Muncie Post-Democrat, Muncie, Delaware County, 6 January 1922 — Page 1
THE ONLY DEMOCRATIC NEWSPAPER IN DELAWARE COUNTY THE MUNCIE POST-DEMOCRAT
VOL. 2. NUMBER I
MUNCIE, INDIANA, FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 1922
SUBSCRIPTION PRICE $2.00 A YEAR IN ADVANCE
Administration A FailureJohn Moles Named Captain— Muncie Star Throws A Fit
The naming of John Moles as night captain on the new police force, has led the Star to say many unkind things about the new administration. One would think, after reading the perfervid editorials in the Star, that Muncie was a total loss with no insurance, all because of the appointment of a police captain that did not suit that newspaper. It seems that in the dim and musty past John Moles conducted a saloon and, like most saloon keepers, violated the law occasionally. The records of the city court show that Captain Moles, during the time he > conducted a saloon was arrested and convicted on three charges. The Star in the course of its investigations also found that a part of one of the fines assessed against the police officer, has never been paid. The Star is therefore highly aggrieved and demands the instant dismissal of Captain John Moles. The Star gives as its reference, the name of Court Bailiff William Everson, who was let out in the recent shake up. Mr. Everson was naturally incensed at being, as he felt, unjustly treated by the new board, Mr. Everson, by the way, has a splendid record as an officer, and thp editor of the Post-Democrat was grieved to see him lose his' place in the. department. Wc were personally in favor of his retention, and we believe that the board of safety would make no mistake in reinstating him on the department in the near future. As to Captain Moles, we believe that the criticisms against him should
not count at this time. He has been out of the saloon business for many years and is now as much opposed to the liquor traffic and its accompanying! devilment, as he was once devoted to it. He was regarded as a good officer during the two years he served on the force. If he fails to make good in his present position, it will be very easy for Chief Benbow to remove him. Let’s keep our temper and see if everything doesn’t come out right, after all.
STAR BEGINS TO FEND FAULT
MOTOR STEALING TRICKS
New York—A clever criminal is stealing many motorcycles here. One of his tricks is to answer an advertisement and take the machine for a trial, never to return. Another is to operate the machine while the owner accompanies him, knock the owner’s hat off and ride on while the hat is befcng recovered.
VERDICT CURBS REBELS
Allahabad, India—The verdict of guilty returned against Mahant Narain Das and others accused of massacring 200 loyal Sikhs at the Nankana Shrine has had a quieting effect upon rebel leaders. Many agitators have left the district.
Teheran—The editor of the Star of Persia, a Bolshevist organ, was given ?00 blows with the bastinado for ridiculing the Persian government. The newspaper was also suspended by order of the Minister of War.
“Passed!” Without a Savory Record!
By Charles N. Mitchell We were confronted last Sunday morning by the' TNormaicy^ advocate sheet of “Early Dawn” notoriety, the “Star”, of Hope, for the G. O. p., in Eastern Indiana, the “Independent” all-wool Republican daily, under the nom-de-plume, “Independent,” for business effect, with a correct likeness of the -most recently demised Republican Senator, that of the much noted Boies Penrose, of Pennsylvania. It is not unnatural that a senator is dead, for all must die. It is not unnatural that Boies Penrose was called as all are to be called, in due time, or,. like every creature upon the mundane sphere must do, simply answered the call. Hence he is gone, and who was he, and what was it that made him “great”. To become a member of either congress does not constitute greatness for we see scores of members of congress come and go unnoticed by the public eye. Only the few become “great!” Many become very much in evidence, but that is not greatness. James Buchanan and Rutherford B. Hayes were national characters, as also Chester A. Arthur, Shelby Cullom, Jeff Davis, Alexander Stevens, Robert E. Lee and others too numerous to mention but they never became great. The United States Senate has been the mecca of “would-to-God-we-were-great” men, since its inception as an , American element, but, looking over j the “great” list, very, very few were , ever great. Mainly they were the re- ! suit of political “necessity,” or the “most available man”, at the time,
with little consideration as to fitness or ability. So now, welcome to the passing of Boies Penros.e, “the ranking Republican leader in the Senate.” Was he ever known to be a real lover of any element lower than the iron Kings of Pennsylvania, or the immensely highups of his party and country? Never! So as you could notifie it. Yet Boies Penrose passes from earth as “great” we suppose. “Great” because he was a political wire-puller, a henchman for the big interest Show us one act of true greatness from him in all his career. We are seeking light; Then why call such great? Business needing a mouth-piece in congress or a split in parties, or a peculiar interest to be considered, like oil, iron, coal, glass, etc., etc., has more often developed the “favorite son,” than any real, necessary, conscious interest on behalf of the whole people, with a smothered feeling. “To. hell with the masses,” after election. If Washington, Jefferson, Monroe, Lincoln, McKinley, Garfield, Roosevelt Wilson, and the valiant heroes of war,are or were, merely “great”! then why call such as Penrose, Buchanan, Newberry, et al great? Call a halt on this “great” stuff and let he who IS great, be great still, and he who is great for littleness, let him be LITTLE still. Let white be white, and black pe black. Beifig a member of the American congress DOES NOT contitute greatness, for we see and read of too many of them that are “great for their inferior smallness and political disreputability.
