The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-03-08
JUST ONE Abb

turn to their homes with just one aIibi
1t brought impeachment proceedings against a
judge who charged with invading the bill of
rights through misuse of his judicial power.
Aside from the impeachment of Judge Dearth
the session goes into history as bossed by utility
lobbyists, beguiled by beauty doctors, extravagant
in its expenditures protective of those who feared
Investigations, adamant except in few minor mat
ters against any measure that would have promoted
the general welfare.
The time honored combination of utility greed
morality furnished by the AntiSaoon League worked
once more.
Its members snapped votes openly. They be-
came back scratchers instead of statesmen
The first outrage came when party caucus of
Republican members of the House voted against any
investigation of the many Stephenson charges of
corruption.
That does not place halo on all Democrats It
does not condemn all Republican members. 1t did
Indicate that the present organization of the Re-
publican party officially declared that it would not
permit any investigation of the many charges that
rocked the State
1t raises issue of corruption for the next cam
paign, not as between the parties necessarily, but
certainly within the Republican organization.
There were grave charges before that body
There was for instance, the open charge made that
the public service commission was controlled by
utilities through its campaign contributions in 1924
Not an official involved in that charge demanded
an inquiry exoneration.
There was the other charge concerning the
Marion County grand jury and It's peculiar report
on its investigation of these charges report which
declared that unusual conditions prevailed within
that body
No one Of the many officials involved asked the
Legislature for clean bill of health
Instead, the party caucus, binding all Repub-
Hcan members declared that the facts should not be
dragged into the light and the State freed from
us bad repute or the guilty be exposed.
The domination of the Legislature by the utility
lobby was SO open and brazen that even the most
trustful could not avoid the conclusion that the
utilities controlled all actions in relation to the
public service commission.
:. The people were demanding relief from present
conditions The people knew that the public service
commission had failed to function as a protective
body. 1t had become the servant and the mouth.
piece for the corporations which deal in gas and
telephone service and water and street car fares
and electricity.
These lobbyists were open, bold and brazen.
They filled the hotels They did not even have the
grace to hide their efforts or their results They
won not once but at every point
NO measure which they fought was passed
Every recommendation which they made was fol-
lowed.
Add to this the record for increased cost of
government in this State for the next two years.
and you have as bad record as any Legislature has
ever made.
Instead of reduction of cost as promised bv
Governor.
eminent will be million dollars year more for
the next two years than it was in the past
This does not even begin to measure the added
burden to industry and the Industrious
There are special leves for special PURPOSES
which add to the total
Worst of ALL is the fact that the Legislature pro-
vided for raises of salaries in every community
where the State political machine is hooked with
bossism locally.
The mental and moral viewpoint OF the member
ship is illustrated by the raise of salaries given ia
the Supreme Court judges after the members had
brought suit before those judges to establish the
right to an increase of pay for themselves declared
to be unconstitutional
Had private citizen pursued such tactics and
such methods while having case pending he might
have expected punishment for contempt, of court
worse.
Such is the brazen record. That it did few
good things was inevitable. No human being and
no organization is perfect. Had it tried definitely
and determinedly to faunt public interest," it would
have made some mistakes and passed few good
measures. That happened, apparently.
When they journey home, if neighbors are curl
GUS enough to ask these members what they did, il
is more than probable that the nvariable reply will
be, I'VE impeached Dearth."
Aside from that reply, they will probably hope
that those who trusted them will forget the rest.
Paderewski was given ukulele in Honolulu
We hope he sticks to his piano a while longer
though.
An Illinois man drove his car two miles in his
sleep. This practice also is becoming common in
other states.
We hope that some of these warlike Legislators
who always threatening to meet one another out
side really do meet another outside after the
elections.
n