South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-12-08


ed by the Marion county grand jury,
there is another feature Of past legis-
'ative methods brought out by the re-
port, that ought TO have a wholesome
effect We refer To the criticism of
The lobbyists and the need of an anti
lobby law. Assembly rules regulating
his branch of legislative interference
were reported as proposed two years
ago, AID they were very good ones
out TO propose them seems To- have
been as far as it went
Here again is place where the
legislature should have had the te-
merity TO break away from old GUS
TOMS, same as with regard TO the work
of the sOcalled "plunder" committee.
The right of the citizen 10 call upon
his representatives in the legislature.
and discuss with them the pros and
cons OF a pending measure, is inner
emily right. and must be preserved
but the paid lobbyist must 90. Neither
did he come for the first time with the
last legislature. as a Sufficient for the
day" reader of the grand jurys report
NlAkAA ~ EnlllAt. 4Ntil uOFS IL AOllbW
that, because il was a democratic leg
islature. all the active lobbyists were
democrats Lobbying abort a legisla-
ture. even in Indiana. is much older
than even the "plunder" committee,
and infinitely more pernicious. Ii
ought 10 have been stopped long ago
when Marshall. Hanly, Durbin,
Mount. Matthews. Chase. Hovey. Gray.
Porter. Williams. yea, even when
Hendricks. Baker or Morton, were
governor.-but it has taken our long
suffering public a long while to ac-
cumulate a public sentiment capable
of making the stoppage popular.
Mention of Mayor Joseph f. Bell,
Of Indianapolis, and of Bernard
Korbly democratic state chairman, in
the grand jury report, as paid lobby
lists. is no more criticism of dem
ocracy. please take notice, than is
mention of John C.. Ruckelshaus, then
"A member of the republican state cen
traI committee a criticism of repub-
Hcanism 1t is the men, not the party
that INDUCES in such business. only
.he party in control of an assembly,
ought not TO permit il. Had the jury
gone back to the days of Hanly, Dur
bin. et al. il might have criticised
many other republicans than Ruckel-
shaus. lobbyists from within the ma
jority party being naturally preferable.
and too. there were other republican
lobbyists about the state house two
years ago whom, perhaps, the grand
Jury might have scorched, had not
hot blast at democracy have been the
main purpose.
But the politics OF it all aside, the
grand Jury has the basis of a much
needed reform all ON its side, when 1t
says:
The evidence i'm this invesuga-
tfon dfsc1oses O. situation th1t calls
aloud for penal legislation upon
the subject of what is called lob
byinE'' about the legislature. II
shows that men of great political
influence. ON account of their po-
sition i'm some Instances, and their
relation TO party organization. do
not hesitate To demand and re-
Ccive large sums of money, run
ming into thousands OF dollars. 10
influence and control the leSisla-
ton of the state.
Tt is the wise policy and the law
OF the state at this time that no
man may receive pay for endeav-
oriug to influence votes at an
election.
such conduct lobbying as de-
scribcd aboVel upon the part of
so-caued political lobbyists
thwarts the very purposes of po-
litical parties ana destroys their
that are laudable or for the pub
lic good. destroys the confidence
IN the men who are elected To Of
flee ON party tickets. destroys the
confidence of members of political
parties i'm their party and causes
them to feel that 60 is not worth
while % attempt 10 take part IN
their party affairs or take part i'm
the affairs OF gov eminent i'm any
way
And there YOU have it. Tt is good /
partisanship as well rs good govern .
ment 10 get rid of these influences. +
What makes for better government al .
ways improves public confidence in .
the partv~that does IT, so that it is
good craftsmanship even. TO relegate /.
lobbyism 10 the rear IL should have I.
been done long ago but as usual I.
someone has go Doe taken 20 task, and +
the community and the parties given 7.
JOLT. before enough enersy can be /
generated TO effect a move. /
II is the same old story; our ever /
lasting disposition Co stick TO the f.
same old way OF doing things. until .
one might almost say. the devil him. /
SELF determines 70 pry us loose. There [
Is no moral consolation for the re- I
publcans 10 what has happened; none +
whatever. save that the democrats (
have had the last chance. and IL is /
,he democrats that have happened to I
be ina power at the time oI the eNplo- /
sion A grand jury might as wei /
have found these indictments when
The republicans were in power and /