The Star has been bitter in its strictu res against the new city administration because of what the Star is pleased to term the'dismissal of efficient police officers for “political” reasons. It is very evident that in making police appointments the new chief Van Benbow, and the new safety board, Philip McAbee, Jack Collins and Charles Fisher, made the fatal blunder in not consulting the Star before making any changes. It is true that all the ranking officers, wi th one exception, were removed by the new board of safety, and it is equally true that Chief Carey, Captain Lafferty, Captain Felix and Segeants Jones and Timmins, whore resignations were called for and accepted, were first class officers. A ’ Nobody in the world can say a wovd against the personal honesty and ability, as an officer, of John E. Carey, who was depo >ed a s chief. The Star told the entire story, though, when it declared that Mr. Care.c was prevented from performing as he should, because of “Higher ups” who would not let him do as he desired to do. Mr. Carey served for nearly two years under a police board which was not dominated by former Mayor Rollin Bunch, and during that two years Muncie was as clean a city, morally, as any of its size in the United Sta tes. Then came the change in the police board, right in the midst of the city campaign last ^summer, and Dr. Bunch v/as fortunate enough, or unfortunate enough, just as one wishes to view it, to obtain absolute cC-ntro 1 of the police department, through a board of safety who looked to him for guidance. John Carey, the real head of the po'ice department, was not permitted to dictate the policies of the force. Subordinates, actfig under the orders of Dr. Bunch, took’it into their hands to do things which Chief jCarey himself would not countenance for a moment. IS . . On the very day that Dr. Bunch, by a successful coup, regained control of the board of safety, organized gambling and bootleggi ng resumed sway in Muncie and graft collectors began the rounds of the redligtit and the gambling districts. A bunch of thugs connected with the organized gambling crowd, swaggered around the streets of Muncie. apparently safe from arrest, threatening to assault, and even murder, those who ventured to oppose he candidate who had made it possible for them to put on the big show. %f’ It will be recalled the Post-Democrat, in almost every issue during the campaign, sounded a note of warning to those officials who allowed their official actions to be dominated by a candidate whose inner circle of political advisers were composed almost wholly of violators of the law. The Po hfDe mocrat plead in vain for the removal of those members of the board of safety who tooj ord ors from Dr. Bunch and urged Chief Carey to ignore the orders of those who were iburping the functions of the chief of police. It is not politics which actuated the board of safety to remove these men, whose records were good in every respect, exciptin g as they were tarnished during the past four or five months by permitting outsiders -o dominate the department. It speaks ill for the - Star, a newspaj ir which should be above petty spite and jealousy, to begin to heave.stones and brickbats at .the police department within twenty four hours after it had begun to funcjtlc i, merely because one or two appointments did not suit that fastidious sheet.
U-BOAT ATTACKS ON MERCHANT CRAFT TO BE DEEMED PIRACY
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THE HAND Of GOD One by one the implacable and bitter foes of Woodrow Wilson—the men who villified, and abused that great American and hounded him to the brink of the grave, are passing into the great beyond, where God Almighty, will judge ^their actions. Senator Boies Penrose of Pennsylvania, who has been an evil influence in politics for over a quarter of a century, died on the last day of December, just an hour before the dawn of the new year. Henry Watterson died a few days ago and Senator Philander Knox, also of Pennsylvania, passed away some weeks before. These men all tried to send Wilson to his grave by their contemptible nagging, abuse and villification. The disease with which the late Senator Penrose was afflicted was named in the press dispatches as “thombosis.” We do not know what thombosis is, but whatever it is, strong hopes are expressed that there is enough of it left for Jim Reed and Newberry. Thombosis may yet be the salvation of the nation. All that can be said of the late Penrose is that he was an able politician. He was a graduate of the late Matt Quay, one of the old guard who put Pennsylvania on the map as the most corrupt state, politically, in the union. Penrose is gone, and it is a good thing for the nation that this is so. As a man and a friend he was all right, we suppose, but in public life he was always wrong. The Post-Democrat held Watterson, Knox and Penrose in contempt when they were alive, and there is no reason why we should speak well of them how. Unfortunately their works still live, and will continue to live, to the detriment of millions of American citizens, long after their names are forgotten and their flesh turned to dust.
