of
his taking the seat.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-29
SAYS HE is NOT DUNHAM.
Harry Church Processes Willingness
to Return to California.

COLUMBUS, o., Dec 2S-Harry Church,
whom the police suspect of being James G.
Durham, the California murderer, has made
the following statement: Il will plead guilty
to being Durham if they pay about $40
owe in this city, and take my wife and l
back to California, where l want to go, for
they will soon see there that l am not the
man wanted and turn me loose in the place
where want to be. This is all nonsense and
the police had better stop before they are
laughed at. Look at that picture and look
at me- There is no similarity whatever.
knew Durham, and he killed some one,
believe, who sent him to college. III admit
the description looks suspicious, but you can
see that / am not the man.
stranger, giving his name as IhomaS
Ward claiming to be connected with the
Vendome Hotel, at San Jose, Cal, called at
the city prison to see Church last night he
said he knew Durham We'll and that while
Church answered the general description iie
was not Durham. Ward cannot be found to-
day. Church made an effort TO get into courc
to-day but will not have nearing until
tomorrow. He is held on a charge or
vagrancy and will undoubtedly be sentenced
to give time for further investigation. He
said to-day that he had wealthy sister in
Sacramento, Cal, Mrs. Bateman, living
on K street,
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-29
GRAND DUKE CYRIL'S TOUR.
The Cxar's Cousin Has Been Watching
Developments in China.

SAN FRANCISCO, CAL, Dec. 2-Grand
Duke Cyril Vladimirovitch, of Russia, first
cousin of the Car, is guest at the Palace
Hotel. He arrived from the Orient on the
steamship China. He is en- route to st.
Petersburg, Russia. 1t has been announced
that Grand Duke Cyril is on tour around
the world as a representative of the Car
in the interest of general disarmament of
the powers This Is not so. The prince has
been stationed in China during the year
past, engaged in naval duty. Although it
is not so definitely announced there can be
doubt that the prince carries to the Gar
full reports on the conditions now existing
in China with reference to the operations
of the powers of the world. For several
years Russia has maintained powerful fleet
of war vessels in the Orient and for nearly
two years the prince has been studying the
situation. He holds a commission as lieu
tenant in the navy and now wears that uni
form. Beyond any question the future
policy of Russia concerning the Oriental
question will depend largely upon the grand
duke's report.
Orient he visited Manila. He was in the
captured city subsequent to the battle of
May l. He speaks in the highest terms OF
the achievements of the American forces:
The grind duke is a fluent linguist and
speaks English perfectly. Il shall remain
in the city for TWO days and then go to
Chicago and Washington and Will leave
New York for Europe in two weeks, he
said. Il regret that l cannot spend more
time in this country, for there is so much
| have read concerning America which /
would like to see" The grand duke declined
versal disarmament and the Russian situa-
ton in the Orient.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-29
Mr.. BoOkwaIter's Views.

Another American observer who has been
1ourneying in the Cars domain is John w
Bookwalter, of Ohio. Mr.. Bookwalter
amassed a large fortune in manufacturing.
About two decades ago he made the mis-
take of running for Governor of the Buck
eye State on Democratic ticket in a Re-
publican year. Since then he has confined
himself TO philosophical rather than prac-
teal politics. He spent three months in
Russia, much of which time was passed in
travel along the lines of new railways being
laid by the Cars government in Asia. His
conclusions are somewhat different from
those of Mr.. Bratton. Mr. Bookwalter found
the Russians very friendly to Americans
lie holds that our best open door in CEN
trail Asia and China is through Russia.
Central Asia, he thinks, in the near future
VIII be the greatest market in the world fer
manufactures of all kinds, and expresses
the opinion that ''our obtaining the virtual
monopoly of this market only depends upon
our retaining the friendship Russia now has
for US. He predicts that Russia, England
and China will combine before many years
for the partition of Asia He insists that
Russia and England can never agree on a
partition of China and still less would they
permit other powers TO share with them in
the Spoils of the celestial empire. This alli-
ance, Mr. Bookwater thinks would be re-
sistless and would insure peace for CEN
turtles Concerning Russia he concludes by
saying: The United States will be COM
hitting a woeful mistake if she fails to
maintain the friendship of this great world s
power of the future"
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-29
THE VALUE OF PUBLICITY.

Not the least important agency in bring
ing about the improved condition of the
public service in this State mas been the
publicity which has been given to the man
agement of public affairs Turing the past
few years. During the last six years the
tendency has been to let light in upon what
has been the privacy of administration.
There were occasional legislative investiga-
tons which disclosed loose if not corrupt
management, but after the revelation, with
its startling headlines, had been made. pub
licity ended. The annual reports We're
printed. but they contained little informa-
tion. and that little was seen by very few
people.
With the creation of the Board of Chari-
ties inquiry was begun in regard to the
management of state and county institu-
items. Having no power to do more than lay
bare the evNs in administration and to adj
wise reforms. its efforts were resisted ef-
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-29

fectively so long as the Legislature selected
the boards of state institutions. After a
time the Board of Charities began to pub
fish quarterly reports showing the cost of
maintenance of the penal, reformatory and
charitable institutions. These were pub
lished in the newspapers, often with COM
ments Comparisons are often odious, but
in this instance they have been corrective
because they have inspired an effort to re-
duce expenses. The managers of one insti-
tuition not gratified to see figures in
print showing that they have paid 10 per
cent more for certain supplies than have
the managers of another institution. They
know that thousands see these comparisons
every quarter, and this publicity has had a
potent influence, resulting in the doing away
with a practice of purchasing of favorite
dealers. Those who examine the COMPARE
sons now will see that prices paid by all in
stitutions are much the same for the same
articles and also that from year to year
there has been a gradual dropping in the
cost per capita for maintenance, which
means a saving of tens of thousands of dol
lars a year.
Recent legislative action has been in the
direction of greater publicity. The act of
the Legislature of 1895 requiring township
trustees to publish reports of their expendi-
lures in newspapers has had good effect
The fact that many trustees protested and
tried TO make the law unpopular by making
extended reports of the smallest items
proves that the publicity was needed and
that it has mad it's effect. Another law
which requires trustees to report to the
Board of Charities the names and amounts
paid to paupers has had salutary effect
The law requiring local officers to report
county and township debts and other facts
to the Bureau of Statistics is denounced by
a few officers, which is the best evidence Of
it's value. few days ago a paper in a
neighboring county gave list of contracts
for bridges which the commissioners had
made without advertising for bids. If it
could be provided by law that contracts
awarded without advertising for bidders for
such work would be void and further, that
all bids received would be published with
the award, much money would be saved to
taxpayers. Secrecy is the cause of most of
the unbusiness-like transactions in local
government, and so long as public business
ecutive session, irregularity may be ex-
pected. The light of publicity is the sure
remedy. Those who cry out against pub
lcity may fairly be suspected of dark deal
ing.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-29

Speaking of war histories, the Chicago
Evening Post issued a forty-page supple
ment with its edition of last Saturday which
contains record of the part taken by the
volunteer regiments of Illinois in the war
with Spain. There is history of the forma-
ton of each regiment it's proceedings after
organization, a complete roster at the time
of enlistment, a mention of every man who
distinguished himself in any way, an ac-
count of hospital life, list of the dead, etc.
There are also many incidents of impor-
tance apart from the mere official reports.
1t is valuable compilation, and displays
much enterprise OH the part of the pub
fishers.