The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-30
TOWNSHIP TRUSTEES AND THE
REFORM MOVEMENT.

To say that the action of the Township
Trustees Association regarding the pro-
posed reform in local government is
disagreeable surprise states the case mildly.
1t might, without exaggeration, be charac-
terized as entirely indefensible, and it raises
suspicion Of interested motives so strong
as to put the trustees themselves on the de-
fensive at the bar of public opinion. Indi-
ana has population of nearly 100000 and
about 100000 voters, large majority of
whom. of all parties, are in favor of re-
form in county and township government.
There are less than 200 township trustees in
the State, as against 600 600. voters, and less
than % per cent. of the trustees are members
of the state association. The attendance
at the recent convention was about four
hundred. Yet these four hundred men, rep
resenting considerably less than one-tenth
of per cent. of the voters of the State
undertake to say that there ought not to be
any change in the present methods of town
ship government, and they say it in a way
that is very insulting to those who think
differently. This beats the three tailors of
Tooley street, who issued their manifesto
in the name Of 1--WE, the people," If the
four hundred trustees had made temperate
declaration that, in their opinion, no ma
terial change should be made in the pres
ent system and assigned some reasons for
this view, no fault could have been found
with them, but when they assume that the
present system is perfect and that the
movement for reform is being engineered
by political schemers for selfish purposes,
they invite the censure which should al
ways be visited blind and unreasoning
opponents of progress. The trustees seem to
have thought that the movement had its
origin in indianapolis and is some kind of a
crafty scheme to make the rest of the State
tributary to the capital. Are they not
aware that both political parties in their
state platforms declared in favor of this
reform? The Republican platform says:
Believing that there is need of reform in
county and township government, and that
vast saving of the public money can be
made by better methods. we favor early and
thorough revision of the laws upon this SUBJ
Ject to the end that the people Of Indiana
may have the best and most economical
management of local affairs.
The Democratic platform says:
We recognize the existence of grave de-
fects in the laws governing counties and
townships of this State. We favor a COM
plete and systematic revision of such laws
to the end that public business may be
transacted with greater efficiency and econ
omy.
All the trustees now in office were elected
as Republicans or Democrats; are they pre-
pared to repudiate the expressions of their
respective state conventions, or are they
prepared to say that four hundred township
trustees are better qualified to speak for
the 100000 voters of the State than are the
delegate conventions of the two great par
ties? If there are any Populists among
them. committed to the principle of the
initiative in legislation, are they prepared to
deny the right of the people in their primary
and sovereign capacity to initiate move
ment for legislation. in the interest of adj
nlinistrative reform? The four hundred trus-
tees have made a great mistake by adver-
Using their opposition to movement which
originated with the people, which has the
Endorsement of both political parties the al
most solid support of the state press and
the approval of intelligent men of all par
ties What they should have done was to
have Joined in the movement given it the
benefit of their experience and suggestions
and tried to make it conducive to real re-
form. AS it is they have made a gratuitous
and have raised a suspicion that they are
more interested in maintaining. abuses than
they are in promoting reform