The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-08-23
Not Very Assuring

The manner in which the city council is handling
the impeachment charges against Mayor John L.
Duval is not very assuring TO the public either as
to the ability or the intentions of the membership
A special committee met behind closed doors for
several hours last night and pored over the thirty
four-page typewriter indictment and then decided
that they needed more time before even making up
their minds as to what the council should do.
Unless there is some Interior and undisclosed
motive, it would seem that the duty of this special
committee was very simple.
In any orderly body, its whole duty would be
limited to decision to whether the charges made
were sufficient to remove the mayor If they were
proved to be true.
Citizens generally would have little trouble in de-
Gliding whether the charges were grave enough 10
remove him. They quite specific and detailed
The mayor was charged with about every possible
offense dating back before his election and running
up to the time the resolution filed asking for his
trial and removal.
Mayor Duvall was charged with violations of the
corrupt practices law the same charges which are
now pending against him in the Criminal Court.
He was charged with receiving money in advance
frcm politician for which he had promised to name
a board of public works that presumably would be
generous with it's perquistes and its treatment Of
friends of this politician.
He was charged with removing a city engineer who
had recommended low bid to his board of works
and thus prevented contract at much higher
figure for which citizens would have been forced to
pay many thousands of extra dollars.
He was charged with placing his relatives in public
Jobs and on boards without regard to their fitness and
merely for the purpose of taking of his family
He was charged with the use of the police force
and fire department to solicit subscribers for his short
1ivod ond
He was charged with using public employees for his
own personal purposes and thus dverting the use G.
money of the people to his own advantage.
What other things do the members of the council
think mayor could do before he was condemned
as unfit?
What other ofense could be charged that would
be datnning which would render him more
unfit for the office?
The mere filing of charges, of course, does not
prove anything The charges true or false. The
mayor himself should be most interested in having
public hearing and complete investigation which
would vindcate him if they are not true He should
be expected reasonably, 10 demand that his name be
cleared Of these charges which we're made by two
members of the city council.
Any other official might expect to have his repre-
sentatives the ground demanding hearing, If he
found the hunting good that he could not spare
ae time to be there in person to demand that the
flair name of Indianapolis be not besmrched by sup
preston of such charges in secret session.
secret committee has power to try the mayor
In his absence It's only duty, under any reasonable
procedure would be to determine whether the charges
their face would be sufficient grounds of impeach
nent if they proved
Of course some of these councilmen may have other
ideas. They may believe that impeachment charges
matters Of private arrangement between them
selves and the official against whom they directed
They may have some idea of what they expect to gain
by secret conferences public documents.
Why not begin to do business in business-like
way before the coming of the city manager sys-
tenn which the people have voted and for which they
are waiting with Impotence?
The conduct of the mayor in the matter is under
standabe That of the city council only raises serious
doubts to the honesty of purpose of its membership