South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-03-19
MARCH 70. 1920.
KIRBY RISKS PLATFORM AND SOME
BULLS EYES HIT AND MISSED.

While holding brief for any demo-
cratic candidate for the gubernatoriaI nomination
in Indiana-McCulloch Isenbarger Niblack or
Risk.--we frankly impressed by a letter by the
latter SIR James X. Risk Of Lebanon and LAT
ayette. to Democratic state Chairman Sallee some
parts of which incline TO give our Endorsement
even though we may be disposed indorso
the candidacy Of the auth or. Mr. Risk is very nat
urally In bad with lot Of democrats In In
diana in the face OF his record, traught with long
years effort TO reform the democratic organiza-
ton. upon the coat-taH Of which the bulk Of the
party appears 20 hans ne evidences a great deal
Of nerve in entering the for governor all
Even though with the passing Of time much for
which ne has stood has come to pass, proving that
he In most respects right it is, indeed. ex-
pectng too much Of poor, weak human nature. to
anticipate surrender Of those whom he has fought
and lighting still. or that they will do anything
to elevate him to the highest office in the states
gift
Rugged is the road OF the pioneer Of new ways
Even the forests have seemed to despise the first
settlers. The man who reaches out and pursues
untrodden courses. must a rule be content for
his reward with the consciousness of having done
a good work-this and whasso may be vouchsafed
10 him when ne gets beyond this vale Of tears
Still Mr.. Risk suggesting, least. as we it,
exactly the the democratic party needs to
pursue. some OIL principles that it needs to
III
Indiana again-regardless of whether its leader is
Risk, NiblacE Isenbarger, McCulloch or anyone
else.
Mr.. Risk has advanced about the first real plat
form with appeal TO it that we have seen He is
content with line of wholesale raillery against
the Indiana tax law, just because was passed by
a republican legislature. and signed by a rerubIi-
can governor; perhaps with a few amendments
thrOttling the UBIQUITOUS commission and
smoothing out some other kinks the best tax law
Indiana has had have no more use for
the democratic denunclation of the new tax law
for the main reason of such denuncation than we
have for the majority the United States senate
and it's opposition the League o Nations. op-
position merely because the League brought
about under "A democratic administration. and by
Woodrow Wilson Mr. Risk has az least suggest
ed to State Chairman sauee some other things
for the democratic party TO think about besides
taxes
And among those suggestions the main one that
appeals TO and which believe would make
something Of appeal TO the masses of people.
is the that get into the bandwagon of rro-
gressve states; reinstate the democratic party in
Indiana the progressive movement that Wood
Wilson. in spite of The party. of il in the
nation Mr.. Risk puts it pretty well when he says
that the for the lack of democratic
spirit in Indiana Is The lack alcoholic spirit We
have too many democrats and too many demo-
cratic leaders in Indiana. who have been trained
and nave learned TO thirS, only in channels that
amber with beer bronze with booze
Naturally the president who signed the District
OF Columbia dry bill approved the federal prohi-
btion amendment and passed it on to the states
attShed his signature war prohibition law
though vetoing the Volstead enforcement acts
in bad with democrats OF such caIiber. likewise
Bryan with his grare-juice. Daniels with his dry
navy Baker with "fve mile limit" but
just Mr. Risk asserts. there are other issues
GOOD for intelligent democracy besides cham
pioning the peeves OF the sots. He wants a pro-
gressfve. constructive program for the democratic
party rather than a reacuonary. destructive pro-
gram He not charging this latter against bis OPP
ponents. but he strongly insinuates that is the
party as a whole that is in need Of some such re-
juvenation.- encouraged by a new birth" of men
tai perspective in the old managers
Understand it again, This is not intended as an
Endorsement Of Mr. Risks candidacy not failing TO
indorse him. does II mean that we favor any OF his
opponents in preference 20 him II is merely a
serni-ar provaI OF vision that Nr Risk seems To-
have Of the revitalizing needs of the democratic
party do not agree with him for moment that
All the democratic party has ever done even i'm
Indiana. is all wrong IL has done as as the re
publicans and better proportion the oppor-
tunities Of administration that has had. We deny
that the failure OF the Ralston administra-
lion that turned the state back TO the republicans
In 1915. after Gov. Marshall had suatched It from
them 190S. The republican victory in Indiana
1916 due 10 the pro-Germanism OF the Ger
ran-Americans and tho mollycoddlin- Of them bv
the republicans. this and the LIQUOR vote turned