The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-11-25
C. O.P. R0UT IN
STATE LAID TO
CORRUPTION
Ex-senator Hodges of Gary
SIapS at Repeal of
Registration Law.
DEPRESSION NOT CAUSE
Lake County Loss Blamed
on Scandals Involving
Party Bosses.
BY DANIEL M. KIDNEY.

Repeal of the registration law,
which let down the bars Tor inpor-
tation of voters and other fraudu-
lent practices at the polls, combined
with corrupt Republican of1cialdcm
to cause the G.. 0. P. defeat in Lake
county, former State Senator VIII
liam F. Hodges Of Gary told The
Times in an interview here today
Business depression had little to
do with our defeat" said Hodges,
who failed OF reelection to the
state senate on the Republican
ticket.
1.-THE unemployment problem is
not as great in the Calumet dis
trict as in most places. We easily
could have carried that burden. But
scandal after scandal in public lie
made the citizenry justly disguised.
Voted Straight Democratic
Then when they went to vote ON
the machine they pulled the straight
Democratic party lever and let 1t
go at that. Had printed ballots been
used, some of the Republican ticket
would have pulled through.
1.-THE state committee forcing prl-
mary repeal at the last legislative
session didn't help any, either. Peo-
pie generally still are for democracy,
even if certain leaders support the
trend toward dictatorship"
The former senator, one OF the
outstanding members in the last
several sessions, believes reappor-
tionment to be essential of enact
ment by the 1881 legislature.
He expressed the opinion that
Lake and possibly Porter county
should form new district, due to
the present large population and
promise of increase.
Candidate in 1892
Hodges interest in this is very
vital, as he admittedly will be
candidate for congress in 1882. At
the last primary he withdrew from
the congressional race in Difference
to the veteran congressman, Will
R. Wood of Lafayette.
"Tippecanoe county should not be
linked with our district" Hodges
asserted.
A decent reapportionment bill,
cutting the districts from Is to Il,
should be easy to enact if based on
equity as measured by population,
he asserted.
Both parties should join in en-
acting a registration law" Hodges
continued. 1T is vital to the most
elementary rule of honest procedure
in elections in populous areas like
Lake county.
Curbs Crooked Politicians
at is good brake on corrupt
party machines, like certain
clique in Lake county and the Cof-
fin crowd here"
The former senator, who was
here to address the Rotary Club, of
which he is district governor, has
travelled $500 miles throughout the
state on Rotary visits and is thor
oughly familiar with the state high
way system.
Commenting on the huge expend-
itures of the highway department
this year, he said that the chief OBJ
lection that could be made, aside
from putting the state illegally into
debt, was that it is very dubious
whether the state is getting its
moneys worth
Raps Maintenance Unit
81 travelled over State Road SO
in southern Indiana for miles with
out meeting car" he contended.
Surely highway money could be
better spent in widening our roads
where the traffic is congested than
in paving such a highway"
Chief complaint around the state
is against the work of the main
tenance division, Hodges said.
Have you noticed those signs the
maintenance department puts up
when a road is closed?" he asked.
"They read: Slow Men Working
and that's just the right wording"