Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-02-04
COOK, CALLED
CROOK REPLIES
TO GOODRICH
Former Secretary of State
ClamOrs for Comparison of
Record With Governors.
SAYS HE'S TAX DODGER

| In this letter made public today Mr.'
| Cook says
I'm answer to your intended slander
Gus statements at the republican edi
torial banquet, I wish to state that if
you would ever tell the truth when you
have your brain storms regarding my
record as secretary of state, you would
spoil your story. You speak Of con-
tracts let for automobile plates by my
successors and speak of the saving made
by them as compared to contracts let by
me. You have never claimed that the
plates contracted for by my successors
were as good as the plates I contracted
for. You know that if you were to make
such a statement that it would be such
a base falsehood that 10o,O0o automobile
owners who bought these plates would
at once detect the low, cheap, spiteful
and dishonest methods you employ in
speaking of the contracts let.
RECALLS OTHER USES
OF IBIPRECATION.
'I have no quarrel to make with my
successors as to the plates they bought.
They had a right to buy a cheaper plate
If they wanted to, but l felt that the
owners were entitled to Il good plate.
~ understand that you said in con-
nection with the price 1 paid for auto
mobile plates, that because OF the sup
posed high price, Homer Cook and those
associated with him were either imbeeiles
or crooks, and I don't care which horn
of the dilemma they take I have heard
the first of these ugly expressions sp
piled so often to you by members OF
your party that I am not in the least
hurt by your attack.
II am willing to place my private and
public life over against yours for the
public to look at
CALLS GOVERNOR
TAX DODGER.
"In 1916 you canvassed Indiana for the
nomination and election as governor You
repeatedly stated that thousands upon
thousands of dollars of taxable property
were sequestered l followed you in many
! places and stated that 1t was my belief
that you were the biggest tax dodger
in Indiana. According to the records in
the secretary of states office, you owned
one automobile in 1914, two in 1915 and
the same two In 1916 that you owned in
1915 In your application for licenses,
you made affidavit that you owned these
cars. I am told that you did not list
these cars for taxation in either 1914,
| 1915 or 1916. You sent me a copy of
your tax duplicate for 1915 and there
were no cars listed by you in that du--
plicate list, although you made affidavit
that all your personal property was
listed. Did you not perjure yourself when
you signed that tax list and swore that
all your property was listed?
"In the report of the money expended
to secure the nomination for governor,
you swore that you spent something In
excess OF $4,000 but this amount was
not listed for taxes and you must have
had large amount Of it on hands
when you made out your tax list
PUBLIC WOULD LIKE
/ TO KNOW HOW.
"These sworn statements and omissions
not only brand you as a consistent tax
dodger, but as a hypocrite who thinks
| he is deceiving the public into the be,
! lief that he is making an EFFORT to place
! the burden of taxation where 1t belongs.
In view of the fact that you have raised
the question of sequestered taxes, the
| public would like to know how you
hide your own taxes and get away
| with it.
During my services as secretary of
state, no relative of mine and no com
pHny in which a relative was interested
received a contract to furnish coal Or
any other supply for the state. Can you
| truthfully say the same?
DIDN'T FOLLOW
HIS OWN ADVICE.
''You spent over 100000 In the repair
of the basement of the statehouse during
the war and at the same time You were
advising school officials not to build
school buildings, although many build
ings condemned by the state board OF
health were being occupied by school
children. Was there any reason which
you have not made public for making
ha q ir1a
1t not have been better to have followed
the advice you were giving to school
officials? But now, since 1t has been
done, why not give the public an item
| lied statement Of the cost Of the ma.
terial and the work and at the same
| time state whether or not you or your
relatives were stockholders in the com
panies that supplied the materials7
do not know the number of rooms re-
paired but I'll venture the assertion that
the average cost of each room is con-
siderably in excess of $4,000. Give the
public a good reason for spending so
much money during the war on your
cost plus system without complying
with the law In regard to advertieing
for bids in all cases
SEES MOTIVE FOR
SEEKING OFFICE.
81 warned the people in 1915 against
electing you governor Of Indiana, be-
cause Of the fact that you must have had
some ulterior motive IN mind or you
would not spend so much money to get
the nomination and election.
81 do not think 1t was generally known
that you were a stockholder in the In
dianapolis reduction plant at that time-s
plant which one Mr.. Moorman said was
worth about $4,000 for taxation. Tell
the public whether or not you expected
to use the power that comes from being
governor to help put this deal over for
$175, 900, thereby cleaning up $161, 900, &C
cording to the estimate Of Mr.. Moorman.
If you answer in the affirmative, the pub
lie will at once know why you could af
ford to spend so much to be elected
governor.
again, never have been accused of
plugging up gas wells to lessen the sup
ply of gas to consumers and to frighten
the stockholders so that l might-bu their
holdings at greatly reduced prices. Can
you claim the same?
ASSAILS RECORD
OF PAROLING.
"I have never advocated the wholesale
parole Of criminals You have paroled
about 600. This is many times the num-
Der paroled by both Governors Marshall
and Ralston, who had so many supporters
outside the penitentiary- that they did not
deem 1t necessary to pursue this policy
to make friends. / might also add that
no governor before you ever insulted the
citizens of the state by using a paroled