The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-06-01
DEMOCRATS
PREPARE FOR
RACE IN FALL
Hold State Convention in In
dianapolis- Frederick Van
Nuys Gives Keynote Speech
-Ralston Speaks.
WOMEN PARTICIPATE

| (Bv Associated Press)
| INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, June 1-Indi-
ana Democrats, meeting here today in
their state convention. laid the founda-
tion for their fall campaign with a
series of speech blaming Republican
management of national affairs for a
! business depression that had caused
much unemployment. Speakers also
attacked the Republican state admins
/ tratiOn as a spendthrift.
! The platform. which was completed
early today. contained a plank which
! advocated the amendment or repeal of
the public service commission law, al
though it was the opinion of the home
rule element of the party that the law
should be repealed. The home rule
element of the party was successful in
getting several planks in the platform.
Several of the plankS advocated by
the home rulers" which were incor-
porated in the platform, are: The re-
turn of the inheritance tax and the
automobile license fees which are now
turned over to the state highway com
mission to the counties from which it
comes; legislation to limit the present
powers of the state board of health,
and the board of accounts and the re-
peal Of the Goodrich" tax law.
Urge Wages Cut
Reduction of the present wages of
state and national government en-
plOyes to the pre-war basis was also
advocated Limitation or adjustment
of the present absent voters law was
also declared for. Decentralization of
the powers of some of the state boards
and bureaus, and the consolidation of
others was also declared for in the
platform.
Condemnation of the removal of the
state reformatOry from JeffersOnville
TO Pendleton was, expressed. Denunci-
alton of Senator James f. Watson as
an enemy of agriculture was also ex-
pressed.
In the keynote speech. Frederick
Van Nuys of this city declared the fail
Ure TO ratify the Versailles treaty with
its League of Nations covenant. was
largely responsible for our present
economic and industrial difficulties -
We have heard for year that pros
perity is just around the corner" he
said. The people want some tangible
evidence of that fact"
The Washington conference. called
by President Harding and out of which
grew the four-pOwer pact and the naval
limitation treaty, was described by Mr.
Van NuyS as the shadow of the sub
stance" of the League of Nations.
Coupled with his discussion Of the
: national administration. Mr.. Van Nuvs
declared the combined expenditures of
: the Republican national, state. sena-
tOriai and congressional campaign com
mittees in the 1920 campaign was
$S,100,465 and he asserted that the
collection of such a vast sum by the
Republican party is a national men
: ace"
= Discusses State Affairs
More than half of the keynote
speech related to state affairs. Eff
1 cheney and economy, Mr.. VanNuys
: asserted, had been made subservient
to political ends during the six years
the Republicans have controlled the
state government. In making what
he said was a comparison between Re
publican and Democratic rule in In
diana, Mr.. Van Nuys said that in 1915.
at the end of the last Democratic aQ-
ministratiOn, there was a balance in
the state treasury of $3.775, ,997 and
that now the state has Outstanding ?
loans OF more than $1,000,00O
Samuel NJ. Ralston. the party can
5 didate for United States senate, charg.
? ed the Republicans with following a
= blind policy" in the work of recon
= struction since the World war Busi
r ness depression and unemployment, he
/ asserted. were the results, and he
r added the claim that the pending tar
r iff bill before congress would "abso-
/ lutely close the doors to foreign
+ markets"
The four-power pact was described
e by Mr.. RalstOn as "a very short step
: in the right course" to end war anC
he said he was willing "to see it trieC
= out as the next best thing" to the
{ League Of Nations. He added his opin
y ion that the league would not be a
|. campaign issue.
Wants Friendly Word.
II am going to do all | can in this
campaign to persuade ex-senator Bev
;; eridge. my opponent, to speak at least
= one friendly word in support of the
:, four-power pact. He has not done il
= yet, but I am hoping that he will dc
i It soon, so that when he does. it will
+ not look like he did it as matter Of
q eXpediency"
Miss Esther Kathleen O'Keefe
+. making her first speech since winninl
L Continued on Page Ten)