South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-12-18
Gov. RaiSton by Naming of
the PrOgreSSiveS Pays Old
Debt Contracted
in 1912.

News-Times Special Service
INBIANAPOLIS. Dec. is. - The
bireest development OF the week in
Indiana politics was the appoint
oent bv Gov. samuel ". Ralston Of
Fdwin n. Lee. state chairman Of
the progressive party. to the public
service commission membership
The appointment made 10 succeed
John r. Mcclure OF Anderson. a re-
nyb1ican member Of the commits
ION. apparently has reopened the
entire political controversy over the
lubIc service commission situation
and republicans are pulling their
hair in their anxiety TO figure out
some way 20 heat the game RalstOn
has So cunningly played.
Lee is entirely IN ill repute with
the republicans OF Indiana and they
re in just as bad repute with him.
Il here is absolutely no possibility
az his doing other, while on the
commission now, than supporting
the democratic program that Will
De played out there. The real mis-
tory Of the Lee appointment ano
the reasons R-alston named him
never has been printed before. Here
IL is.
Owed ProgrcssiYcs Debt.
In 1912 Samuel NJ. talstOn was
elected governor Of Indiana by a
vote that was not a plurality over
Winfield r Durbin and Albert J..
Beveridge the republican and Lro-
gressive candidates for governor, re-
spectfveIy. Ralston never has for
gotten that the progressive party
i'm that year in reality made him
governor of InClana. So ne has con-
stantly kept in mind that he owed
the official progressive organization
"a debt that ne should pay.
But when ne first went into Of
fee he had a lot of republican
friends who had aided him in his
race. In Indiana there is an i'm
mense amount OF minority party
patronage that a governor has TO
distribute The first of all these
pIums we're given TO regular repub-
Iicans by Gov. Ralston. Then the
campaign OF 1914 came on and the
progressive organization again
helped elect the democratic state
ticket. BY dividing the republicans
normal vote.
Remembers MOosers.
After that election Gov Ralston
ments TO the minority positions in
the state service over which ne has
control. But the high-salaried
pIums had already been distributed
IN great part and the progressives
mad to be contented, for the most
part with small trusteeship in state
institutions. where the pay was
FInaII and the honor smaller. Then
the term of John +, Mcclure on the
pu bic service com -rission expired.
The public service commissioners
receive $4,000 a year salaries. Nc
CIure's term expired May l, 1915.
Coz. RalstOn did not reappOint and
Mcclure just held office until this
week Every inquiry made OF the
governor as to who would be nam
I'd to I'll the place met with nom
committal answers until after the
recent election. which went against
the democratic state ticket After
that the governor SAID ne had made
up his mind but would not tell who
was to be named until later.
Now the friends OF James =.
Goodrich have been discussing. since
the election. the luscious patronage
tree that Mr.. Goodrich would be
able to shake practically as soon as
ne went into office. Jan. =. The tree
was the public service commission,
which has besides its five commits
sionerships at $4,000 annually. a le-
.gal counsel job at S3.6OO annually. a
secretary at $500 annually a sal
AIRY roll OF many thousands OF dol
lars and many other appointments.
Many Are Mentioned
The name OF dozens of "deServ-