The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-08-23

every taxpayer between the lake and the
river. and that issue is whether or not the
administration OF State affairs shall De
turned over 10 the political freebooters and
treasury hooters. who In the past I'VE years
have plundered the city OF Indianapolis I'M
til to-day il stands with a depleted treas
ury, with city obligations unpaid Tor want
of funds, with temporary loans made
monthly to pay salaries of city employees;
with an increased bonded debt OF nearly
$sc0.000: with a record of government by
the gang and for the gang. with personal
and political favorites rewarded at the ex-
pense OF the common people; with valua-
bic public franchises bartered or given
away for the benefit OF whom IL may con-
Germ: with an increase in city expenditures
of over 30 per cent: with not a single pub
lie Improvement made without an issue OF
bonds: with repeated, open and nagrant
violations of the spirit and letter of the
city charter; with n candidate for Cover
nor who, as city attorney, brazenly advises
the use of a specially pledged fund TO tide
over financial difficulties caused by almost
criminal extravaganza and mismanage-
ment: with a city tight in the clutches or
an asphal paving ring; with q city whose
every department is under the domination
and control of political bosses-are these
the men TO whom the people are willing TO
transfer the treasury of the State or In
diana. i say TO you, my friends, that this
is the issue for us TO determine.
REPUBLICANS IN CITY COUNCIL
1T has been said that the Republicans
IN the City Council have. by their action
in insisting that the Democratic city ad-
ministration use the balance of the bridge
funds for current expenses instead of MAX
ing a larger temporary loan, admitted that
the mayor, controller and city attorney
were correct in their claim as to their
right, under the charter, to use such funds
for temporary purposes. Nothing could be
further from the truth. The Republican
members of the Council maintain that the
city administration, having by a sharp
legal bubble, injected the words general
fund into a specific ordinance, contrary
10 the usual wording of such ordinances
and the spirit of the charter-a thing done
solely to enable the administration to use
this money for current expenses and thus
deceive the people at the time Of an cleo
ton as to the true condition or the general
treasury-so used this money during the
months of October, November, December
and January, and having continued such
use until the mask was stripped from
them by a Republican Council, shall not
now seek to evade the responsibility for
their acts by hypocritical pretense of their
u~nwillingness TO touch this bridge money
for any purpose other than that for which
1t was borrowed. They used the money so
long as they were able to conceal their
actions from the people; they injected the
words general fund into the ordnance
in order that they might do so; they paid
their boo gangs for scraping the unim-
proved streets: they wasted nearly 5000 100
of the money in the months of September
and October alone. for useless work upon
such streets; they delayed the letting OF
the contracts for the bridges provided for
in such ordinance, and they delayed the
commencement of work on such contracts
for six months or more that they might
use this money; hence, we now insist that
they stand by the legitimate results Of
their own actions.
LAS lovers OF good government, as rep
representatives of a debt paying and not
a debt creating party. as men who believe
that the flag of our Nation can never be-
come the symbol of oppression, as men
who believe in the perpetuity of the in
situations of our country. perform we'll
the duty you lave before you to-day and
victory will crown our efforts. not only in
the State and county, but throughout the
Nation"