The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-03-01
STATE PRESS OPINION.

The bill fixing a specific salary for county
commissioners is, we believe. a good one. The
salaries are graded according to counties.
those or Grant at 500, a very modest sum
for the enormous amount of work performed
by them.-Marlon Chronicle.
The people of Indiana would like to see
n better government building in the capital
of the State than it now has. They don't
feel that it should be behind other and
smaller state capitals In conveniences for
state and national business.-Clay County
Enterprise.
h would Johnson and Bryan and men
of that sort be saying about the President
had he ordered Dewey away from Manila.
leaving the islands in a state Of anarchy?
And what would other nations say of our
having destroyed the only authority there
and then leaving their subjects exposed TO
the riot and bloodshed that would have fol-
l~owed?-Fort Wayne Gazette.
There are now stories of corruption atloat
concerning members of the State Leyisla-
ture and the county reform bill. There is
nothing strange about this when the head
of the lobby is George Hay, Of this place.
purchasing somebody or. bulldoZing or in
timidating them are his Ssa ponS of ofense
as well as defense. Place him n the posi-
ton assumed by honest men and be Would
not last as long as a frost III .lu~ne.-Shelby-
vile Republican.
The State has again been disgraced by
the lIuIflueICc dIQ cOTIupllOH IL ali III
scrupulous lobby-by men who have some
thing to sell TO the counties at exorbitant
prices and are engaged in bribing members
of the Legislature to defeat a bill that
makes it impossible for them to bride
county commissioners and to influence other
officials corruptly. The proceedings in the
House for the past three days on the coun-
~ reform bill were more in keeping with
the course of a territorial Legislature of
Nevada forty years ago than the State leg
| iSlqfnrn Of Indiana four score wears of age
-Terre Haute Express.
A local movement has been started 10 Sc
cure the appointment of Albert A. Faurot
as one of the commissioners provided for
in the new library bill. Mr.. Faurot had
much to do with formulating the bill which
has been enacted into law and he is there
fore familiar with its requirements. Besides,
he is a practical librarian, in charge of the
library of Rose Polytechnic Institute, and
is very much devoted to his profession.
Three commissioner are provided for to
serve without salary, and a more capable
man than Mr.. Faurot, or one more entirely
fit for the duties OF the position. could MOI
be found in western ~Indiana-Terre Haute
| Express.
The forestry law before the Legislature
is a good one and should lie passed If found
conformable to the part Il The Constitution
relating to taxation. The woodsman's ak
has made tremendous ravages on the pri.
meval forests of Indiana in the century. The
cIearings are yearly F,rowin larger Until
now the forest is the exception III the
landscape where il was orce the clearing
With the destruction other ricn timber re-
sources Indiana will see the passing of many
valuable industries which now add annually
to her wealth. 1t would be fortunate for the
future of Evansville If such a law Were
passed both in Indiana and Kentucky. I'm
less some provision is made for the growth
of forests we may measure the time when
Evansville's great wood working industry
will die away for want OF material.-Evans-
Vile Courier.
In an attempt to readjust and regulate the
salaries of judges of Circuit and superior
courts in the State, the Legislature has
stumbled upon a process which, If not
clearly unconstitutional, is wholly unjust, il
the measure is not misinterpreted. 1t pro-
vides that judges shall be paid according tc
the population and taxableS OF their cir
cults, $50 for each million or assessed prop
erty and SO for each thousand inhabitants
Perhaps there might not be serious Objection
to this. although based upon the wrong
principle, were it not for another provision
of the act which makes this the total pay
for all judges in any one district. In Tippe'
canoe county the plan, under present as
sessment and population, would yield a tota
for salaries of SHE, which must be divided
between the occupants of the Circuit anc
superior benches. This injustice Is readily
discerned when il Is observed that thi:
would provide 4 salary OF put $l,ooi.o fol
each judge, an amount entirely insufficient
to secure the services OF any competent anC
worthy attorney, since any man with sum
cient legal knowledge TO intelligentiy NIL thu
bench could not afford to accept either o.
the offices on such a basis.-Lafayett'
Courier.