The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-05

Members CT the Legislature who have the
good fortune to represent counties where
there has never been any scandal in local
government may be disposed to doubt the
need of reform in that direction. No doubt
there are counties in the State which have
never had scandal of this kind, though
some which claim to have been exempt have
doubtless been the victims of abuses that
never came to light But the need of reform
must be judged by the weight of positive
evidence not by the negative. 1t is the
abuses that occur that show the necessity
for reform, not those which do not occur
Any person who has lived in Indiana twenty
five years can recall some fragrant cases of
dishonesty or extravaganza on the part of
local officials. and search of the newspaper
files would disclose many which have been
forgotten. Even at the present time there
are charges or intimations of dishonesty
against the commissioners in more than one
county in the State In Shelbyville on Sat
urday last a citizens meeting was held to
protest against the extravaganza of the COM
missioners in letting contracts, without adj
vertsing for six bridges. which will cost in
the aggregate $fOOOOO There was large at
tendance of taxpayers at the meeting, at
torneys were employed to enjoin the cary
ing out of the contracts, and a fund was
raised to defray the expense of the proceed
ing The spirit of the meeting was not
against needed improvements, but against
extravagant and crooked methods. If these
six bridges are built at the contract price
the bonded debt of Shelby county will be
! increased 100000.
The Greenfield Ond) Republican, COM
menting on the action of the citizens of
Shelby county, urges similar movement in
Hancock county. 1t makes specific charges
of extravagant allowances by the County
| Commissioners, and says:
With these facts so strongly proved, at q
time when there is no political campaign on
hands with good reason to believe that not
one-tenth part of the crookedness of the
county has been disclosed why do not the
taxpayers of Hancock organize as they have
done in Shelby county and probe the cOndi-
ton of Hancock county affairs to the bot
tom? There have been some surprises al
ready unearthed. If an expert were en-
plOyed TO examine the books, what has been
disclosed would not be a circumstance COM
pared with that which thorough inVestiga-
ton would develop.
The Upton Times publishes an affidavit
by one T. S. Bozeman. charging the County
Commissioners and two township trustees
with standing in with the agent of GER
tain bridge company and letting bridge con-
tracts by which the people were defrauded
The Upton Advocate says the charges are
most serious" and calls for an investiga-
ton.
The Noblesville Ledger gives figures show
ing that as a result of its efforts for reform
the bill for books and stationery for Hamil-
ton county has been reduced from 1920
three years ago to $227 this year. with a pos
sibility that extra purchases may bring it
up to $780, I'VE have been criticised and
condemned by divers and sundry persons
says the Ledger, for making the fight we
have. But we venture to say the great body
of taxpayers will not object to the saving of
from 81, 900 to $1,000 year on this one item
alone"
In several counties officials are paying
back into the treasury moneys illegally al
lowed them by the commissioners, and for
one case where this is done there are a dozen
or a score where it ought to be done. The
county attorney of Tippecanoe said in his
circular letter that the commissioners had
been very kind to him. 1t is way some
of them have.
The cases cited are matters of current
news. Six months or year hence there may
be an entirely fresh lot The system under
which such things occur needs reforming.