The daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1904-1905, 1904-10-11
IT'S UP TO THEM
Indiana Democratic Leadership Given
Chance to Make Good.
SINCERITY OF PLATFORM CLAIMS

Ing the Correctness or ConfesSing
the Faisity of Their charees-An
Opportunity to Swell the Campaign
Fund Which Remains Unembraoed.
In an open letter to Hon. w H.
O'Brien, chairman of the Democratic
State Central Committee, Governor
Durbin offers splendid opportunity
to the Democratic organization to
make good" on Democratic platform
charges against the state administra-
ton. In fact he offers to help swell
the Democratic campaign fund if the
facts regarding the character and pur-
pose of institutional management are
made public by a method readily
available The letter follows:
indianapolis, Ind, Sept. "a. 1904.
To the Hon. w. H. O'Brien,
Chairman Democratic State Central
Committee,
Indianapolis, Indiana.
Dear SIR
In the platform unanimously adopt
ed at the state convention of the
Democratic party, upon which it's sew
eral candidates for state Offices and
the general assembly are making
their campaign for election, appears
the following:
"The administration of Cover
nor Winfield T. Durbin is
mournful and humiliating illustra-
ton Of the decadence of the Re-
publican party in Indiana under
it's present leadership. Through
his persistent endeavors to build
up a personal political machine,
the efforts of his Republican and
Democratic predecessors to put
the state benevolent and penal in
situations on nOnpartisan basis
have been nullified. He has in
sisted on the control of subordin-
ate appointments" etc.
Either these charges are true or
they are untrue. If true, the conduct
of state affairs during the past four
years, and it's endorsement at the Re-
publican state convention, deserves
the disapproval of the people of this
state and amply warrants the retire
ment of the Republican party from
power in Indiana. If untrue, if known
to be untrue when they were given ut
terance through state platform, and
II unsupported by any substantial evil
dence, they call for popular condem-
nation, not only because the bearing
of false witness in matter so i'm
portant to the people of Indiana would
be an offense as dishonest as the NAL
feasance it alleges. but because it
would have vital bearing upon the
sincerity of your party's platform pro-
nouncements with reference to the at
titude Of those nominated by your con-
vention toward the states penal and
benevolent institutions in case Of their
election. Of course nothing could be
hoped for from an administration
elected upon false pretenses, and if
these candidates propose to revolu-
tionize conditions in Indiana institu-
tons should they be entrusted with
responsibility, it is important that we
should know what present conditions
really are
Happily there is available a method
of determining the truth Or falsity of
these plain statements in your party
platform The law of the state pro-
vides for democratic representation
upon all the institutional boards Of the
state except that of the state prison,
and upon this board I have voluntar-
lily placed a Democrat. Upon another
board, that of the institution for the
education of the deaf and dumb, |
have placed two Democrats, consti-
tuting a majority of the board, because
the second Democratic apointee pos
sesses qualifications which l desired
to press into the public service I
have appointed upon these boards
men whom you will call representa-
tive Democrats when you have seen
the list, substantial business men Of
unquestioned probity and of sufficient
public spirit to make certain their
careful attention to the duties en-
trusted to them. The sacred duty i'm
posed upon these men, particularly
because of tIeir membership in the
opposition party, is that of preserving
the institutions of the state, which be-
long to all our people, against any
effort to prostitute them to personal
or partisan ends. There is not one of
these men who would be suspected by
those who know them of disposition
to betray private trust.
There is not one of them who is not
serving the state at personal sacri-
fee, because nothing approaching ade-
quate compensation for their services
is or could we'll be provided by law,
and therefore there is no one Of tbo,,