The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-05-01
BY WILL IRWIN

ana, the heart of America, has lived
through a period Of political cor
Tuption unparalleled in her honor
able history, There's no news in
that. Every one knows it, both in
side of the State and-unfortun-
ately-outside.
In general way, this sort Of
thing isn't news about any Amer
lean community Most Of us get
into that rut now and then. 1t was
the risk we took when we founded
our Conveniently firmly and I'M
Shakeably on the popular will.
The public grows careless. Voters
with no primary stake in politics
get into the habit of leaving the
prime duty Of a citizen to the or
ganized parasites of gentlemen who
know exactly what they want The
organization Of the party III power
grows corrupt. The corruption eX-
tends to the party out of power
Self-adVantage knows no political
lines.
Profits in the Machine
Some stand for it because-with
uneasy conscience-they are profit
ing by the system, some because of
mild terror Of what the machine
cap do to them, some because of
mere apathy. some because they dis
like to wash in public the dirty
linen of the community, and some
because they are intoxicated by that
gas Of fake patriotism and party
pride with which the crooked eX-
pert in politics screens his opera
tions.
Next stage The boys, through
habit of power, grow over-greedy
and careless. Because they got away
with everything so far, they think
they can get away with anything.
And at about the time they are
preparing to sell the tin roof Of the
State Capitol one of two things
happens: Either there arises
strong, courageous champion like
Mast or Roosevelt, who takes his
little sling and goes out and slays
this fat-bellied Goliath, or some
member Of the machine commits
a crime so fragrant that even hand
picked grand juries and subservient
judges can not ignore it without
danger Of lynching.
Procession to Prison
The community rises up in the
old, enthusiastic American Way.
Usually, there's a procession of
grafterS past the grand Jury and
a few new faces in the State Peni-
Tertiary.
Then comes an election on the
non-partisan issue of civic virtue
versus civic robbery. The machine
is broken all to pieces The ad-
ministration which follows usually
concerns itself mainly with the
business of government.
AS most children must have the
measles and be done with them. so
most American States and cities
must go through this experience. 1t
is perhaps a tribute to the strength
Of Indiana's moral constitution that
she held off the disease so long.
The climax in Indiana was a
crime so shocking that the news Of
it ran around the globe. Stephen
son, to many if not to most the
symbol of corruption, committed a
peculiarly dirty murder
Khan Head Goes to Jail
The outraged citizenry rose up,
put him into the penitentiary for
life, even indicted and convicted for
political ofenseS some of the poll
ticians whose operations became
public in the course of his sensa-
tional fight to escape punishment.
At the ensuing primaries it re-
turned majority for the machine
which had played in and out with
henson-sonetimes his tool,
sometimes his master.
Corrupt and contented' Now
Indiana is not at heart corrupt.
Since she is additionally our most
Enthusiastically American State,
to believe that is to doubt the moral
Soundness Of our country. Nor is
she, it seems to me, contented. Vote
as she may. she has an uneasy
feeling that things aren't right with
her civic conscience.
Repairs for Election
The machine, knocked tempo
rarily a little out of gear, after his
connection, made jury repairs and
went on. 1t won, though by tight
squeeze, the next primary election.
at continued to mint dollars for
certain gentlemen, large and small,
who know exactly what they want
pending the time when some able
and courageous citizen should rise
up and throw monkey wrench into
the works.
There were new indictments and
convictions for crimes committed
since Stephenson fell. The mayor
of indianapolis and part of his
council were found guilty of cor
rupt election practices. The State
chairman of the machine was SEN
fenced for illegal practices in con-
nection with bank.
They Matched magnificent
scheme. Next to fake patriotism.
fake State pride is the best hold of
political CRATER. And there was
the eloquent, likeable Senator Jim
2 Wat~on, beautifully regular, from
ponlo Of view of the boys.
Owed Power to Machine
Jim Watson had kept his hands
from picking and stealing, but owed
his career to the machine and had
always returned the favor by ap-
pointments and special favors.
The plan had other attractive
angles The big boys outside the
State who were trying to block the
candidacy of Herbert Hoover and
turn the Republican national con-
n al