The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-02-21
CAPTURING q City

One way of capturing a city has been exemplhed
In Chicago where gangsters, beer runners hJackers
and gunner ride out with machine guns and take
whatever they wish. Those who oppose them are
massacred.
That requires some sort of personal courage and
personal bravery It is not, at least, despicable
The safer way works in indianapolis where the
politicians through mysterious alliances subtle brides
of Office or protection, control the government of
city by defying the expressed will of the people and
maintain their grip upon public Office.
Stupidity alone will not account for the state
ments made in the legislature that the adoption OF
a City Manager form of government is a confession
on the part of the people that they are unfit to rule
themselves No one could be quite that dumb.
The bosses and the panderers to privilege thorough
ly understand that the City Manager form Of gov
eminent with modern safeguards and methods OF
election is an assertion by the people of the right
to rule themselves and direct their own affairs.
The people understand that under election laws
that are open invitations to fraud with elections In
which officials are henchmen of the bosses culed
from the purleus of crime bound by fear or plumber
to the bosses, they have not ruled themselves,
They understand that the injection Of partisan
politics into city affairs is but method of taking
away from the people any vestge of self government
and turning it over to those who have grown power
full and often rich by misuse of public Office and con-
troll of public Office.
This city has stagnated under political rule. Its
fine spirit has been Knocked. Its endeayors have been
thWarted. Each step in advance has been Shackled
by the additional burden of political control OF Office
Inefficiency and ignorance have been placed upon
pedestals. Regard for public welfare has been dis
counted. Honesty is a barrier to Office or public
service
The people of this city, by more than five to one
ca., oF
ment under which partisan politics was to have no
place.
That was the chief goal to be reached, The
platitudes of politicians that the form of government
matters little if the right elected to Office
no longer misled the voters They knew that if
Indianapolis is to grow. is to prosper it must be rid
of the of political partisanshp in the selection
of officials that the city be no longer vassal state
in political empire.
That timidity in the face of opposition by poll
ticians caused the group which has charge of City
Manager legislation to compromise and to falter is
most lamentable.
That the first election under the City Manager
law if one is ever held will be under the election
officials who in the past have ruled by fraud robs the
people of an even chance to escape the evils they
have so plainly seen and from which they voted, in
hope, to escape
That those whom the people repudiatca are still
powerful enough to sit in conferences and write the
provisions for political election of presumably
non-poltical government is more than farccal
The whispered that the courts will soon
declare the City Manager law, in force since 1921
unconstitutional is not farcical 1t is imperative
reason for calling a constitutional convention to
change that document so that there can never be
doubt of the right of cities to free themselves from
the Sordid, selfish, sinister influences, such as have
ruled this city in the past.
TO surrender to the forces which are fighting all
legislation to make the City Manager government
effective is the real confession of inability the
part of the people to rule themselves.
The situation is CHASTITY in its differences as it
is infamous in its analysis.