The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1916-01-08
ABUSE OF GOVERNMENT
ENDED BY DEMOCRATS
DECLARES JOHN ADAIR

Representative J. A. NJ. Adair Of
Portland. Democratic aspirant for the
gubernatorial nomination. devoted the
first fifteen minutes of his address to
an appeal to the women of Cambridge
City. He lauded the splendid banquet
that had been served, praised the
home-l0ving tendencies of the women.
suggested that the capitol be moved to
Cambridge City, and wished that wom-
an suffrage were in order that all the
women could vote for him.
Mr.. Adair's speech was q defense of
the Ralston administration and of the
Wilson regime. He paid compliments
to the efficiency of State Treasurer
Bittler and State Auditor Crittenber.
ger, and the other state o. icials.
Democrats Stand High.
This is the year the Democrats do
not have to apologize for the acts Of
the state and national administrations.
No Republican dare criticize the ad-
ministration Of Ralston. and the ma
tional administration will bear the
closest scrutiny. The constructive leg
islation of Congress has been eminent
ly successful and 1t has carried out the
pledges of the people. despite the ut
most opposition.
when the Democrats assumed the
control of the government it had been
held by the Republicans for sixteen
years. Special privileges had been
granted to the few and the masses had
been exploited. Grants had been CIV
en- to the special interests SO long that
| they looked upon them as vested
rights. When Democracy rose in op-
position there was an awful howl.
"Fffty-one men own one-thirty-fifth
OF all the wealth in United states and
they also controlled the national leg.
| islature. Men wanted to go to Con-
get wealthy. The Democrats said the
| government was not for the few but
for all. the Democracy said it would
| see that all were given an equal oppor.
tunity This was a difficult program
to carry out, both in the house and In
the senate.
Cannon Ruled House.
In the house, Cannonism ruled sup
RENE No bill could be voted on, no
action could be taken, unless the
SPEAKER said so. He appointed the
! committees. 1t was One Man power
One Man rule.
| I'm the senate were thirty-eight mil.
lionaires. 1t was a regular million
aires club. The steel, cotton and wool
en- trusts had their representatives
there. Seats had been purchased IN
the upper house, merely to control leg
islation.
when I became a member of the
lower house I introduced a resolution
asking for the direct election of sena
tors by the people. That resolution
went to Cannon's committee. 1t was
under a Roosevelt administration. But
the resolution never saw the light Of
day. The same thing happened to a
similar resolution introduced under
the Taft administration. The Republi
can newspapers of my district poked
fun at me for trying to undermine the
constitution of the United States.
went before the Republican committee
and told them that they could kill my
resolution, but l would stay in the
house as a Democratic representative
of a Republican district until Demo
cratic administration was put in, and
did The Democrats passed the direct
election of senators bill and thirty
four states ratified it.
| Party Cleans House.
"The Democrats cleaned house ant
now the people are having a represen
tative form of government
Formerly it was that the lobb,
drove out every honest representative
who fought special interests and Wal
street. Shortly after I entered con
gress attacked the moneyed interest.
that were controlling legislation. Hard
ly had | concluded before l was called
out of the chamber by Mr.. Thompson