The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1917-06-08
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D|SS|PATE RESERVE
Six Millions to the Coed Left
BY Democrats islRapid.
ly Vanishing. Ii
BUILDING mo MEAN CITY,
Some Eye-O pening Facts Showing Why
Opposing Newspapers so Bitterly De-
nounce and Prosecute Mayor, Bell.

By Willis S. Thompson.
Indianapolis, June 6.-When Govern
nor Thomas r. Marshall, Auditor W.
II. O'Brien and Treasurer w. H. Voll-
mer took over the job of managing
state finances, they found a Republi-
can debt of $2,6O9, 1912. Cash in the
treasury was only ~S9,463.91. All the
counties had been MIXED dry with de-
mands for advance payments, future
revenues had been anticipated and
spent, with nothing coming in from
any source.
All state institutions we're run
down and needing extensive repairs.
None were properly or decently sup
ported. Repairs were made, new in
stiutions built, paid for and placed
under efficient non-political manage
ment. All state debts made by Re-
publicans were paid. The day Gov
ernor Goodrich took Office there was
turned over to him an actual cash
balance of $3.50 ,331.94, with not one
penny Of debt.
The first day of June, five months
after he received the big Democratic
cash balance. this cash on hand had
been reduced to So, 329, 3S7. 10, and
strenuous efforts have been made for
the full five months to find a way to
levy extraordinary taxes in order to
cover the deficit which the Republic
an administration anticipates. Fine
comparison of records.
Since when Thomas Taggart was
mayor of indianapolis, no man who
has held that job has been so vicious
ly and maliciously abused by the press
as has Mayor Joseph E. Bell. Since
when Taggart was mayor no man in
the job has done so many construc-
tive things. Mayor Bell has done
larger things and more of them that
permanently benefit the people than
all the mayors that ever preceded.
He has done big things that. others
promised but never did. He has done
them economically and thoroughly.
His record stands today as one of
the strongest reasons for believing
that the next mayor of Indianapolis
is going to be Dick Miller, the Dem
ocratic nominee. While it has cost
him unlimited personal abuse and viii
lifcation, he has demonstrated that
it is good for the people at large to
have officials who will not surrender
government to INSCRIPTIONS newspa-
pers, even when they go so far as
to indict, and to conspire with prose-
cutors to pay the peoples money for
perjured witnesses In attempting con-
viction.
Much was done to retard all things
undertaken during the past four
years. When he was elected mayor,
Bell had promised that he would ele-
vate all railroad tracks. The retir-
ing administration, dominated by the
News, sought to wreck his plans and
give contracts to suit the railroads
and throw a last reward to their po-
litical friends. The first act of Mayor
Bell was to repudiate these contracts,
which provided for lowering all
streets into dark tunnels under the
tracks and ~depreciating property val
ues for many blocks either way. He
demanded track elevation of the
right sort, and he got it. Trains will
run over these elevated tracks dur
ing 1917. Other cities of the state
will sooner than some may imagine
be confronting this same problem.
The work of Mayor Bell stands a mod
ell of speed and good results.
A stream of no mean size and a
menace to the health of a large part
- H. Dn@,1o%;0, LII f-~l
didates with stuff to talk about for
years. They had all promised to COW
er this nuisance. Joseph Bell prom
ised it. The News said he could not
do this and all the things he was
pledging. After the election the
News and the retiring administration
hurried a contract to go to their
friends. That contract stands today
to accuse them. 1t provided for pay
ing $1,800,000 for the job rushed
through in a haphazard way. Mayor
Bell stopped the signing of the con-
tract by court injunction and was de-
nounced for so doing. When he took
his seat as mayor he let the contract
on proper bids and specifications, and
1t is finished and cost the city S907,-
600, just half what the News and its
friends tried to pay for the job. Four
automobiles can drive through this
drain abreast.
Candidate Bell also promised flood
protection. He said he would build a
levy, have a boulevard on top of it,
with parking and sidewalks, and
would do it inside of 81, 500, 900. The
News said this impossible promise
made him unfit for the job, that he
could not do it for 5 5000, 600. He did
not get to start until the legislature
of 1915 gave him an enabling act.
That levy, with boulevard and park
ing, is complete. 1t cost the city less
than $1,000, 600. Not a word of cred
it from newspapers. Indianapolis is
the only city in any state that has
this work done since the food of 1913.
He is lighting the city by the best
and cheapest contract in the United
States. 1t is saving the people more
than a million dollars in the ten years.
The News and the public service COM
mission tried to kill the contract. and
Mayor Bell, backed by public senti-
ment, won.
The story IL not half toll NJ NO,