Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-02-14
BY FELIX f. BRUNER,

~
Goodrich is proud of his pardon record.
He told an audience of 800 persons as
sembled at the courthouse here last night
of this pride He admitted that In the
three years and one month he has served
as governor he has pardoned or paroled
625 persons, less sixty three pardoned or
paroled by Lieut.. Gov. Bush while acting
as governor.
In discussing the tax law the governor
told extensively of the records Of Gov
ernors Marshall and Ralston, but had
nothing to say Of the pardon record OF
his predecessors. His predecessors, in
eight years, pardoned or paroied fewer
men than Gov. Goodrich has in three
years, and Gov Marshall was constantly
being criticised for his pardon record.
A part of Gov. Goodrichs pardon record
was due to patriotism. he told his au-
dicnce. He admitted that he had released
seventy eight men convicted of crimes or
misdemeanors from the penal institutions
of the state in order that they might en-
list in the army and become associates
of the men who enlisted with patriotic
motives rather than to get out of jail
THIRTY-sEVEN FREED
FOR LACK OF ROOM
The governor admitted that he had re-
leased thirty-seven men from the state
reformatory following the fire which de
stroyed part Of the institution for no
other reason than that there was not
room enough for them.
Gov. Goodrich blamed a large part OF
his pardon record on Judge James A.
Collins of the Marion county criminal
court. with whom he said he had an
arrangement whereby he would release
prisoners from the penal farm after a
part Of their terms had expired in order
that the court might hold over them the
provisions of their parole to force them
10 obey the laws for the disobedience
of which they had served only part
Of the terms prescribed
Eighty eight prisoners who we're pa
rolled we're required to pay their fines
in installments, the governor said, and
he pointed to this as an achievement.
The governor declared that 9S5 per cent
OF the prisoners paroled had made good.
He said that only three of them were
second offenders.
In his speech Gov. Goodrich quoted
n FIT Wayne paper as accusing him OF
creating anarchy and bolshevism through
bringing about d:srespect for the courts.
He declared that this does not create
0olshevism and that the punishment OF
men without influence and the escape or
other offenders by means of influence
causes bolshevism and anarchy.
CITES SOME CASES;
NEGLECTS OTHERS.
Then the governor told a story of how
n poor man had stolen a sack of floul
to feed his family because he could not
work and would rather steal than de-
pend on charity, and told how he han
hardened this man. He did not tell
about the man who was serving a life
sentence for murder whom he had grant
ed a temporary parole" IN order that
he might act as his chauffeur for a tour
o9 the state.
The governor also admitted that pris.
oners had been used for the operation
Of the Globe Mining Company's mine in
Pike county. in which his son had an
interest. This was done through patri-
otic motives, ne explained, and he said
that the state received higher pay for
the use of this labor than it had ever
before received for convict labor. He
did not say how the prisoners wages
compared with those Of miners.
The governors explanation Of his par
don record was the first public mention
he has ever made of this feature of his
administration which has been most
criticised of all and to which many
credit a portion of the boasted reduced
cost of maintenance of penal insti-
tutions.
The governor repeated the discussion
of the tax law which has been the bur
den of his previous speeches. He de
cIared that the weakness of the old law
was the lack of Capitalization Of power
in the tax board.
Until the legislature gives the tax
board power to appoint all local as
SCISSORS it can not safely take away
from it the power to make horizontal
increases" he said. Personally, I care
nothing about the power of the tax
board over local bond issues and II the
people of the state desire 1T, l am
willing that this power shall be restored
to them by the general assembly which
| believe will meet in special session
next month"
STATE TAX BURDEN
INTENDED TO BE EQUAL,
The governors speech, in part, fol-
lows:
LET me say that under a general
property tax provided by the constitution
Il becomes the duty of the state to see
to it that all classes Of property shall
contribute to the support of the state
- proportion to the value Of the prop
4 ~. I think that is a fair statement,
Il that must underlie, if we are to
.s 8 the plain terms of the constitu-
.t ~ law passed in our state. Prior
sk5W01, when the state board of tax
1missioners was constituted--in that
y ar the democrats passed the law under
~ hich we operated for many years; un-
~ this law the state board of tax com
ssioners had limited power. They
'k<d control Of railroads. and afterward
tContinued on Page Three.)