Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-08-30

legal right GRANTED by the Indiana Gen
eral Assembly,, is known to have made
| threats in substance as follows
Boys, whenever petition is found
in circulation, IL must be destroyed,
and as soon as a petition is filed (thev
will be sharp enough not to file 1t until
the last minute) we must have two hun
dred Of our men ready to get the signers
TO withdraw their names, and we viii
! inspect the dead mems names and wrong
addresses on the petition
SANCTUARY OF
BALLOT INVADED"
mot only were the threats to cause the
destruction of petitions and the effort to
have signers withdraw put into eXecu-
ton, but the same self-appointed leaders
of the American Legion. entered the sac
red depository Of the ballot, on a Sab
bath day and without right removed the
same to private quarters. This action is
an objectionable offense, and who knows
but that the dead mems names and
wrong addresses were placed there by
their own hands.
Again. shortly after the petition was
filed. an effort was made to boycott the
business OF a prominent slgner- rms
public spirited citizen, suffering imam
clal loss, was much perturbed at nrst, put
upon reflection and out of the charita BILE
ness of his ma gnanimous nature refused
to resent the matter.
Later the letter and card were mailed
to all signers ~ the remonstrance. These
letters and cards are ambiguous and
misleading and show an intent 10 in
|, timidate those who simply exercised their
legal rights Have We degenerated into
a Soviet America
Are the champions of the measure to
be permitted to continue their activities
in a spirit of derision and ridicule and
suppress the rights of citizenship:
1t should be observed that majority
of the solicitors were well known, sue
cessful and respected citizens, and that
they represented many walks in life
manufacturers, merchants. ministers,
bankers. lawyers, physicians, capitalists,
State officials. heads Of financial institu
tiOns, clerks, eX service men, end others.
all Of whom are held In high esteem in
this community. Members of the Amer
lean Legion, in fact every body knows
that the plaza bill was killed at the spe-
cial session in August. 1920: that il was
voted on in 1921, and again met its
death. Everybody knows, too. that the
Indiana General Assembly, late In the
session of 1921, at the urgent request of
self constituted spokesman Of the Amer
lean Legion, and others, who promised
that If the Assembly would pass the
bill. they tmembers Of the American
Legion and othersl would welcome 10
with a referendum with open arms
what right have they TO lmpugn the
motives Of the signersf This IS neither
fair nor honest. The real question is.
are there sufficient signatures TO comply
with the law?
THE referendum and remonstrances
were conceived In the minds Of the
friends Of the bill. and the General As
sembly made provision for them at their
solicitation.
PETITION WAS
SCRUTINIZED CAREFULLY.
And yet. before the ink with which
the law was printed had dried these
friends OF the measure branded the re
I monstrance their own cresti0nl as in
I famous and GnpatriOtic.
These self constituted leaders do not
voice the sentiment OF all members Of
the American Legion, nor do all mem
bers Of the legion approve the methods
adopted against those who only exer-
cised their legal rights. Those who
drafter the remonstrance as well as those
who signed It. are loyal and patriotic
"A spontaneously organized effort to
obtain so many signatures (nearly thir-
teen thousand) in such brief period
twenty six days. might result In some
, irregularities.
The committee I'm charge of the pcti-
ton. In orucr TO satisfy itself thnt II was
regular and the signatures genuine. ex-
amined every page with great care. with
the assistance Of well known handwrit-
ing expert
"The committee acted under the legal
right of referendum conferred In the law.
and it WAS cognizant Of tho fact that
one of the basic principles Of our Gov
eminent is to give an opportunity to those
who are taxed, to express themselves in
the matter
The Legislature, IN passing this act,
does not say the people shall have
plaza. The 2ct merely says one may be
secured under the terms aud provisions
named. Among these is the provision to