The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-05-30
Mainly About The Times

II Is better Indiana and a better Indianapolis
which again greets today the thousands OF VlsIors
who come to install new King OF Speed
And because The Times is proud of that fact
and glad that it has played an important role III tne
changes it is recalling today some OF the events OIL
the mast wear which are matters of congratulatlon
and which give cause for hope.
For The Times it has been year of public serV'
ice and the result of that service mas peen d pau
toring down of intrenched fanatcism, or arrogant
mower of unworthy representation OF great people
Indiana once ridicued as the Empire Oh
IN diserace because Of it's notorious misrue,
has demonstrated that its people are as me- as III
dependent, as honest as those of any State when
they have opportunity to express tnelnSelFe0 Oil"
a voice for their opinions.
The redemption of Indiana began when D. C.
Stephenson, once the undsputed dictator of politics.
now convict under life sentence for murder
struggled from his prison cell letter
If was an important letter. 1t charged many
things It contained extravagant promises OF the
production of documentary evidence 1t was letter
which sent to indianapolis the shrewdest journalists
from the great newspapers Of the Nation
The Times alone i'll Indianapolis printed that
news The other newspapers were silent Tor nVe
DAYS so silent that their attitude became matter
of interest and inquiry upon the part OF the news
papers of New York and Chicago and st. Louis VINO
could not understand that The Times alone had the
courage and the fearlessness to print matters OF
deep import to the people of this State
sAnd when the lips of Stephenson were suddenly
and hysteriously sealed, when he was held away
from the public The Times undertook the task or
attempting to discover not only whether Stephenson
could prove his charges but whether they were true
wv It was upon evidence furnished by The Times
irrv
witnesses. 1t was from it's disclosures that wit
nesses fed from that body and that politicians were
busy
1t was The Times which brought to that body
the photographer who had made copies of documents
which Stephenson had in his CELL
1t was The Times which unearthed the former
partner of Stephenson and showed that he had
been in confidential contact with him while Stephen
son was still in the Noblesville jail-and caused him
to depart suddenly from the State for a number of
weeks.
1t is not Boosting to say that had it>not been for
the enterprise, the of public duty, the insist
ence the faithfulness to public interest displayed
by The Times. there would have been no investiga-
ton and none of the results which have followed.
One sure result is that never again, at least
until Stephenson and his of power forgotten,
will public officials become partners of such forces
he represented with such characters his
This week, the board of trustees of the State
prison indicated that 1t believed that public opinion
is well represented by The Times when it passed
resolution asking the State Board of Charities to in
vestigate the charge of Stephenson that he is be-
ing mistreated One week before The Times, and
The Times alone, made this demand
1t was The Times which brought to Indiana the
Reed senatorial investigating committee. Within
hour after Chairman Walb of the Republican com
mttee had openly charged that money being
used in every precinct to defeat his candidates. The
and saved Indiana from that SANDER by show
Ing the falsity of such charge
1t The Times, and The Times alone, which
demanded the impeachment of Judge Clarence w.
Dearth of Muncie when he had ordered newsboys
arrested without warrant and had tried to suppress
the freedom of the press.
For days every other paper was silent 1t was
upon evidence furnished by The Times that the
House of Representatives voted, SO to 1, to bring
him before the Senate under impeachment proceed
ings The fact that the Senate failed by two votes
to GUST him does not lessen the fact that hereis less
danger to free speech because of that proceeding
1t is matter of history that this defense of free
press, championed and inaugurated by The Times
later received the approval and support of all other
newspapers Of this city and of the State but that
they came to the support of the only after The
Times had pointed to the danger and the House of
Representatives had voted to impeach
When 1t was proposed to merge the two electric
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