The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-03-17
AGAIN SCORES
STATE REGIME
Lawton 7. Hemans Says Question OF
Correction of Political Abuses Is
Paramount in Next Election.

LANSING, Mich. March l7.-Law
ton T. Hemans again scored the state
administration In an address delivered
at the banquet OF the Lewis Cass club
the Democratic organization or Inghan
county, held In the Masonic temple
last night The speakers besides Mr.
Hemans were ex-Gov. Joseph w. Folk
OF Missouri, National Committeeman
Z. o. Wood, OF Flint. and State Chair
man 4. &. Shields. OF Howell.
Mr. Hemans said the question OF the
correction of abuses In the political
life OF Michigan was more funda
mental than the question OF who shall
be elected governor. de could not
reconcile the statements OF Chase IS
Osborn and Lieut.-Gov. Kelley The
former. he said. blames "Warnerism,
while the latter says. 'All Is well
The speaker said he was still wait
ing for the names OF the gentlemen
who contributed and those who ex-
pended the $4,000 for his campaign
for governor. as charged by Gov. War
Ier.
UNLESS that information is forth
coming" he said. Il shall believe that
the statement has served its purpose
and has been laid away with that
other piece OF mendacity circulated a
few days before the last election con
corning my charges as to the condi-
ton OF the state treasury. for which
the Hon. Perry Powers subsequently
made fearful apology. at the same
time insisting the result was highly
beneficial"
II have said and repeat now,' he
continued, that. the majority OF
Michigan legislatures are honest.
served In two legislatures and IT never
occurred TO me that | was the only
honest man in the bunch. II did oc-
cur TO me, however, that both legis-
latures would have done better SER
vice to Michigan had there been IN
each body 40 or so Democrats instead
of ten.
81 have attempted to always dis
cuss the finances of Michigan with
fairness and candor and not as
demagogue. In discussing the In
crease of taxation. l have said as
quoted by both the Detroit papers and
governor that the larger portion or
the increase in state tax has come
from the creation of new institutions.
new boards, new acts and new ways
for the expenditure OF money through
the greater increase of patients in our
insane asylums and our prisons.
rBut this does not make me say
that all such institutions and boards
were wisely created or that the laws
which provide for such new ways for
expenditure were wisely passed In
deed the record will show that during
my terms In the legislature and as
member OF the constitutional conven-
ton my vote was uniformly cast
AGAINST such new institutions and
statutes.
am speaking Of specific appropria'
tons l have said. as quoted by DE
trpif newspapers. and the governor
Il do not believe that the increased
expenditure comes through the ex'
travagance OF the legislature In rating
lts appropriations Does not TINS
newspaper and the governor potn
know that there are millions or dol
lars expended from the general FUND
or the state OF which a member OF the
LEGISLATURE can know nothing? NO
one with brains claims that million
or a half million dollars is taken
wholesale. annually from the state
treasnry by vulgar theft. Rottenne ss
IN government Is in detail. and II is
to- the details that l have for years
called attention.
sT am charitable enough To admit
the the governor does not understand
this. but there was time when the
newspaper did. In 1902 l was mem
her OF the Michigan Legislature. On
June %. 1902, that paper commented
editorially on a contribution from my
pen on the very question now In issue
among other things saying:
ain short, a spirit OF reckless en-
travarance pervades the whole gov
erning body. The state Is not a thing
To he served, but thing to be pluck
ed: political fealty is purchased by
the creation OF new and useless places
IN the public service or by stealthily
increasing the emoluments OF those
already In the service, while besotted
partisanship blinds the eyes OF most
and stays the hands OF those who DC
see the evil. until the exposure oil
wrcngdoing is much more regretted
than its existence
.In 1904 was still member OF the
Michigan legislature and in Septem
Der was laboring for the election OF
Woodbridge n. Ferris. calling atten'
ton to those conditions which the In
teryening years have made worse In
stead of better. On Sept. ~, that year
the Detroit newspaper. commenting
editorially on an address delivered by
me In this city, said:
""These figures are not TO be ex-
planned on any basis except that the
machine feeds Its oilers and helpers
at the expense OF the taxpayer, de-
liberately creating new places, new
salaries and new sinecures for the
support OF its heelers and understrap-
pers with the peoples money. This
is one of the fruits and evidence OF
the lack Of responsibility.