Muncie has been sick for some Hire and it will take her some time to convalesce. She^ will suffer a number of relapses, i 6 do ubt, during the period of convalescence. It is not .likely that the new ohief of no: on ^ h o$td of safety d’d everything exactly right, but for Heaven’s sake give them time to get their bearings! The people of. Muncie voted for a clean-up of the rank conditions prevailing and they are going to get what they voted for. The S tar will not get very far trying to pick flaws. We believe that Mayor Quick will see to it that every official in his admintration will either carry out the policies advocated by hi m or get but. The objections of the Star to the police department and of Councilman Roy Friedly to a few things about the organization of the council which did not suit him, should not be taken seriously by the people of Muncie. The new city administration will either make good or a failure. It cannot stand still. It must either go forward or backward, but it is now in-its swaddling clothes. It is facing problems of great moment. This-is a poor time to rock the boat, but the boat rockers are at work, anyway. ' : 0 , * The responsibility for the actions of the police force rest wholly upon Chief Benbow. 4 It is presumed that he has been advised as to the policies of the new mayor. If the % policemen chosen by the new chief do not do their duty, he should promptly fire them. * If the chief permits his subordinates to run h is office for him, the mayor should, and 4 would, no doubt, fire him. • .4 This is a good time for the people to sit steady and wait for results. If the newly 4 organized police department proves to be a fa ilure, after being given a reasonable trial, % then it will be time to criticize, and the Post-Democrat will do its share of the kicking. f In the meantime we are going to be fair and wait for results. There are now two or 4 three men on the police force who should not be there, but that does not necessarily mean 4 4 that the police department is a failure. % 44444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444
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PRESIDENT COMPLIMENTS JUDGE JOHN BARTON PAYNE, CHAIRMAN OF THE AMERICAN RED CROSS “One of the ablest, most farseeing, and whole-souled Americans
in public or private life.”
To have that said about you by the President of the United States is a somewhat unusual tribute. The man President Harding was talking about is Judge John Barton Payne, Chairman of the American Red
Gross.
President Harding, by virtue of his office, is ex-officio President of the Red Cross. Judge Payne, the man who directs its affairs, is Chairman of the Central Commit-
tl€0.
The President had finished presiding at the recent annual Red Cross meeting when, just before laying down the gavel, he said: “I cannot leave without just one word. You are aware that it became the duty of the President to name the Chairman of your Central Committee. I want to make acknowledgment before you of my gratitude to the distinguished gentleman who has taken that responsibility. I refer to our good friend, Judge Payne. We do not agree in politics and he shows me no more respect on the golf course than a superior player ever shows to the duffef. But I look upon him as one of the ablest, most far-see-ing, and whole-souled Americans in public or private life. When I asked him to accept this resoonsibility of unselfishness and this commitment to noble work, he was good enough to comply. And 1 want to take this occasion to tell him how grateful I am that he came to the aid of the Executive, in making r possible to bring one of the first Americans to that noble service.” lodge Payne’s long record of se. - ice, to which the President referred began in West Virginia, where he began the practice of ia-v
Later, he practiced in Chicago important posts at Washington— where he became judge of the: Genera! Counsel to the United Superior Court of Cook County I States Stepping Board, then DirecWith the outbreak of the war he' tor General of Railroads, then was called in to administer several 1 Chairman of the Shipping Board,
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and later Secretary of the Interior,
under President Wilson.
Judge Payne is a native of Virginia. It is understood he is serving the Red Cross without salary.
