The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-04-28

A BUSINESS NAN FOR GOVERNOR.
The nomination by the Republicans of
Indiana of Col. w. T. Durbin for Cover
year is suggestive of changing conditions
In the State. If elected. as every Repub-
lican in the State believes he will be, Col.
Durbin will be the first business man or
person distinctly representative of that
class elected Governor since Indiana be-
came a State. Nearly all the others have
been either lawyers or farmers. with a
large majority Of the former. Although
Indiana was from the beginning essentially
an agricultural State. that interest for a
long time overshadowing all others. in i'm
~portance, 1t was a long time before a
farmer was elected Governor. 1t is some
what remarkable how invariably in all new
States political leadership. honors and of
fees fall to members of the legal profess
sion. In fact. this continues to be the gen.
classes combined In Congress. state legisla-
lures and political leadership generally.
Perhaps this is as much because they seek
political leadership and honors as because
the people look to them for such services.
No doubt. also, it is partly because their
education and training makes them speak
ers. debaters, orators, and such men are
always In demand in politics. or. IL not in
demand. they are very apt to be in evil
dence. There is this to be said, however,
mere Sneoch-nnaLf ling and nrafnry ottpt
less and less in all legislative bodies and
among the people as a better estimate of
public services obtains. The kind of ora
tory that prevailed in Congress fifty or
sixty years ago would not be tolerated now.
Nowadays the men Who command the
who have information, facts or ideas worth
communicating and who know how to COM
municate them. Stump speakers of the
obsolete Tom Corwin school are not in de-
mand nowadays. Some of the most popu-
lar political orators of early days in In
diana, of both parties, "rabble-rousers'
who used to mount the eagle and make
him scream. would simply AFFORD amuse-
ment now. Since politics has come to con-
sist so largely of business the mere gift of
Of a political leader h it formerly did,
and it will count less fifty years hence
than 1t does now.
Nearly all the Governors of Indiana dur
ing the first seventy-five years of its ex-
istence as a State were lawyers. Begin
ming with the first Governors, William
Hendricks, Ray, Wallace. Bigger. Whit
comb, Downing, Wright, Willard, Lane,
Morton. Baker, Thomas A. Hendricks,
Gray, Porter, Hovey, all were lawyers.
Governors Williams. Matthew and Mount
have represented the farmers. The nomi-
nation of Colonel Durbin. a successful bust
ness man, who has never read law, but
who has shown that he possesses unusual
executive ability, aptitude for affairs and
capacity for doing things. seems indica-
tive Of changing social and business con-
ditions. Within the last few years the
business interests of the State have de-
veloped in a most remarkable manner, and
from being almost exclusively an agri-
tat ~ a Y al
manufacturing one. The people are pros
pering as never before. and the State has
entered on a career of commercial develop
ment of which the end is not in sight. Its
finances, state institutions, public af-
fairs, municipalities, corporations, fran
chises. etc., constitute a mass Of important
business, growing from year to year, that
requires first-class executive ability to
manage The people have learned that
men who manage their own affairs wisely.
p~rudently, honestly and successfully are
apt to manage public affairs the same way.
A good business man out of Office is a good
business man in office. Anyhow. the bust
ness element that contributed so largely to
the success of the Republican party and
the sound-money movement i'm 1896, and
that Is contributing so much to the growth
and progress of the State every day, de-
serves distinct recognition. 1t receives it
in the nomination of Colonel Durbin, and
his election to serve during the first four
years of the twentieth century will be
typical of Indiana's new departure and
growth as a State of great manufacturing
and business interests.