The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-05-10
APPOINTMENTS UNDER THE NEW
REFORM LAW.

Several OF the Journals State exchanges
contain the names of members of the local
boards appointed by circuit judges under the
county and township reform laws passed by
the last Legislature. and In almost every
case the appointments are commended. In
no case are they criticised. AS was to be ex-
pected. Republican judges are generally APP
pointing a majority of Republicans on each
board and Democratic judges a majority of
Democrats. but as the law permits this it is
not a matter of criticism. The important
point is that they are appointing good, rep
resentative men of both parties who are
likely to serve the public faithfully and in a
spirit OF friendliness TO the law. AS far as
can be judged the law will have a fair trial.
The action of the circuit judges is the more
gratifying because so much depended on the
first local boards, the appointment of which
the law vested in the judges. As ii now
looks these boards are likely TO be better
constituted for taking up an original and
untried work than they would have been
If the members had been nominated and
elected by the people in the usual political
way. In at least one case, that Of the Thirty
first judicial circuit. the judge. Hon. John
III. Gillett. took the extra pains Of sending
each of his appointees a circular letter ex-
planning in a general way the object of the
new laws and the dignity of the Offices crea>
ted by them. After expressing lis hope that
notwithstanding the small compensation the
appointees would consent to serve, the judge
declared his own sympathy with the object
of the laws and named the following as their
leading advantages:
First-To compel officers to keep their ex-
penditures within appropriated money. This
Is in analogy TO the administration of the
federal and State governments. and tends to
cut off nonessential expenditures of money,
not only because the particular expenditures
may be unauthorized by the board, but for
the further reason that each officer eXpend-
ing money realizes that he must conserve,
at least in a measure, the funds at his dis
posal. in order that there may be money to
the credit OF the particular fund TO meet ex-
penditures thereafter becoming necessary.
Second-A further purpose which this law
serves is to ADMIT a small but representa-
tive body Of taxpayers into a knowledge CT
what each officer is doing, and to give such
taxpayers some check upon the officers
action. This is in analogy to the New Eng
land town meeting. where taxpayers ener-
getically guard the undue expenditures of
public moneys, because they realize that
they must personally bear the penalty Of ex-
ia me CtA4Oo "a NV
In demand. but appropriations should be
made with a full realization that a moral re-
sponslbility attaches to prudently administer
the trust
To this were added some on the
Importance of an honest and business-like
administration of local affairs, as the source
and foundation of all good government. and
on the real dignity of such local government.
On this point the circular says:
Men who have acquired the broadest repu-
tations have afterward served the people in
the discharge OF the duties of the so-called
minor offices. Emerson was a p~oundmaster.
The late governor general of India, who
represented British sovereignty in a court
more splendid perhaps than that which the
Queen herself enjoys, stated as he was about
TO leave India, upon the expiration of his
term of office, that he looked forward to his
departure with pleasure, because Of his de-
sire 10 participate in the governmental af-
fairs of his home city. The man who pos
sessed the greatest genius for government
stated. in his old age. that he counted as
one of his highest honors his selection, by
his home people, TO serve on a local admins
trative board.
Other judges may not have taken as much
pains as Judge Gillett did to impress their
appointees with the true spirit of the new
laws. but 1t is believed that in every case the
appointments have been made with care and
with a view Of putting the administration Of
the laws in the hands of their friends.