South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-07-09

70 be in a position 20 dictate Meth
er do ! pose as a constitutional ex
pert. when the proper time comes
the details OF this matter will be
left in the hands Of experts. The
people should know what they want
and then select men 10 carry out
their Wishes We do not all agree
on all things. but the suggestions
offered here may open the way for
larger consideration and more de-
tailed study.
Jury System Bad.
"Our jury system lends itself
readily 10 graft and bride. when one
man Is able 20 defeat the will OF II
other men and evade the laws OF
common justice. Our present legis-
lature converting for 81 days is in
session only once in two years. II
you nave paid any attention 20 the
vast number Of laws passed you Will
readily observe that IL is impossible
for men 10 give any sensible con-
sideration to law-making in that
short time. Their time is too linn
tied 20 do Justice 10 the many pend
ing propositions.
"Our public school system can
never be what ii ought to be until
/, the election Of the state superin-
tendent of public instruction is
brought about in some other way.
We need men eminently qualified
for this position who are something
else than a political football. Poll
tics plays too large a part in this
very important office.
Unfair Tax System.
I'VE need a change in our taxa
ton system, which is at present vir-
tually a single tax. The poor man
is allowed no exemption and the
wealthy man. with his stocks and
bonds, large income and great bust
ness enterprises. has too many
chances to escape the just payment
Of all the taxes ~ owes The big
business should be as carefully as
sessed as is the humblest cottage
and its contents.
1T is almost impossible 10 amend
our present constitution. conse-
quently many things have been toll
Grated that would be curtailed IL
the people of Indiana had a chance
at them.
We need better and broader
/ powers as to public utilities in many
of our cities. At present a city can
not go into debt more than tvs per-
cent.
I'VE need home-rule in Indiana
as well as in Ireland. In manv
places public schools lack proper
equipment. proper housing, and the
limited funds fail 70 supply the
growing needs Our own city is no
exception"
The speaker cited a place in In
diana where the fire marshal had
condemned the building and no
] funds were available for building a
, new schoolhouse, and as a result the
citizens had 70 finance the project
and then rent the building to the
city This puts our school system"
he continued, ION an unequal foot
ing with some other states
Need Qualified Officials.
MANY reforms are needed in both
city and county government. City
managers and qualified officials in
these local offices should be COM
PEELED 10 pass certain standard tests
regardless of political qualifications.
We have reached a stage in our
| progress when officials Of that sort
with no qualifications whatever for
I the offices they hold should not be
permitted to depend upon the ex-
pert knowledge of a clerk or type
writist
"Of course, along with other
! things, alien voters should be re-
I stricted in their exercise Of the right
! Of franchise. No one but citizens
/ should be allowed to vote It is high
time that We apply a limited liter
/ uralization for voters
/ Along with all these changes we
\ certainly expect prohibition of the
/ liquor traffic and woman suffrage.
Let US see 10 it that men of the
/ proper qualifications and not men Of
/ low political bias. or Of doubtful con
/ victions. or OF questionable charac-
/ ter are elected TO serve us in the
constitutional convention"
DIR. j. \. BURNETT.
N T'-. Burnett pastor Of the First
II Presbyterian church, discussed the
\ purposes of the coming convention
and traced the history of the state
since the adoption Of the first con-
stitution for Indiana in 1916. its re-
vision in 1851, and the Sc years
since. He showed how the state had
developed commercially and indus
trially in that time and that the
J population of the state during that
4 period had increased three times
what il was in 1851. He said il
would be impossible 10 incorporate
all Of the needed changes by
amending the constitution. He took
I up the questions of taxation, control
Of capital and labor, prohibition and
/ woman's suffrage, also the present
system Of giving the suffrage fran
chise to aliens II they had been in