The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-10-03
A CHANGE Is NECESSARY.

SIX years or the IdSSdIL nomination III
city affairs has increased the bonded debt
80 per cent. and the annual levy upon tax
able property 21s per cent. When a can
didate declares that this sort Of thing is
admirable and that he will continue it if
he shall be elected mayor it is time for a
change.
When the mead Of the coterie which has
controlled the city six years goes about to
beer meetings and declares hat "the laws
have no discretion" and that he would use
his OWN discretion in enforcing them, thus
declaring that he will enforce only those
laws which meet his appreciation, and his
chosen candidate to succeed him a~pplauds
such violation of official oaths and such
a setting aside of the laws Of the State,
It is time that there should be a change.
When the city has reached the limit for
the borrowing of money with which to build
bridges and extend the fire department TO
meet the growing demands of the city,
and makes no provision for the payment Of
such bonds, it is time for a change that
Will give the city a pay-as-you-go policy in
order that there may be a margin between
the debt limit and the amount of indebt-
edness that can be used in an emergency.
Six years ago, when the Taggart regime
came in, indianapolis was paying its way
without either temporary loans or bond
issues on a levy of 60 cents, and the bond
ed debt was one-third less than the limit
to Indebtedness. At the end of six years a
tax levy Of Il cents fails to pay current
expenses and the borrowing limit has been
reached; yet the city is so much in need of
money to pay overdue bills that the city
attorney is compelled to make a long ar
gument to prove that the constitutional
debt limit may be ignored. Intelligent citi-
zens must see that a change is imperatively
necessary. Yet the Democratic candidate
for mayor follows the official who is re-
sponsible for this condition from meeting
to meeting, saying: ELECT me, and this
sort of thing will be continued. 1 am the
selected and anointed me too by the
originator of this method of increasing
expenditures
Months ago 1t was shown that the fines
imposed by the municipal court against
those who violate the laws were not being
collected by the city clerk, and that the ag-
gregate of the delinquency due TO one Of
the most Jealous supporters Of the present
rule amounted to several thousand dollars.
The violation Of law by this official of the
regime was so notorious that a deputy Of
the attorney generals office has been put in
the city clerks Office to compel the en-
forcement of the sentences of the municipal
court against gamblers and others Offend
y IL tho votarS Of Tn1ionanoIiC do nor
believe that the DEGREES of the municipal
court shall be rendered null and void by
a mere recording officer they must see
that it is time for a change.
Under an ordinance of the city passed in
July, 1890, by the Sullivan Council, licenses
are being issued by the city controller in
defiance of the laws of Indiana governing
the issue of licenses to dealers in liquors.
In several instances known to the Journal
the controller or license inspector has is
sued licenses to men who have no license
as provided by the laws of Indiana. There
is no reason why, under this ordinance, in
defiance Of the laws of the State, licenses
may not be issued TO all the men to whom
they have been refused by the County
Commissioners, even if they were supported
by the petitions of a majority of the voters,
as provided by the existing statute. Those
who hold such licenses escape the payment
of the state license. A change is neces-
sary to put IN end to this sort of thing.
The reasons why a change is necessary
in the city government could be extended
TO cover columns. Those which are here
given are simply samples of the reasons
which could be given. They are. however,
sufficient to show that a change is neces-
sary.