Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-02-23
HOW TERRE HAUTE
CRUSHED THE GANG"
With Political Conditions Similar to Those
Here the People Woke From Iethargy
and Used Their Power--First Instance of
Federal Interference in State Election.
By IRWIN L. GORDON

| ticn" has come to signify in American poll
! tics; ana yet the chapter is one of victory
! for civic honesty.
1t is one which tells Of a city awakened
of titanic battle waged by men and women
to down plundering political ring, of a
struggle between civic righteousness and an
unholy alliance of liquor, contractor bossism
and debauched ballot Moreover, It is a
chapter of enlightenment, wherein may be
found the solution of many problems con-
fronting cities which smart under the lash
of dominant political organization.
Terre Haute, Ind, has overthrown "the
gang" The Organization which for years
fattened upon the giving of franchises, mu-
niclpal contracts and liquor tribute, and in
trenched itself through unlimited patronage
has fallen. The doors of a United states peni-
tentiary now stare the leaders in the face
Gone is all the political arrogance, the CON
troll of Councils, the mastery of a corrupt
magistrate system, of office power, of
tract graham Organization house built on the
sands of political power has fallen and the
place thereof shall know 1t no more
Eighty.seven Pleaded Guilty
One hundred and fourteen officials their
ward leaders and tools, have been indicted
by a United States Grand Jury on the charge
pleaded guilty to all the charges, have turned
States evidence, and placed the responsibility
for their wrongdoing squarely on "the men
higher up"
The 81 men-including Mayor, a County
Judge. Sheriff minor officials and lieu
tenants-who pleaded mot guilty" are
awaiting trial before Judge A. b. Anderson,
in the United States Circuit Court at In
dianapolis.
While the story of the arrests, of the great
est political cleanup ever made in an Ameri-
can city is one of intense dramatic value
and human interest combining, 1t does
the laying bare of one of the worst political
machines in the country, and the remark
able fight made by women to improve and
rectify conditions, the fundamental value of
the situation lies in the action taken by the
United States Government.
For the first time in the history of the
United States the Government has stepped
into State and made the demand that
tional elections shall be conducted honestly
For the first time in the history Of the United
States, the Government has caused the arrest
of city officials, election officers and repeaters
and charged them with conspiracy for de-
bauching the ballot In short, the Terre
Haute case goes beyond Indiana. 1t is ma
tonal in its scope.
The Government is making test to deter
mine whether 1t has the power to compel off,
cials and voters to comply with the laws,
holding that in an election wherea Senator or
a Representative is to be chosen, those who
commit fraud in the polling place defraud the
United States
A Federal Test Case
The general proposition is this: Has the
Government the right to interfere in cleo
tions which heretofore have been regarded as
strictly State matters? The Attorney General
of the United States has declared that the
Government has Jurisdiction; Judge Ander-
son, before whom the dynamite conspirators,
whose arraignment followed the attack on
the Los Angeles Times building were tried,
and who is one of the ablest Judges in the
country has likewise declared his court has
jurisdiction and will try the accused men.
Upon the outcome of the case, which will
undoubtedly go to the Supreme Court hangs
the definite decision of the question of super
vision of elections by the Government.
True the stand taken by the Government
and the ultimate disposition of the Terre
Haute case will not affect strictly municipal
elections, except indirectly, but the glaring
light which has been turned upon this city
and the methods employed to bring about the
Government investigation will have a far
reaching result.
At any rate, the panic caused throughout
the Middle West the wholesale confessions
and the stand taken by the Government will
have a lasting national infuence-at least
at the time Congressman or Senator is to
be chosen by the people.
Terre Haute's Shame
Terre Haute has come to be known as ''the
hell hole of Indiana" 1t has been stamped
by the Government white slave agents as
the most wicked city in the country While
there were possibly more cases OF thuggery at
the polls at the last election more open vio-
lations OF the law, the system and the organ
ization which controlled city and county
present striking parallel tn that OF Phila-
delphia and the men who are at it's head.
Identical was the contractor -bossism, the
liquor domination, the patronage power, the
bipartisan Influence,
Terre Haute has had all OF these She has
turned millions into the hands of the favored
contractors has voted for those who propped
up contractor control has permitted the Tag
gart machine to rule supreme and gather in
the taxes with slight return 10 the taxpayers
Unaware OF that latent power which
eventually swept these men from their posi-
tions which deposed the "liquor king" OF
Indiana and his agents from their stand be-
hind the politicians. the citizens permitted
this Democratic bipartisan machine TO
throttle the viii OF the people smarting
under the lash of tyrannous leaders the peo-
pie time after time made attempts to
overturn the machine, but. with every branch
OF the municipal government In the hands OF
the leaders. with the courts favorable TO the
perpetrators of political crime. no redress