Muncie Post-Democrat, Muncie, Delaware County, 3 February 1933 — Page 2

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YOU CAN ALWAYS BUY INTELLIGENTLY BY READING THE POST-DEMOCRAT ADVERTISEMENTS

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1933.

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THE POST-DEMOCRAT

A * Oeuiocratic weekly newspaper representing the Democrats of JIM.untie, Delaware County and the 10th Congressional District i« i The only Democratic Newspaper in Delaware Couhty. i * Entered as second claSs matter January 15, 1921, at the Postoffice a^Muncie, lidiana, under Act of March 3, 1879.

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It’s Time He Bought American!

PRICE 2 CENTS—$1.00 A YEAR

223 North Elm Street—Teleohone 2540 CHARLES H. DALE. Publisher Geo. R. Dale, Editor

Muncie, Indiana, Friday, February 3, 1933.

Milking County Employes In looking oyer the report made by the treasurer of the Republican central committee which functioned in the November election, we find tije names of practically all county officials and their employes an| appointees. The amounts donated by each is set opposite his name Unless #e are mistaken the same law that penalizes city officials for passing tie hat among employes, may be properly applied to county employes. If any job holder in the county Republican departments escaped from assessment, the report on file in the county clerk’s office fails to ^sclose it. •—“Even the laborers working for the county highway department were tapped. The amounts opposite the names of the laborers ranged from a dollar and a half to two dollars and a half. ' Do you suppose they all walked up to the captain and kicked in voluntarily or were they solicited to contribute, just as the council smelling committee charged the mayor with doing? Of course they were not coerced. They simply did it out of the goodness of their hearts. It :is not-coercion when Republicans do it. ^ .Giving up to the Republican jackpot in Muncie is a patriotic duty well performed. ^ If a Democratic mayor is defended by the funds of city employes 1# draws, twenty-six indictments, and the Star says it is the most aJUrious charge ever presented against him.

tlAOE IN 6eR«A,NY

Balance or Bankruptcy 1 Even before the terms of the administration sales tax measures Imd been given fair study, there was loud expression of opposition. UJiis is-.,decidedly in contrast to the expressions that attended the passagi Vf the tax law. On the one hand, there was elation at ^•eduction of faxes even though it was certain to result in bankruptcy fir the state. On the-other; there is protest,over what appears to be t|je 'only avenue lefU to-saye the slate from a condition of financial IfiKvoc akin to that which Illinois and the city of Chicago has been exjj[ Governor "SfcNuttMW entirely correct in asking that there be no ^ap judgment, in consideration of the sales tax. It will be rememlto : ed thai-ihriiis message to the legislature, Governor JVfcNutt stated ‘it am unalterably opposed to the principal of a sales tax but I find fiat the exingencies of the situation force its serious consideration.” has outlined a program of economy to which all people of the are sjibieribing with praise and commendation. That provides Hoi- drastic reduction in public expenditures, the consolidation of ijpards and bureaus and the elimination of unnecessary departments, .<fft*that the state government -will be operating on the least budget possible. But, even that minimum budget may not be supplied under the -Strict observance of the $1.50 tax law. That means that the budget will either not be balanced or the deficit must be raised by some new

source pf taxation.

’Tfie peppVe of Indiana are not so unreasonable that they refuse to admit that honest debts must be paid','and the expenses of government cbme uptaer tile classification of honest debts, provided those expgfises are reasonable. If some other form of revenue source can be suggested that will be as.fairas the proposed sales tax, all well and glljMU*- The pudget must be balanced in all events, and after all, thak,

is just what the people want.

Above all things it is well to consider these problems with judgment and without prejudice. Even Governor McNutt is opposed to the theory or principle of a sales tax, but it is not theories but facts that we face when consideration is given to establishing the economic

stability of /he state py having a balanced budget.

BILL WILL SAVE (Continued Prom Page One) are set up under the measure. They will be the executive, the department of state, deoartment of audit and control, department of treasury, department of law, department of education, department of public works, and department of commerce and industries. Only six elective offices will remain, including the governor, lieutenan governor, secretary of state, auditor of state, treasurer of state and superintendent of public in.o, ’FO 4Tuctsae 8POH anee2 z struction. The office of attorney general is abolished after the incumbent completes his term Dec. 31, 1936, and after that time, or in event of a vacancy in the office before theh, the successor will be appointed by the governor.

