Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-10-28

present a question for the voters to
| think about
The people who are paying the ex-
penseS of the Government should think
twice before they return to- power the
party which in five years has increased
the amount collected in taxes $10O00,000
and plunged the county into debt more
| than $4,000, 600. In 1915, the taxpayers
| of Marion County paid into the public
| treasury 100000; next year they will
pay $16,O00,000 In 1915, the county debt
was less than $4,O00,O00 and last year>1t
was more than $6,0000 600.
This year residents of Center town
ship are paying SLIGO in taxes upon
each 500. Next year they will pay $2.42,
an increase Of more than 30 per cent,
and this is in the face of an increase of
| estate, Under the iniquitous Goodrich
tax law
This is not question of politics; it is
| a question of business. The Republican
prosecuting attorney has not only en-
| deavored to surrender $1,000 of the pub
| les money to Pop" Leppert, but he
petitioned and prevailed upon the county
| 20 pay 81 700 of the taxpayers money TO
| lawyer for helping him in the trial OF
| the Haag perjury cases, when, under the
] decisions of our Supreme Court, ne
should have paid this out of his own
pocket. He has failed to prosecute any
! of his political associates for misappro-
priating the county's money and he has
| permitted the purchase by the city, TOT
$4,000 OF a garbage plant OF whlcn
Governor Goodrich was part owner ana
which. under the sworn statement OF the
man who knew most ABOUT II, was
worth only $4,000, without as far as the
public knows. making any Investigation
of the scandal.
This political machine is absolutely
driving this county into bankruptcy. 1t
is spending three times as much for
janitor service In the courthouse as 1t
costs for ianitor service in the Board
of Trade Building. 1t has paid out
more than $500 to put less than $40
worth of paint and hardware on the cleo
ton booths, according to the State Board
Of Accounts report. It is spending $o,OOO
of the taxpayers money annuLlly to OPP
crate automobiles for county OFFICIALS
without any legal authority. 1t paid
more than $11, 0OO a mile to build road
from in front of Lewis d. Georges store
to Valley Mills, and this, according to
the State Board of Accounts report, was
can extremely lavish expenditure" This
road was built without contract, ana
without any competitive bidding, and
with entire disregard OF law; IL Is
this political machine which, In 1915, sold
bonds in the sum of 100000 with which
to pay for the construction OF bridge
at Senate avenue over Fan Creek, and
then after paying something like Slo,OOO
for the purchase of the ground and the
approaches and on the contract for the
bridge. proceeded, according TO the State
Board Of Accounts. to let the balance or
more than SIS, 900, sift out Of the public
pocketbook.
The state Board of Accounts says:
"The work cf building the bridge was
at a standstill for some time on ac-
count of litigation, and in the meantime
as shown by another tabulatlon, the
funds have dwindled away on account or
the depleted condition OF the treasury
until at the present time the county COM
missioners are In the embarrassing po-
sitiOn Of having spent the money and the
greater portion Of the cost of the bridge
construction is yet TO be paid"
This political machine is not only
bankrupting the county, but its conduct
of our public institutions has been shame
full.
1t was disclosed in the investigation OF
the Marion County Jail in the Fedora!
Court that a poker game was maintained
in the jail and prisoners were induced 10
play while guards took rake or from
every pot; that decomposed meat was
served and the food was insufficient TO
sustain life; that prisoners were per
mitted to leave the jail for visits 70 their
homes and paid jailers for that privilege:
that an insane prisoner who climbed the
bars Of a cell was burned on the soles OF
his feet so that he could not stand; that
an insane prisoner was thrown into
cell naked and washed with hose, then
being allowed to lie unprotected on the
wet floor and that he died shortly after
ward; that Jailers accepted oFioes LDAn
prisoners for special privileges and for
specified sums made them TRUSTEES
II was under this same political ma
chine that the pauper dead were desc
Grated According to the report OF the
State Board Of Accounts, the man APP
pointed by the county commissioners to
hurry the pauper dead. buried pet dog
named woody with the bodies Of three
babies: that he buried bodies In graves
ranging from II to IS inches deep and
sncb that rodents and vermin entered
and made nests In them; that he collected
money from the county for the burial Of
padpers whose bodies he turned over to