The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-03
REFORM MEASURES.
Favorable Letters and kilograms Be
ing Received Daily by Legislators.

Favorable Letters and Telegrams Be
ing Received Daily by Legislators.
The Senate will be the first theater of
action on the county and township reform
bills. The very gratifying majority by which
the bill for a state account system, one
of the reform measures, passed that body
has increased the already settled belief that
the bills will meet with no great obstacle
in the upper body. The friends of the bills
in the House have concluded to wait until
the Senate has acted on them before push
ing the reform measures in the House.
Meanwhile the flood of favorable letters and
kilograms continues to reach the supporters
of the measures and members of the Legis-
lature generally and public men continue
to lend their Endorsement to the bills.
General r. S. Foster says of the necessity
for reform: II am convinced firmly that in
the interest of good government the tax
3evying and the eXpending power should not
be combined. This is shown by the tendency
toward constantly increasing expenses in
local government. 1t is the local taxes that
hurt, not the state or national taxes.
One of the strong majority members of
the House is Edward e. Neal, an attorney
of NoblesVille who writes the following pos
tive Endorsement of the pending bills:
There seems to be no question that the
measures before the Assembly looking to-
W
business will pass, probably with slight
amendments A great deal of the objection
to the measures comes from not having
made a study of them, or from desire to
repudiate the state platforms of the two
great parties by some of their adherentS.
Those willing to stand on the platforms
must favor some reform measure, and moth
ing better offers The plan proposed, that,
in short, provides for a legislature for each
township and each county brings the man
agement of the business right down to the
people themselves. The citizens are willing
to pay all taxes required, but they want
to know that the money is used in a proper
and honest way. Uncertainty as to whether
money is wasted gives rise to the present
demand for some new plan. We are fOrtu-
nate in Hamilton county in having honest
officials in every department, but still the
people will be better satisfied believe, with
the new system There has not been large
expression by the people of the county as
to their views on the reform measures, but
/ think that / shall properly represent the
sentiment of Hamilton county by voting for
the bills that have been introduced.
One of the best friends of the bills is
Representative Larz WhitcOmb, who says
of them: THE bills embodying the township
and county reform movement are, l think
the most important measures before this
Legislature. The. underlying idea of these
measures is to give publicity to the action
duties of their Offices 1t is the embodiment
of the principle upon which our national and
state governments are founded. No officer
who conducts the affairs of his Office in a
proper way can object to the provisions of
these bills. The advisory boards provided
for are in the nature of township and coun-
ty legislatures To them are submitted the
proposed expenditures and by them are the
moneys for those expenditures appropriated
The objection that the number of officers
is increased is untenable. The expense of
such boards is almost nothing compared
with the amounts which can be saved by
the publicity which will be given to ex-
penditures. With the adoption of these laws
l think Indiana will take foremost place
States TOWNSHIP
government.
OPINION OF A FARMER.
From the standpoint of farmer, Repre-
sentative L. C. Furness, of Porter county,
says: I'm my opinion there is an almost uni
versaI demand from the people of Indiana
that some legislation be enacted restrict
ing and regulating the powers of township
trustees and county commissioners. The Bills
116 and 1875 now before the Legislature may
be too comprehensive in some respects, but
/ regard them as steps In the right direc-
tiOn and from the fact that they can be
readily amended in the future whenever
they are found defective or oppressive
shall give them my support either in their
present form or in a modified FORM
Representative II. +. Clements of the
House, says: Il am in favor of reform. 1
don't believe in the Legislature going too
far in the matter, but only to the extent
that will best subserve the principles of
local self-government. We can't legislate
the broadcast protection by allowing them a
board or council before whom the officers
who eXpend the taxes must appear and to
which they must submit. The man who pays
the tax should be the one who passes upon
the amount collected and the purposes to
which the sums shall be applied. While we
throw safeguards around our trustees and
commissioners by the advisory board and
county council we do not brand them as
dishonest-you might as well contend that
the criminal statutes OF our States brand
all its citizens as dishonest. We owe duty
on this subject, not to any officers nor
class of men, but to the people OF the State
of Indiana No honest officer can object to
the inspection and suggestion of the people
whose money he spends. As to the creation
of new offices, the people do not object to
new offices, but they do TO the salaries paid
which, In the reform measures, is too small
for consideration.
Representative Null said: II am in favor
of the bills In a county which / have in
mind it was proposed to construct a court
house for $4,000, but it cost S100.0 600 more
before the commissioners ceased making al
lOwances and extras. The objection is made
that competent men cannot be obtained to
serve on the township and county legisla-
lures for as low salary as is proposed,
but l want to say that the best men as a
general thing will gladly serve because they
are the men who pay the taxes.
Charles F. Kennedy, secretary Of the
State Board of Agriculture, said: "In my
opinion stringent check is needed on local
officers especially township officers. There
is a slight check around county commission
ers now, but none around township trustees.
The time has come for reform"
S. f. Nicholson said: Most county and
township officers are honest, but there
should be checks 10 reach those who are
dishonest and | know Of no better way
at present than the one proposed.
Senator Nusbaum said: Reform, in my
opinion. is needed. believe that we should
try the reforms proposed in the commission
bills for l think If properly enforced those
bills will stop the abuses that exist"
Representative Roberts says: II am IN
favor of reform and will vote for the COM
mission bills.