The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1924-06-24
Rv ROBERT ]. BENDER.


Omitted Press Staff Correspondent
MADISON SQUARE GARDEN,
NEW YORK. June 24-In an ad-
dress Astounding in humOr, satire and
invective. Senator Pat Harrison,
Mississippi, sounded the keynote
speech of the Democratic national
convention here today, establishing
clean government as the foremost
issue upon which the Democrats will
go before the people next fall.
''Forty-eight years ago in St
Louis" he said. the hosts of De
mocracy met in convention to dedi-
cate themselves to pUrging corrup-
ton from the public service. We
meet today for a re-dedicatiOn to the
same purpose"
That was the outstanding theme OF
his utterance-and woven through it
was denunciation Of the Mellon tax
plan, r1dicnle of the Administration
foreign policy. sallies at a situation
in which Congress does not lead
the President and the President does
not lead Congress and scathing
references to oil.
Saturnalia Now
There was corruption then,
forty-eight years ago" he said;
there is a Saturnalia of corruption
now. There were disgraced public
officials then, repudiated by their
party and under arrest; but today
Fall goes unmolested on his ranch in
New Mexico; Daugherty sat with
presidential approval at Cleveland,
and Daugherty's attorney was chair
man Of the committee created to oil
the steam roller Of the worst boss
ridden convention Of a generation"
And again "on has become the
Open Sesame of power.
Show the Administrat ton an Oil
well and it viii show you a foreign
policy
Crooked business needs only to
gesture or special privilege TO wink
TO make this Administration under
stand and do. 1t is against this bru-
tai thing that We will wage relentl5a5
war in this campaign"
Denouncing the Republican party
as having a corner stone of special
privilege" Harrison declared the
doctrine Of equal rights to none and
special favors to some was never
more firmly embedded than in the
Fordney-McCumber tariff law"
Scores Mellon Plan
OF the Mellon tax proposal. he
said:
What is this melon that Mellon
sought to cut? It would have given
1900 Of the 3,5S5,985 income taxpay-
ers in America 81 per cent of the
total reduction. Under its provisions
an income Of $4,000. 600 was TO re
ceive a reduction Of 1881 .832. while
an income Of $4,000 would have
received only 1915 reduction.
"Out of the total Of 3.5S5.9S5 in
come taxpayers in America. 3.5SO.585
will receive a greater reduction in
the Democratic plan than they would
have received under the Mellon
plan"
Briefly he laid down the purposes
Of the Democratic party if returned
TO power. to:
/. Restore integrity in public serv-
ice
,. RigidIy enforce the law.
3. Readjust tariff rates and reduce
transportation charges.
4. Bare campaign bribery and pun
ish election frauds.
). Relieve agriculture by restoring
the purchasing power Of the farm
er's dollar
s. Reorganize and reform the civil
service
I. Adopt a progressive reclamation
policy.
s. Recognize Americas obligations
and responsibilities to the world.
Other terse statements fled by
Harrison at the G. 0. P. were:
THE Harding Coolidge Adnninistra-
ton was willing to give millions to
the shipping trust, but not one cent
to the American soldier"
Even though Hanna. Quay and
Penrose are dead. their spirits go
marching on in the personages Of
the three musketeers Of present-day
Republicanism-B Stearns and
Slemp. These bosses are doing bust
ness in the same old way, according
to the same old rule"
OF Coolidge he said: