The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-23
Former Attorney General w. III. H.
Miller Among Those Who Are
OutspOken Against 1t.
OPPOSE A BACKWARD STEP
TWO FORMER SPEAKERS OF THE
HOUSE TALK BRISKLY.
Samuel b. Sweet, Roscoe o. Hawkins
and Others Give Expressions
From the Outside.

An effort made last night to secure the
expressions of number of well-known
men of Indianapolis on the bill for the re-
organization of the Indiana Reformatory
brought out two interesting facts-first,
that the general sentiment is against the
bill; second, that comparatively few of the
men who are in any sense in public posi-
tons had the courage of their convictions
and would go on record as opposed to the
bill. Politicians, business men, State and
federal officers and men who are in any
degree interested in legislation now be-
fore the Legislature, or that is to come
before it at this session, acknowledgement
literally, in some instances-ran the mo-
ment the reporter preached the subject and
asked for an interview.
w. II. III. Miller. who was attorney gen.
eral under President Harrison's admins
tration, yesterday gave a statement to the
News in which he criticised the bill severe
ly. He said:
LAS 1 understand. there has heretofore
been practically no dispute among Re
publicans that the system was right, and
that the law in its effect has been benefi-
cent.
eff the law is not being properly adj
have not been doing their duty, the law
provides how that may be remedied. -,
1T seems to me the Governor should
not hesitate an instant to put his charges
in writing. If he is unwilling TO do that
1t would look to an outsider as If there
might not be any good grounds for
charges.
1.-The members of the Reformatory board
| are reputed to be men of highest char
| acter and intelligence. Some Of them /
know to be such. 1t is incredible to me that
81
| tives or with lack of intelligence"
Mr.. Miller then referred to the point that
has been made by the supporters of the bill
| that the present board of managers of the
| Reformatory should be ousted because 1t
acted without consulting the Governor In
| the appointment of a general superintend-
ent.
upon the same principle" he said, cit
| has occurred to me that an effort might be
made to legislate the Indianapolis Board
| of School Commissioners out of office be-
cause that board has generally selected
nonresidents to be superintendent OF our
| schools.
Again it is claimed that there was some
| discourtesy to the Governor in the action
| taken by the Reformatory board in APP
| pointing a superintendent without con-
| sulting him. The statute prescribes the
| Governors duty shall simply be to select
and appoint good men as members of the
| board, and If they fail to do their duty,
| a part of which is TO select a superintend-
ent. they may be removed on written
charges.
1T seems to me there would be just as
much propriety In asserting that judge
| Governor under the law, would be dis
| courteous to the Governor if he failed to
| consult him to the decisions he might
make, or the bailiffs he might appoint
| about his court.
| Except upon the old claim ito the VIC
| tors belong the spoils'-except upon that
| hypothesis Ii Is to me unntelligible that
| there should be an attack upon the gov
1 eminent institutions
cially when the. system was inaugurate6
only after years of msmanagement and
| after long struggle for reform.
OTHER EXPRESSIONS.
Other expressions were secured as fol.
| lows:
Samuel B. Sweet, president of the Column
| ba Club: IT have been opposed to the Re
formatory bill from the very start l thnl
| that it would be bad politics to pass it, but
| more than that, think the bill is thorough
ly bad in principle. 1t means step back
| ward in the management of our institu
| tons, and 1T is an extremely bad preceden
| to establish for future Governors and flu
| ture Legislatures
| in 1895: 1T strikes me that II is not prop
erly function of the Legislature to wielt
club at the behest of anybody. Thi
Dill is nothing more nor less than clul
with which the executive seeks to reveng
himself for a real or fancied grievance
However, l believe that that grievance il
without Justification even if 1T is real. Tn
members of the present board of manager
are men of too high character to be sum
marily removed without any other reason
than the desire of the Governor. who feel
management of the affairs of the Reforma
tory. If the board is not supposed to man
age the institution why was 1t ever created
The bill is wrong and should never b
passed.
Roscoe o. Hawkins: 1T feel that 1t woul
be grave mistake to pass this bill TIL
members of the board of managers of tn
Reformatory are men of integrity and o
exceptional ability, and they should no
be legislated out of their positions an
subjected to the odium that such an actor
a fair and impartial hearing direc
| charges. / have heard of no charge
against them other than that they hav
ernor and surely that is not sufficient rea
son for the passage of this bill If tn
board is incompetent, If ii has mismanage
the States affairs. If there is anythin
wrong in the institution. let there be an In
vestigation, and then, If due cause is shown
let the Governor remove them, he ha
the power under the existing law"
| Frank l.. Littleton, speaker of the Hous
in 1899: II am opposed to the Reformation
bill. The sentiment of the people of tn
State is against the bill, and the member
of the House will discover this when the
go home next Sunday. If number of tn
representatives who are now for the bill d
not change their positions after a Wis
| nome L shall De greatly surprised. The bi
is simply piece of peanut politics"
Larz Whitcomb. member of the Hous
from Marion county In 1901: 81 have bee
out of the city for several days and / hav
not had an opportunity to examine til
| bill, but from what L have heard of IL, an
on the general principle of the thing. / bt
lieve that II Is wrong. believe that tn
enactment of the bill would prove se RI
board. II would make them all subsel
Went to the Governor and do not beiey
that the law providing for the present sy:
tenn of the management of our institution
contemplated such condition of affair
Every board should be absolutely indepent
ent and If II mismanages the affairs OF ii
Institution IL controls then II is time to pr,
fer charges against the board and Dust it,
Harry b. Gates said he was opposed
the bill and thought IL would be a gres
mistake TO reorganize the Reformatory
contemplated In the bill.
Sentiment at Wabash.