The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-03
Mr.. SWIFT'S PLAIN TALK
THE MUNICIPAL LEAGUE DELE
GATES HEAR ABOUT INDIANAPOLIS.
Existing Conditions Denounced in
Discussed-The League AdJOurns.

Municipal League, which closed it's confer
ence for good city government yesterday
afternoon, and who had seen reference made
to the fact that Indianapolis is operating
under a charter similar to that proposed by
the league, wondered if any one would be
brave enough to confess some of the weak
points Of the Indianapolis charter. Such a
man appeared at the last moment. Lucius
g. Swift an Indiana specialist on civil
service reform, sprung something of SEN
sation when he pointed out to the confer
ence some of the evils that might exist
even under a modern charter with many
admirable features, in the absence of a clear
recognition of the merit system in the APP
pointment of subordinate officials and en-
ployes of the city. Mr.. Swift was one of
Charles Richardson of Philadelphia, who
spoke on Municipal Franchises" and who
advocated municipal ownership.
Mr.. Swift began his remarks with re-
view Of the history OF the street-rairoad
situation in this city, dwelling upon the fact
that the company had floated S9,O00,0O0 of
watered" stock. Then he took up the
ganization of the City Company, and said
1t was notorious fact that the City Com
pany had offered to sell it's franchise, for
which 1t had paid nothing but various at
torneys' fees, for $4,000 to the older COM
pany. But for the fact that the new City
Company had afterward withdrawn its
proposition and raised it $780, 900, he asserted,
the old company would have bought its
rights, which existed only on paper when
such condition as this exists" said Mr.
Swift, II can see what a benefit it would
be to the city to exercise those privileges.
l am myself favorable to municipal owner
ship" But, Mr.. Swift proceeded to say,
this city is under a modern charter that
compares favorably with the model munich
pal programme or form of charter proposed
by the committee of ten. Then he pro-
ceeded to show some Of the evil things that
can exist under even modern charter like
that of Indianapolis. in which the merit
system is not mandatory. He said that at
a recent smoker" in the very room in
which the conference for good city govern
ment was being held he had heard the
mayor of indianapolis declare that he was
in favor of removing the water works board,
In the event of city purchase. and the park
board out of politics, even though you may
not believe me when I say So" IL would
like to ask the mayor" said Mr.. Swift,
why not remove the street commissioners
office from politics, why not remove the
nous sums of money, out Of politics? 1
would like to ask why man should have
to be Bryan silver Democrat in order to
get place in the engineers department?
We have optional form of civiI-service
reform law in our charter The present
mayor, by resolution of the Board of Safety,
kicked it over. Since that time the appoint
ments Of this city have been made upon
the will OF the mayor. Under our charter
surgeon is to be appointed to examine APP
plicants for places on the police and fire
forces. Many were rejected by the surgeon.
And yet If it is the will of the mayor they
pass examination and get appointments.
The mayor of this city has a hotel. IL you
go there you will not be robbed, your jew
elry and your money will not be taken from
your rooms; you will be perfectly SAFE I
should like to know how a mans character
is made up when he thrusts upon the CITY
men Whoin the surgeon says are not fit.
Ihere has been in this city a long procession
or drunken policemen marching before the
Board OF Safety TO be discharged or repri-
manded. The fire force became so dsor-
canned that insurance rates were increased.
These facts are known to all men. There
was a competent hospital superintendent,
worthy clerk of the Board of Public Works
and Board of Safety turned out of office
Why? had they been guilty of being drunk?
NO. Were they incompetent? No. Why
seem, they were turned out simply because
they were gold Democrats No one need
talk to me about buying water works or
nghtlng plants when such condition of
affairs exists. l should like to ask the
mayor how he justifies himself for this
breach of public trust? A negro came TO
me and asked me if / could recover $25 from
the city. When I asked under what cir
cumstances he had lost it he said that in the
Bryan campaign he, a Republican had been
assessed $25 He was harassed night and
day, and finally raised $24 of it. And he
said, l voted for Mckinley Naughter) l
am taxpayer. and a sore taxpayer. L say
that If that man paid political campaign
assessment of $24 he was getting $4 more
than he, was entitled to for his work They
assessed teamsters $50 and firemen and no.
icemen in proportion. While such condi-
tions as these exist l sayNthat no great pub
lie benefit could be reached by the owner
ship of the public utilities A long time
after we purchased the parks large gang
OF men was put to work, 1t being suddenly
discovered that there were improvements
that might be made A few days after the
election seventy-tive of them were dis
charged. Why? Because they were incom-
petent, the park superintendent saws No
city can afford to assume the control of
municipal franchises until it has taken steps
to stop these things. While our charter re-
CURES the merit system, 1t is in such shape
as to make it almost impracticable to reach
a failure to comply with it's provisions
through the courts"
THE SPEAKER APPIAUDED
AS Mr.. Swift concluded, his vigorous and
P"AiAtSu WOAuS were received With loud aD-
plause and much laughter He had struck
key-note-the necessity for removing the
employment of city employees from political
infiuences-that had been struggling all
through the conference to make itself
heard. Some had preached on it timdly, but
none had hit so near home as he.
AT the morning session yesterday DR..
Albert Shaw, of New York, editor of the
American Review of Reviews was to have
read a paper on The City in the United
States-the Proper Scope of Its Activities
Dr. Shaw could not be present and his
paper was read by Horace e. Deming of
New York. An abstract OF the paper IS as
follows:
IF L were asked to characterize in a
single sentence the broad distinction be-
tween the history of the past thirty years
of municipal government in Europe on the
one hand, and America, on the other |
should say that in the United States we
have been making and unmaking municipal
charters and meanwhile administering them
as badly as possible, while in Europe they
have been bending their energies to the
work of administering progressively and
vided for them in the general statutes In
other words, we have been making, mar
ring, unmaklng and repairing municipal
mechaniSns, while the people of European
cities have been using their municipal ma
chimes to accomplish results in the way of
an improved life for their people. do not
mean TO say that the conditions of life are
more advantageous for the average man to-
day in European towns than in our own.
On the other hand l am entirely prepared
to assert that almost all the natural advan-
tages belonged to u.s. and that II our munc-