The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-30
1t Ii Not Intended to Use the Organ.
fzatiOn to Fight Any Particular
Administration.
GOOD MEN FOR PUBLIC OFFICE
THOUSANDS OF CIRCULAR LETTERS
WILL BE MAILED TO-DAY.
Effort Will BE Made to Enlist Public
Spirited Men-Other Political
News of Interest.

"A wrong idea has got abroad in regard
to the purpose of the Citizens League"
said Secretary George E. Hunt. of the
Commercial Club. last evening. in speaking
of the new organization. 'The report has
been started that the league is being
formed to oppose the denomination and
reelection of Mayor Bookwalter. This is
wholly untrue. Such an idea never entered
the minds of the men who are leading in
this movement.
'"The Citizens League is based upon a
principle too broad to admit of its fighting
any one man as its primary work. We
expect to make the league a permanent or
ganization, that will grow in influence from
year to year, and that will not attain its
full power for several years yet. If its pur-
pose were solely to fight the present city
administration it would be merely tenn
porary organization. The purpose of the
league. as announced explicitly in our
statement to the public, is to secure the
nomination and election of honest and ca
pable men, irrespective of party affiliations,
to all city, township and county offices.
To carry out this work it may become nec-
essary at times to oppose some men who
are seeking public office. but the league is
not an anti-Bookwalter organization, nor
is it an anti-Taggart organization In fact,
it is not anti-anything, except dishonest,
unbusiness-like inefficient administration of
public affairs"
Mr.. Hunt is acting temporarily as secre-
tory of the league and he is busy at pres
ent carrying out the preliminary work of
the organization. To-day he will mail sew
eral thousand circulars to the voters of
Marion county, calling attention to the new
movement and asking cooperation. AL
ready he has received large number of
letters and telephone communications from
citizens indcrsing the movement and ask
ing that they be permitted to take part In
it. A gratifying feature of several of the
letters was that they contained checks for
amounts ranging from $40 to s25, with as
surances from the writer's that they will
be glad to lend further financial support
to the cause These voluntary subscrip-
tions assure Mr.. Hunt and the other men
interested with him in starting the league
that 1t is meeting with far better recep-
ton than they had anticipated, and that
their work will be comparatively easy.
Mr.. Hunt said last evening that he had
no means of estimating the number of men
that could be enlisted in the league beyond
the result of the work in forming the
Municipal Voters League, of Chicago
which is a similar organization. When the
Chicago League was formed circulars were
sent out to every voter in Cook county
and thirty thousand replies We're received
about 10 per cent of the total number OF
voters In Marion county there are a lit
tie over fifty-eight thousand voters and
Mr.. Hunt said that he would be extremely
gratifed if he receives replies from one
tenth of them to the circular which he will
send out to-day.
WILL BE FEW MEETINGS.
II is not anticipated that there will ever
be a meeting of the members of the league
The members will be kept informed of all
movements through the newspapers and
personal letters and the only meetings will
be those of the executive committee, which
will maintain headquarters similar to those
of the party organizations, with a presi.
dent and secretary in charge. The work
of the league at the start will consist in
collecting data for future use. The records
nj every public officer In the city town.
shin and county will be investigated and ar
index file made showing just what each ma n
has done on important questions This is ?
work that will grow from year to yea,
as more men enter politics.
IN Is also proposed that the league So.
cure an assistant secretary whose dutx
q shall be TO attend every meeting y,
the CITY Council and keep the record n,
every member OF the Council on al pub