The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-11-01
It's Time to Act


itself that time is now.
The courts, for the moment, have decided
that the president of the council is mayor and
that the council had right to name the mayor,
temporarily and will eventually choose the
man who will head the city government until
the people regain the right to rule themselves.
The council is not body which enjoys any
great measure of public confidence. It has
done little to deserve confidence and it has
done much to destroy any respect for it's deci-
Sions.
It's membership has been prone to the worst
sort of politics and it's actions have been such
as to invite suspicion.
It's majority has for months been the pawns
of shrewd men and some of it's members have
acted in a manner which invited grand jury
scrutiny.
No stakeholder in any business corpora
ton would feel safe for moment with this
council as it's board Of directors.
Every big business man and property own
er in this city, if he had stock in such a cor
poration, would probably take the first price
offered for his holdings. He would know that
it would be badly managed. He would fear
even worse than bad management.
Yet this council is to select the mayor and
will probably do so, not with any eye on the
interests of the city as whole but solely on
political grounds and for political reasons.
just now it appears that this council is in
the control of cote" Dodson, once the political
associate Of the discredited George V. Coffin
and now his rival for control of the Republic
an political machine in this county, which
means, finally, a large voice in the political
control of the party in this State
When Indianapolis was relieved of the i'm
possible Duvall, it deserved better than merely
trading Coffin for Dodson as the master Of
its destinies.
It is time, right now, for the decent citizen
ship Of Indianapolis to assert itself and demand
the selection of man as mayor who will re-
eeive public confidence.
1t will take a strong man. It will take
man who is not known in politics. 1t will take
a man who will so in unfettered by political
purposes and with secret schemes for his own
advancement or the profit Of his friends.
If the civic organizations, acting concerted
ly, should draft some outstanding citizen, one
whose position and reputation place him be-
yond suspicion, and then force through public
sentiment his selection, the council, bad as it
is, could hardly refuse.
There is no man in Indianapolis too big
for this job.
There is no man whose private affairs are
so important that he could refuse if the de-
mahd were made in the name Of this city.
1t is time to quit thinking in terms of poll
tics and begin thinking in terms Of Indian
apolis.
1t is time to quit watching the antics at the
city hall and betting on court decisions as to
who will be mayor and get busy in the name
of Indianapolis and it's prosperity and it's
good name.
Of course, if that same pressure were placed
on Governor jackson to call special session
of the Legislature he might reverse his decl-
sion and consent to permit Indianapolis to get
the government for which it voted and which
belongs to it as a matter Of right and justice.
Something far more important than the
spending of the peoples money, and that is
important enough with the tax rate at its pres
ent figure is involved.
When the council meets on Nov. to select
a mayor, there should be concerted demand
for some one outstanding citizen who will re-
deem this city and whose selection will meet
with general approval at home and be blazed
abroad as the finest advertisement of this city.
Some years ago, when the city of Dayton
faced an emergency created by floods, the
political government failed and there stepped
into power by popular acclaim it's greatest IN
dustrial leader, who brought order out OF chaos.
indianapolis faces an emergency fully as
great as could be created by fire or flood.
1t is political bankruptcy and the board
of directors are such as not to be trusted to
follow their own devices.
They need advice, or rather advice which
takes on the tone command.
Surely there is in this city man who tow
ers high enough in public respect to save the
situation There are perhaps dozen, but they