The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-09-15

There can be no doubt that the new
law creating county councils has already
commended itself to the taxpayers through
out the State. In the first place, as a rule.
men of high character. representing both
parties, were selected by the circuit judges
to do the work. The members of these
councils. as far as heard from, have taken
up the task imposed upon them with con-
scientious carefulness. The compensation
which they receive is no return for the time
expended and the service performed. That
they have faithfully discharged the duties
of the positions. really without compensa-
ton, is an object lesson in good citizenship.
Probably many of them would have pre-
ferred to decline the positions. but a sense
of duty as citizens influenced them to ac-
cept. In accepting and discharging the du-
ties Of members of these councils they have
tacitly recognized something that is too
often forgotten-that every citizen owes to
the Nation, the State, the community in
which he lives any service he can render to
promote the public welfare. Such men are
as much patriots as If they enlisted to de-
fend the country against invasion, since
there can be no greater enemy to society
than loose and dishonest methods in any
public affairs. The body polite cannot long
be sound to the core itself which t~olerates
loose and dishonest practices in local gov
eminent. 1t was possible under the cd
system for abuses to take root and grow.
Abuses became presidents, and honest and
well-meaning men fell into them because
custom had given them the force of law.
Many things could be lone in the dark
under the old system. but the law creating
county councils floods every item of ex-
penditure with the sunlight of publicity.
the new law in the light of the work of
the county councils, all of which is ex-
pressed in the following rather pointed
paragraph from the Marion Chronicle:
The County Council has encountered the
difficulties that face our commissioners at
every term OF the court. 1t turned down a
score of schemes to swindle the taxpayers.
1t emphasized the fact that the county is
the rendezvous of innumerable schemers,
each bent on doing business with the
county regardless of benefits. The council,
moreover, is nonpartisan, and its cOnclu-
sions must be accepted as the combined
judgment of careful and iudicious business
men. who are largely interested in county
affairs. They know where the taxpayers
money goes, and this one fact is worth
more than the expenses of this new depart
ment OF our county government.
The first assault upon the bill creating
county councils was made by the Shelby
vile Democrat. That paper denounced it
as a scheme of thrifty firms in Indianapo-
lis to get the county patronage. The Coun-
ty Council for Shelby county has just .ad-
journed. OF it's work the Shelbyville Re-
publican says:
The council has performed a grand and
a glorious w0rk-a work that will make the
new law the most popular statute ever en-
acted by any legislature. The law, as it
stands, is not perfect, but when a few
sioDs are changed and others added, it VIII
be such a protection to the taxpayers that
any party will be damned that attempts
it's overthrow
There is good reason to believe that no
party will attempt to repeal a law which
gives the best men in 10th parties the
power to regulate the expenditures for
county purposes. The Journal believes that
during the next two years the law creating
county councils will be regarded by all
intelligent taxpayers and all friends OF eff
icient and business-like management of
public affairs as the most beneficent piece
of legislation an Indiana Legislature has
enacted in many years.