South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-01-16
POLLY OF THE FOOLISH"

Save for the assurance that has
come 10 us OF republican encourage
ment in the agitation for the removal
Of Mayor Keller. this. plus the lack
Of real iocal democratic leadership.
some Of the letters and kilograms that
have been vending their way TO In
dianapolis during the past few days.
would be almost aggravating enough
TO provoke criticism.
AS IL is. the whole movement is
both iguratively and literally silly,
and so much so as TO be deserving only
OF supreme contempt
Let no one be deceived for an in
slant into believing that the gentle
men who represent ST. Joseph county
at Indianapolis. have so little regard
fer themselves. or respect for the COM
nunity, that. even if the republican
intrigue were absent they would be
likely 10 submit To the aggregation
whose names. so far. at least. have
erept into prominence
Mayor Keller is doing no more than
he told the people Of South Bend he
would 10 when he made his campaign.
II anything. he is not doing as much.
but thai is not the fault apparently.
that is being found with him. 1t
would be a queer sort OF legislator
that would condescend TO legislatins
man out Of office for keeping his
word Those saloon keepers. and
! those misguided friends who have
joined them in their demand for the
4 mayors removal, must be blind if
they cannot see the fallacy of the pro
gram that they are seeking to work
out Because those aforesaid sa-
loon keepers. and others whose former
| business methods have been affected
by the change Of local administrative
methods. feel that they have a
grievance. it an no way binds the
democratic party. or democratic
| members of the legislature, to making
asses Of themselves
Besides if some of these enthusi-
astlc gentlemen knew the temper of
| the present legislature they might dis
cover that the tendency is consider
ably in the direction of the very mode
of conduct on the part of public Off
4 cials. which they are presuming TO
i condemn. The liquor men are not
debating things about the state house
these latter days, quite as freely as in
some former years. a new bunch has
i taken hold Of the s0lons that are en-
gagged today in the manufacture of
state laws. and those from st. Joseph
= county are no exception. The day of
Dom Robertson. and wholesale
liquor domination, is suffering from
the effects OF sunset. The disposition
is TO separate politics from the liquor
business and the quicker the liquor
business separates itself from politics,
the better it will be for it.
Such }sctics as shortening or length
ening terms OF office by the special
benefit Of that element and Of meas
uring all legislation by the effect that
Il may have upon the business of men
who sell booze are being regarded as
having gone quite far enough. The
best thing TO do is TO forget it, Mayor
Keller is morally entitled 10 his Office
for the term for which he was elected.
and morally hound 90 make as nearly
good rs he can, and the safest thing
lor the liquor men TO do is 10 antici-
pate his determination. and keep out
Of his clutches.
We believe We are voicing the SEN
timents Of the better element in the
democratic party i'm this-that ele-
ment OF the democratic party that can
wait three years for another city
election. and which. when il comes,
would still prefer that someone else
have something TO say as we'll as those
who tend bar. and their bosses.