The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-11-18
indianapolis Merchants Asso-
citation Has Drawn Up List
Of Changes Which Should
Be Made.
SUPPORT PLEDGED BY
STATE LEGISLATORS.
Adoption of Suggestions Will
Be Means of Wiping Out
Easy Opportunity for Graft
And PIunder.
Ellis Searles.

indianapolis, Nov. 1S.-The Indiana
polls Merchants association is receiv-
ing encouragement from all over the
state in it's agitation in favor of the
passage by the legislature of laws that
will reform the methods employed in
conducting county business. If the
plan is carried through as contem-
plated by the Merchants association
It will be the means of placing the
business Of the counties on strictly
business basis and wipe out the easy
opportunities for graft and plunder
that now exist
The latest bit of encouragement
comes from Evansville, where the
commercial bodies have considered
the platform of the Merchants asso-
citation and decided to give it all possi-
BILE support.
The platform of the Merchants as
sociation includes recommendations
for the following changes in the laws:
/. Provide a uniform system of
and centralize their supervision in the
state auditor.
2. Require the governor to make
stated examinations of the books of
every county, township and city.
3. Require the county auditor to
audit before making settlements.
4. Pay the county commissioners
adequate salaries and require them to
give bond for the faithful performance
Of their duties.
5. Require the county auditor to
give adequate bond.
6. Cut off extra allowances to pub
lie officers.
Z. Forbid public officers profiting
from public contracts.
s. Require county officers to keep
public fee book.
8. Require sheriffs to feed prison
ers at actual cost.
10. Require the state auditor to
audit the school funds.
II. Compel the collection of fines
and forfeitures due to the school fund
u. Put the prosecuting attorney
and his deputies on salary.
IS. Compel the payment of all fees
into the public treasury.
IA. Require the courts to be re.
sponsible for the drawing of jurors
The atrocious miscarriage of the jury
system calls for radical reform.
15. Require preliminary examin.
ations of jurors for special venires.
16. Authorize grand jurors to make
special presentment to the governor
when conditions warrant, and require
the governor to institute special in
vestigation and prosecution of such
cases and to present the facts to the
legislature.
When the Merchants association ad
opted this platform and gave 1t to the
public 1t aroused much discussion
But within short time after it be
came public a large number of mem
bers of the legislature haN pledge
themselves to it and promised to
enact laws along the lines suggested
in the platform.
Every democratic and republican
candidate for the legislature in Marion
county, without single exception
many members of the legislature from
other counties offered their support
So it seems likely that these meas
ures will have strong backing at the
next session and that they will be
come laws.
The agitation for these reforms was
started as a result of the graft expos
ures in Marion county more than any
thing else. The exposures are vel
was claimed at the time they came t
light that the methods of conducting
the business of counties was loose
and uncertain and it was due to this
laxity of the law more than to the
criminal intent of the offenders tha
such grating was made possible. The
Merchants association holds that Il
the opportunity for crookedness II
public office is wiped out, the officers
will be conducted on clean lines and
the peoples money will not be stolen
One of the most important of The
recommendations made by the Mer
chants association is the one referrins
TO placing all officials on straight sal
aries and requiring all fees to be pait
into the public treasury.
This, 1t is explained. will enable ;
man to know just how much he is go
ing to make out of an office and will
prevent his making any more thar
that If a man is not willing to take
an office for the salary offered by the
law he cannot take 1t at ALL If hs
does take 1t and makes out of it more
lContinued on Page Twc.)