Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-06-17
DUNN HOLDS 3
AMENDMENTS
ARE VICIOUS

AXE NIC1OUS
Continued From Page one.)
for leading a riot IN which they dis
armed a policeman who was attempting
70 investigate a craps game in a Fort
United States will you find the equals Of
these two records7 I challenge you to
point TO a case anywhere of a white city
emplOye leading riot against the police.
city employees are under special onl-
CATION to support the police, and they
usually do so with complete loyalty.
DANGER IN KNOWLEDGE
OF DESTRUCTIVE AGENCIES.
Furthermore, modern military train
ing involves instruction in the use of high
explosives. In the late war there was
almost as much fighting done with hand
grenades and bombs as with muskets
Suppose you teach your crap shOOters
and bOOtleggers how to use dynamite and
INT, what results could you reasonably
expect2 Remember that when a strike
reaches the stage that calls for militia
the passions of men have reached a point
where only q spark is needed to produce
an explosion. In the Tulsa affair, the
commanding officer said the trouble was
caused by an impudent negro, an hys
terical white girl and g yellow news
paper reporter. You do not lack any
Of the ingredients in Indianapolis.
NOW what are Lue reasons OHeEeu
this proposed change? The only one
urged by negroes that I have heard of
IS that they say they want the priyi
lege to die for their country. That is
a most cOmmendable sentiment, and one
that no patriotic citizen would discOur-
age; but there are two things that make
st barren ideality in this case. In the
first place nobody can possibly die for
his country in the Indiana militia IN
less it is called into the service Of the
United States, because Indiana cannot
make war In the second place, any one
who desires to die for his cOutry, white
or black, can enlist in the United States
Army at any time, if he has the physical
requirements.
1.-THE only reason offered for this
amend-2ent by Senator English, in his re-
cent defense of the amendments, was that
the discrimination is a relic of ancient
race prejudice, and that it is time to re-
move it. Historically this is erroneous.
Forty years ago a group Of public
spirited men united to secure reform in
the constitution, and the amendments OF
1881 were the result of their work The
group was nOnpartism, including both
Democratic and Republican leaders.
There was not a suspicion of race preju-
dice IN their action. On the contrary they
removed every word of race prejudice
from the constitution, and removed the
word white wherever it had been used.
except in this one case. This omission
was not due to oversight. It was due to
consideration of the manifest facts to
which 1 have called your attention. and
which were forcibly brought to mind at
that time.
REVIEWS RAIL
STRIKE OF 1877.
while these amendments were pend
ing the great railroad strike of 1877
occurred, and it was only by the greatest
eXertlon that bloody conflicts in In
dianapOIis. and elsewhere in the State,
were averted. Old citizens viii remember
how Mayor Caven. Senator Mcdonald,
General Harrison. and others labOred
shoulder to shoulder TO prevent clash.
Their efforts would not have succeeded
II there had been any negro militia IN
sight at the time. l was serving In the
militia at the time: and my company
marched down Washington street with q
full supply Of ball cartridges, and ex-
pecting TO be called upon to use them
but we were cautioned to avoid any
pTOvOcatiOn TO keep our mouths shut and
OBEY orders.
The amendments Of 1881 were sub
mitted to the people by q Republican
Legislature, under the administration of
Governor Albert G. Porter. The real
object of preserving this militia provision
was one OF benefit TO the negro. 1t
must be evident to any one that in such
service negro militiaman would be ex-
posed to a hazard that white miItlH
man would not be subject TO. But, more
than that, il is of importance TO all con
Cerned that racial animOsity be allowed
10 die out as rapidly as possible, and
the use of negro militia would be a
source Of race hatred with white work
ingmen that would grow more bitter as
the years went on. 1t is the very climax
of folly for a minority TO stir up race or
religious prejudice.
My illustration was brought down to
date last night, by the effort Of negroes
of Indiana avenue. where the late lament
ed Republican primary campaign was
staged, to lynch a southern negro, who
had just attempted murder Of the most
brutal description. and who boosted that
the former husband Of the woman he
had just shot had shot at him three
times before they left Louisville. When
you discuss this matter with the aver
age Republican. he says OF course this
negro question is an awful problem; but
what are you going to do about it: We
have them here, and we have got to get
along with them in some way Very
true, but common sense ought to tell him
that at least we should not deliberately
do something that viii make the situa-
ton infinitely worse"
The taxation amendment, said Mt.
Dunn, strikes at the very foundation
principles of our Government, The Civ
ing of power to the Legislature to pro-
vide by law for a system of taxation
would result in the Legislature being
able to tax everybody OF anything, in
any way and to any extent It likes.
1.-THE advocates of this change make
no secret of their purpose" said Mr.
Dunn. They aver openly that it is
their intention to tax certain forms Of
property, especially what are called in
tanglbles,' as money, stocks, bonds, mort
cages and the like at a much lower rate
than other property, and they assert that
this will reduce taxes on tangible prop
erty, although it is taxed at the highest
rates.
INTANGIBLES
DISCUSSED.
"The proposition is like this: The
owners Of intangibles say to the owners
of real estate and tangible personal prop
erty, You claim that equality Is equity,
and that equal amounts of wealth, of
whatever form, should share equally IN
bearing public burdens. But there is one
difference between our property. You
cannot hide yours, and we can hide ours.
If you tax US equally, we VIII conceal
our property and pay no taxes whatever.
Equal taxation takes too much OF our in
But says the farmer. 'you can IN
invest your money IN Liberty bonds now
and make 5 per cent free from taxation
while taking account of crop failures.
diseases of animals and other risks, !
cannot average D per cent on my Invest
ment, with the labor Of myself and fam
lily included
q That may be- replies the owner Of
intangibles, but It is your own choice.
why not sell your farm, and invest in
Liberty bonds? 1 am looking out for
myself and not for You. You can take
my terms or leave them
"That is the argument in a nutshell.
Ii is the argument of the trusts and
combines, of the prOfiteers of all classes
We have the power to squeeze you, and
we are going to use it. We are told
that This is .hnrnan nafmrn, and that IL