The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-06-08
Phone RI ley 5551
FRIDAY, JUNE 8, 1884.
CURIOUS OMISSIONS

MUCH has been said about what the plat
--2A'A form adopted by the Republican state
convention DID say. Nothing has been said
about the things it FAILED to say. The
omissions we think, in that platform were
far more interesting than the matters it actu-
ally discussed.
Granted that Indiana Republicanism petit
toned itself into bankruptcy by the unani-
nous denomination of Senator Arthur Robin
son-yet was that any reason why the party
should have completely ignored the banking
problem?
Surely, stupid as the G. o. P. leaders have
been they must realize that thousands of
people lost their life savings in bank closings
in Indiana since the last state convention.
Do they not regard such a catastrophe as
OF enough Importance to merit some mention
in the party platform? 1t is to that platform
which the voters must turn for guidance.
What does the Republican party of Indiana
propose to do about banking anyhow? One
searches in vain for an answer.
Then there is the little matter of public
utility regulation. The people have right
to expect some formal declaration from a
major political party on such subject.
For more than two decades the utilities
have had the rate payers of this state under
their heels. They have influenced legislatures
and public service commissions to gain their
ends. They have owned the Republican party
lock, stock and barrel. These matters are
common knowledge to every Hoosier over the
age of 10.
The result has been that the Indiana
electric consumer has paid the highest aver
age kilowatt hour rate in the United States.
Recently some definite progress has been
made toward giving relief from this intolerable
condition. Real rate reductions have been
made.
Read the Republican platform carefully
and you will find not even hint of what the
party's policies on utility regulation are.
No one need be surprised that the whole
conduct of the convention amply demonstrated
that Indiana Republicanism has gotten COM
pletely out of touch with the people.
Even it's keynoter Major Imrie, failed to do
more than launch few violently partisan,
vest-busting periods. The major has an en-
viable war record-in the British army-be-
came an American citizen only comparatively
recently and resides much of the time outside
Indiana, so it is not surprising that he showed
considerable ignorance of the real feelings Of
HooSiers.
But certainly the leaders of the party,
most of whom were raised in the state, might
have done a better job at the convention.
Apparently all they could offer the voters was
a. return to the good old days before the de-
preston
Evidently they are blissfully unaware that
people have starved, that business has been
PROSTATE, that representative government has
been seriously challenged in the past four
years.
What they seem to have is an attack OF
inconsistencies for the days and principles of
Mckinley But the world does move on and
if it leaves Indiana Republicanism behind,
why, that is the partys own fault
Meanwhile every one with common sense
will be wondering just why that platform
omitted all mention of banking and utilities.