Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1897-1902, 1901-02-08
Democrats Fear Whitewsshing.


The Indianapolis Press of Saturday
has this to say of the proposed investi-
gstion of state institutions.
"The democrats of the senate are not
in good mood over the investigating
committee appointments made by
Lieut.. Gov. Gilbert. They are chsrg-
ing that 1t lie to be made q whtewash-
ing affair and that the president of the
senate desired 1t to be so, or he would
not have selected the men be did
Senator Bail was made chairman of
the Jacksonville reformatory commit
tee. The other sppOihtees are Senator
Cregor, the latter the democratic MEM
| Der.
"Thst is a whitewashing committee
through and through said one of the
democratic senators, who is a strong
attorney. 'Why did he not appoint
Senator lnmsn or somebody like him
| from the minority? Crepor IS good
fellow, but he knows nothing about the
law or bookkeeping. What could be
| bring out in an investigation?
at is recalled that the republican
senate two years ago refused to unseat
Cregor in the Stoner-Cregor contest.
| Cregor has many warm friends on the
majority side, and the democrats ex-
press fear that he will not probe per-
sistently.
"Senator Ball made the motion to
table Senator Inman's investigating
resolution. Senator Joss is caucus
chairman and a friend of Mr. Hert 1t
| is said that neither would desire 70 un.
earth anything that might act inju-
riously to party interests. lie is claimed
that the entire matter is arranged 10
protect Superintendent Hert from SUI
fering from alleged extrsvagances.
"The dem Ocrats of the senate feel as
strongly about the situation In the
house. They say they are not conf
dent that Representative James. the
minority member of the house COM
mittee, will probe affairs with vigor.
A democratic senator said:
"James never said word to the
democrats about matters at the state
institutions until some of the rest of
us began to make discoveries. Sud
denly he has become active. Why
should he not have said something
soonerp
"This senator thinks Representative
| James is too much under the in fluence
of Speaker Artman, who appointed
him. Both were members of the legis
lative commission.
1.-THE minority members of the senate
committee that will investigate the
woman's prison and girls industrial
school are Senators Purcell and Corr.
They are fine men and we honor them,
said a senator, but why did the presi
| dent appoint men who have so much
at stake and cannot win without repub.
| lican support? Purcell has the Vim
cennes university claim and Corr the
state university interests. tell you 1t
is all set up against US. but l hope the
republican scheme will fail
1.-THE democratic leaders will ask that
Representative Cyrus f. Davis, minor
ity leader in the house, who is lawyer,
be allowed to question witnesses. Mr.
Davis is thoroughly in sympathy with
the investigation movement and his
questions, the democratic believe, would
bring out many facts that otherwise
would be smothered. 1t is doubtful,
however, whether Mr.. Davis will be
allowed to appear in the capacity of
attorney before the committees. If the
request be refused the democrats will
charge that there is q premeditated
effort at withdrawing"