The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-12-15
INDIANA'S INDEPENDENCE.
Her People Well Informed and There
fore Think for Themselves.
Richmond (Ind.l Item.

Richmond Qnd.) Item.
Judging from the comments of metropol-
itan journals, the political free-thinking
of Indiana Republicans is source of won
der and admiration to people outside tffe
State. They cannot understand why In
diana, the hotbed of politics and the scene
OF the fiercest of party fights, should be so
Independent in political thought and speech
and so aggressive in political reforms.
eve say Republicans, because the fact
the Republican party is in power gives
opportunity to Republican free-thinking
If the Democratic party in the ascend
ency the same trait would no doubt be
observed among the rank and file of that
party. The characteristic is common TO
the adherents of both parties in this State)
Illinois to our west, and other States are
to-day wrestling with the problem of di-
vorcing State institutions from the SPOTS
system. With Indiana this is history, no
longer an experiment, but established
fact. Our county and township reform
laws, our progressive legislation to pro-
tect our proposed primary election laws
are only additional evidences of our po-
itical progressiveness within the borders
OF our own State. In national affairs our
Independent attitude is striking. This
State was the storm center of protest
against the injustice of the Porto Rican
bill. The deeds of Nicely had scarcely
been flashed over the cables until the Re
publicans of the State demanded his swift
and severe punishment. This was quite
in contrast TO the passiveness with which
Ohio received the news of the completely of
Rathbone. To-day the Republicans of In
diana are arrayed against the measure
which Is the child of Chairman Hanna, the
ship subsidy bill, even though they incur
the title of irregular" by their honest
criticism of bad bill: The independent
vote is strong in this State, stronger prob
ably than any other State in the Union.
1t is this vote which swings the State and
speakers of each party in campaign APP
peal TO the thinking citizens rather than
the partisaus.
That this is so is due to Indiana's edu-
cation. The Hoosier is a reading citizen.
Magazines find Indiana wonderfully good
State for sales. The newspapers of In
diana go into greater per cent. of homes
out OF the whole number than in any
State elsewhere. with the possible excep-
ton OF Massachusetts. The papers of out
side cities find an enormous sale in In
diana. Every community has library.
The home of rural delivery and the scenes
OF its greatest development, the country
districts read tons of literature every year
have broadened the horizon of the people
They do not confne their source of in
formation to one paper. and that paper the
country weekly or town daily run by
political clique of their own party. They
take two papers and read both sides of the
question. or they take independent papers.
They take magazines which discuss pub
lie problems without political bias and
from economic standpoints. Indiana peo-
pie OF either party can never be brought
back into the camp of blind partisanship
ard made TO worship certain party leaders
as a fetch, incapable of error, impossible
to corrupt Having become liberal in their
views and free in their thinking through
the literary and educational advantages
given them. they will judge men and meas
TRES. parties and movements by their mer-
its, not by their label.