South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-03-31
ANOTHER REPUBLICAN PRECE-
DENT.

ANOihEs IfEPUBLICAN PRECE-
DENT.
Our contention that no sin oil omis-
sion or commission Of which the Indi-
ana democracy might DE guilty. could
possibly exist for which a republican
precedent can not be found. has again
been confirmed The latest of these
alleged sins. OF which the republicans
have been seeking 20 make much cap
issl. ushers forth i'm the nature Of
criticism of the state administration
cor its call made March 10. for ad-
vancements from county treasurers on
the ST e. tax and benevolent institu-
tions fund one would think it were
something very new that had hap
pened; that is. that it was new when
such calls began being issued under
Gov Thomas r.. Marshall but reply
that has been handed out by State
Treas. GEORGIA. Bittler, tells differ
ent tale. The state treasurer gives his
reply in tine nature of a>requested let
ter 20 Carl j Weber. OF TT Wayne.
and some OF the more salient points
are. indeed interesting
Quoting state records present i'm the
treasurer Office, in appears that in
fact these advance calls for tax
moneys have been going on constant
Is since 1862. republicans and demo-
Gratis alike ndulging i'm them, only
never until Gov. MarshaI's admins
tration, were they lesalized The fol-
lowing reflects the amounts realized
by the three republican administra-
lions preceding the Marshall regime.
and everyone Of them in violation OF
state law. being literal cases Of tenn
porary misrepresentation. Follow il:
During Gov Mounts admins
tration. 1S97-1900. advance calls
On the county treaSurers brought
returns aggregating S2.9lS,S9S.Y5.
During Gov Durbins admins
trator, 190f-I904 the aggregate
returns were S4432.739.55.
During GOV. Hanly's admins
tration. 1905-190S, they were $4.
694,226.94.
Since 1905 each legislature has en- /
powered the state board of finance to |
make advance calls on county treas /
urers. covering the period for which f.
such legislature makes it's appropria- !
tions 1t merely empowers the treas /
urer Of state 60 draw ON the county
treasurers for the state money in their
hands. as he needs it, affording the
state the use instead of allowing it TO
lie idle I'm the bank accounts OF the
counties until June or November ]
This is exactly as it should be. We
would not even presume 10 criticise /
the republican governors, Mount /
Durbin and Hanly. for the enormous ]
calls made 10y them, but for the pres /
ent republican hypocrisy in seeking To (
besmirch Cows. Marshall and Ralston /
with some sort of scandal. for follow 7
ing such "a well-established though il /
legal precedent-after first having it (
legalzed Monthly remittances by !
the county treasurers. rather than /
semi-annuaI settlements. in fact. is I
what the law should be. without the /
necessity of any special calls.
1t would be splendid tribute to the /
intelligence of the people of Indiana /
If the republicans would but cease /
presuming that no such intelligence /
exists True. the public. as rule is .
short memoried. and il would be COM /
paratively easy TO mislead it were it I
not possible now and then for either /
interested or right-minded individuals (
prone to delVe into the past. TO run /
across the truth and expose IT, The /
repuhiican party has been guilty of !
too much rottenuess IN Indiana 20 JUS
1ifv &c in scandalizing any other party.
save when the purpose is to encour-
age forgetfulnoss of itself. The mat
Ter Of calls for advanCements of tax
moneys is only an instance. though i'm
this case. it goes even farther and
seeks TO make scandal out of some
thing that is no longer scandaIous,
Notwithstanding that it was, from a
legal viewpoint at least. when the re-
pubHcans were indulgiug it. Watch
the z. O. p. spelI-binders and campaign
material-makers and YOU viii find
that quite everywhere. when they take
TO charging maladministration, etc.
as is their wont. fl Is a sort of cross
between exaggeration and hypocrisy.
depending upon the shortness of the
public memory to let them get by
with Il