The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-09-19
He Sets Forth the Good Things Ac-
comp1fshed by the County
Administration.
THE TICKET A GOOD ONE
REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES MEN OF
HONESTY AND BRAINS.
Leon r. Morton Also Gus the
Observation-Disclosures Repub-
lican Meetings Held

ing at Castleton last night, Mr.. Brown
devoting part of his speech to the good
points of the present county administra-
ton. The greater part of Mr.. Morton's
talk was on the question of imperialism"
and he showed the the anti-Imperialists'
attack on the administrations policy in the
Philippines is an absurdity. In the course
of his talk he said:
Imperialism, There is no imperialism in
the United States of America to-day. nor
III the Philippine islands. l repeat it. there
is no Imperialism in the institution of the
government at home nor in the policy hat
is being carried out by the present admin
istration in the Philippines. Imperialism
never has and never will find root in the
hearts of true Americans. There is ex-
pansion. we own-expansion of civilization,
expansion of Christianity, expansion of
liberty for the oppressed and down-trod-
Gen peoples so lately freed from the sordid
and malignant control of Spanish fiends,
will they but accept it; expansion of edu-
cational enlightenment, expansion of re-
ligious freedom. expansion of prosperity,
expansion of the sphere of honest and un-
corrupted commercial intercourse, but i'm
perialism never. Pure and honest expan-
sion is the spirit and letter of the Consti-
tuition. imperiality its transgressor.'
MR.. BROWNS ADDRESS.
In his defense of the county administra-
ton w. T. Brown submitted figures to
prove his assertions, and among other
things he said were the following:
II wish to speak of our local affairs for
a few minutes. This is a matter which
should be of interest to every citizen of
Marion county. 1t is well for you to know
how the money you pay in the way of
taxation from year to year is being handled
and dispose of. OF course national Ques-
tons are OF great Importance and we think
more so this year than for many years.
but they are no greater perhaps than local
questions.
1T has been said If you touch a mans
pocketbook he will fight. Mr.. l.. +. Harlan
presided at the Democratic county conyen-
ton which convened on July l.. In his adj
dress before the county convention he in
oulged in some assertions which ! wish
to notice. In the course of his address he
said:
The Republican party has been in
power for q period of eight years. Can
they point to a single act which has re.
duced county Indebtedness? Is not the
bonded debt of the county the same as
twenty years ago, augmented with a float
ing debt on which interest is paid to the ex-
tent of $4,000 annually? Are the people
enjoying diminished taxation? Are there
any substantial Improvements to which
any one can point as a Justification for the
expenditure of hundreds of thousands of
dollars each year? Has there been any
diminution of running expenses? Who
will answer
ANSWER TO QUESTIONS.
81 am glad Mr.. Harlan asked these ques-
tons. 1 am glad he called our attention to
local affairs. 1t gives US an opportunity
to show what the Republican board of
commissioners nave done. In the first
place we have not had a Republican board
of commissioners but a little more than
half Of the time Mr.. Harlan says that we
have been in power. We came into full
power in county affairs in the last days of
1895, consequently we have been in power
but a little more thar four years and a
half. / want to now show you some of the
things that We have done during that time.
He asked us If there have been any perma-
nent improvements during this time? / say
yes. From the time the Republican party
came into power IL began to make perma-
nant improvements. 1t found the system
of plumbing at the Marion county work
house in a very bad condition. 1t put in a
new and improved system at the cost of
$500. 1t rebuilt the Marion County Asylum
some months before for which it paid the
sum of $4,000. 1t put a new copper roof on
the court house at an expense of $500. 1t
cut down the courthouse yard and i'm
proved the basement of the courthouse at
a cost of $24. 500, making the u~nsightly yard
of the courthouse a thing of beauty and
clean and fit for use. AT the Soldiers
Home at Lafayette they built a house for
the old soldiers of Marion county so that
those who were feeble and old would not
have to remain in the general home there
provided for them. And the commissioners
built a home for these feeble old soldiers of
Marion aTSsv county cunt rs at an expense ems of 1900; .sa
treasurer's Office. You will remember that
this was so crowded that ii was nearly i'm
possible TO transact business. This perma-
nent Improvement cost the county the sum
of $4,000. They bought the ground and
built a home for the board of Childrens
Guardians for which they paid the sum
FOR THE INSANE.
"It has been long deplored that the poor
OF the county and incurable insane should
| be compelled to occupy the same quarters.
You may know that our state asylum for
the insane will not keep the incurable in
sane. and when it is ascertained that the
patients sent there are incurable they are
returned to the county from whence they
came. So for many years a large space
of the Marion county poorhouse has been
occupied by the incurable insane. Our Re-
publican Board of County Commissioners
thought that something should be done.
The poorhouse was already crowded and
| pressed for more room. The quarters there
must either be enlarged or some new
buildings erected, so the commissioners
purchased a fine tract of land at Julietta
and have erected a fine, commodious and
elegant building I'm which TO place these
poor unfortunates of the county. For the
ground, the improvements and the building
and the equipment they paid the sum of
S127. 000.
This Republican Board of Commission
ers is now erecting and has nearly COM
pleted an entire plan TO furnish the jail
and the courthouse with light. heat and
water. The commissioners propose to fur
nish their own water, furnish their own
heat and furnish their own light. For years
the county has been compelled to pay out
enormous sums for these necessaries. The
commissioner pay for this plant the sum
OF $134.0 57. BY this plant the county will
save 5000 each year. and this sum of 5000
is nearly Z per cent. on the total sum OF
money expended in erecting the entire
plant. They have also put in new metallic
safekeeping of the books and papers at a
cost of $500. Thus you will see that ths
commissioner nave spent of your money
for permanent public improvements the
sum Of 1856. 09I.
ERECTION OF BRIDGES.
but this is not all. During this same
period of time they have erected one hun
dred and twenty bridges all along I'm length
from thirty-fve feet to five hundred fee
for which hey have paid the sum of SOS. 400
making the total sum expended for per.
manent improvements during the Repubp
sco, adminisfra fiou of S6o3 zQ7