Arms Parley Envoys So Agree When French Defeat Limitation
Washington, D. C., Jan. 8—The effort to reduce and limit submarine and auxiliary naval tonnage met with complete failure in a session of the international conference committee on armament which was marked by sensational interchanges between Mr. Balfour and M. Sarraut concerning the naval preparations of Great Britain and France and the possibility oi war between those two nations. France insisted on an allowance of 90,000 tons of submarines, an amount equal to the maximum Mr. Hughes originally proposed for the United States and Great Britain and threc times the present French tonnage, and asked for 330,000 tons of auxiliary craft. Mr. Balfour in polite but grim terms immediately charged that the French contemplated using submarines illegitimately against commerce, pronounced the French naval building plan a menace to Great Britain and declared that under tne circumstances England could agree to no limit on the construction of cruisers, destroyers and other anti-submarine craft. M. Sarraut denied that submarines were to be used illegitimately, protested that a large submarine tonnage was needed to protect France and her colonies and expressed surprise that French defense plans should arouse British fears of aggression with Britain allowed a capital ship tonnage greater than that of France and Italy combined. Balfour Talks War Mr. Balfour retorted with the assertion that, in the event of war between Great Britain and France, England, having no large army, could not strike at the heart of France, but France, employing a great navy ox submarines againts commerce, could destroy the “very existence” of Britain. In only slightly veiled language Mr. Balfour accused France of militaristic design^, made manifest by her naval building program and “the refusal of the French delegation to discuss land armament.” The collision between the envoys of the two governments in the conference .committee accentuated the discord between London and Paris that has been developing! for some time and bred predictions in some quarters that England and France soon will be found building navies against each other as were England and Germany before the great war. Hughes Wins Point Mr. Hughes reminded the French delegation that expansion of armament was not under consideration and announced with regret that an agreement on the reduction and limitation of submarine and auxiliary tonnage appeared impossible. At a subsequent meeting of the conference committee Mr. Hughes countered forcefully with a proposal that the employment of submarines against merchant ships should be absolutely prohibited and violations of this* rule treated as piracy. The delegates gave unanimous assent to this proposal informally, subject to further consideration of the phraseology. A plenary session of the conference on the naval limitation plan is close at hand, a session which Mr. Balfour has promis-d to enliven with
further remarks on the controversy between Great Britain and France. Summarized, the developments in the two sessions of the conference emmittee- were: (1) Acceptance by France of an allowance of 175,000 tons of capital ships contingent upon agreement as to the length of the naval holiday and upon bberty of beginning replacements, in 1927 instead of 1931. Limit Size'of Guns (2) Agreement to limit the caliber of capital ships’ guns to sixteen inches. (3) Failure to agree on limitation of submarine and auxiliary tonnage. (4) Proposal made to limit the size f any war craft, except capital ships and airplane carriers, hereafter built to a displacement of 10,000 tons with guns not exceeding] eight inches in caliber. (5) Proposal made to allow Great Britain and the United States 80,000 tons each of airplane carriers, Japan 48,000 tons and France and Italy 28,000 tons each. (6) Proposal made that airplane carriers be limited to a displacement of ?7,000 tons, with guns not exceedng eight inches in caliber. (7) Proposal made and informally agreed to that the use of submarines against commerce be barred, the proosal taking the form of the following esolution drafted by Elihu Root: Must Search Ships “The signatory powers desiring to make more effective the rules adopted by civilized nations for the protection of the lives of neutrals and non-com-batants at sea in time of war, declare that among those rules the following are to be deemea an established part of international law: “(1) A merchant vessel must be ordered to stop for visit and search to determine its character before it can be captured. *‘A merchant vessel must not be attacked unless it refuse to stop for vlMt arid 'search-after vaiiving.“A merchant vessel must not be destroyed unless the crew and passengers have been first placed in safety. “(2) Belligerent submarines are not under any circumstances exempt from the universal rules above stated; and if a submarine cannot canture a merchant vessel in conformity with these rules the existing law of nations, requires it to desist from attack and from capture and to permit the merchant vessel to proceed unmolested. BREAK UP JEWEL GANG Marseilles—M. Malvy, declared by the police to be one of the most cunning criminals in the world, has been arrested here as leader of a gang of jewel thieves who have been preying on American, French and British tourists in the Riviera hotels.
BILL” « AY WOOD PLOTTED PARIS BOMBING, IS BELIEF
Paris—Detectives assigned to Communist investigations believe that “Big Bill” Haywood, now in Russia as friend and helper of Lenine and Trotzky, planned the recent bomb outrage against the American Ambassador, Myron T. Herrick. They assert that Haywood has for years hoped and planned for a . campaign of international terrorism.
44444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444 I Letting in Pauper Immigrants § 4 Editor Post-Democrat: % t Sir: I am submitting for publication the following item J 4 by the International News Service; ^ i t “Washington, Dec. 31—Secretary of Labor Davis’s lat- 4 | est fad is that he favors an act of congress whereby the f status of the immigrant to the United States can be deter- % 4 mined before he sails for this country. The tragedies of % 4 families separated and hopes of a new-found freedom dis- || * appointed, are daily cast up as flotsam and jetsam in the j 4 weltering tide of humanity that flows through the immigra4 tion station. ‘For the sake of humanity the standing of the 4 immigrant ought to be determined before he leaves his J own country,’ said Secretary Davis. ‘I sincerely hope that * some system for selection on the other side may be worked 4 out, and a law for putting it in effect placed upon the statute t book at an early date.’ ” The work of the immigration officials has been 1 complicated by the new immigration law, which provides that not more than a certain quota of immigrants from any one country shall be admitted within the year. It is not for Mr. Davis to say what kind of an immigration law the government of the United States shall have upon its statute books. That belongs to congress, and not to Davis. Secretary Davis is of Welsh parentage, was born under the flage of Great Britain and is a foreigner himself by birth. I again repeat that part of Washington’s farewell address to the American people: “See that you place none on the outposts but native born.” Since the fourth of last March Mr. Davis has let down the immigration bars and has let into the United States over 500,000 foreigners, over 200,000 of them Italians. The steel corporation has its agents m Italy and pays their fare to this country. Daniel Knight, American.