Powers Broadened

It is provided that every office, except the six elective and the attorney general, will be terminated i

W YSOR

Starts Sunday A museum mummy come to life to battle modern science for bis love of a buried past! Boris KARLOFF The Uncanny in “The MUMMY” with Zita Johann David Manners

SUNDAY Adults 25c Children 10c

MADF i j*} ' ITALY

v .»TV

Cheap Is the Word

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tthur

TO! ,

iiT Fbr'aSout six.&sarshtUiefpeople of this state have been endeavor ftg (|f select the Irord the term that would best describe United Stafes Serial of Arthur f^binson. The circumstances of his appointment to office were well known, his colorless record is public knowledge, short paragraphs, vjt^y short in fact, have been written of his low estate among his colleagues in W ashington. But not until just now hail-the one word been supplied that so fittingly explains what

is wrong with Indianans senator.

It took a severe tongue lashing administered by Senator Joe Robinson of Arkansas to give to the people of Indiana the real picture of their representative in Washington. The Arkansas solon charged khat'-Senator Arthur Robinson is playing cheap politics, and that word Aheap” is undoubtedly the best that could be found to describe the Ohioan who adopted Indiana because of its political possibilities to

men of his type.

Hardly had Arthur Robinson entered the Senate than he gave that famous “birds of a feather” exposition in an attempt to convince the rest of the senate that he might be an orator, even though it brought down on him the record of his previous associations with D. C. Stephenson.: During his campaign for election to the senate he went up and down the state spreading hatred toward foreign nations and declaring that the United States could very well get along without the rest of the world, a most un-Christian and un-civilized attitude. Fallowing' his election nothing has been heard of him until now, when Inj finds It is necessary to sell himself to the people of Indiana for the eWtct-idn two yeai;s. lienee. He suddenly begins championing the cause of the ex-service men on a misguided apprehension that true Americanism must involve hatred of anything that is not produced, developed aud supported by Americans at the expense of all othei countiies. This is indeed a cheap kind of politics, just as cheap as the man w ho advocates-it, Indiana owes a lot to Senator Robinson of Arkansas for giving it the word that fits the type. The words and attitude of $euator Anthur Robinson stamp him as cheap and from now on he ♦ ill be known by that term back home.

♦ ,,

His hat was made on England’s shore. His socks were knit in France; The bonnie braes of Scotland bore His coat and vest and pants, llis lamp, his table and his chair Were built across the seas. ■ The Stars and Stripes he flaunts in air Were made by Japanese.

He lights a pipe of British type And puffs a London smoke. H ' 1 ays a lot of foreign tripe v v hile workmen here are broke. He scatters wealth in every mart From Sweden to Japan, And it is time he had a heart And BOUGHT AMERICAN.

—George S. Phair.

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TESTIMONY OF (Continued From Page One) tendom was slandered by the S^bes apd Pharisees ot His day, nAd spiked to a cross on the sort of evidence aud rumors that latter daW character assassins employ to destroy those who interfere with

their vile practices.

(The prophets were stoned to death thousands of years ago, and eaHy settlers who came to Amerca toAtscape religious and monarchial oppression burned women to death bcShuse rumor branded them as

wife lies.

/*,, Rumors, All Rumors.

t^uce this grand jury investigation ahd its indictments were baS^d primarily on a council order to iduvestgate RUMORS about the mayor, Salem witchcraft may now befregarded as an established preceifent to justify the conduct of the twentfeth eAhtxrry-Cbftou Mathers

and Judas Iscariots of Muncie.

seems to be more than a rumor, based on no less authority than the word of fields examiners of the state board of accounts, that City Clerk Ridgeway is a thief and that he purposely falsified public rec ords, yet there is no record that he was indicted for it, notwithstanding the fact that Prosecutor Leffler was possessed of all the information before the grand jury convened.

How About Puckett.

It cannot be denied that a rumor was freely circulated that Sheriff Fred Puckett attacked an Albany youth without cause and tdre his shirt off. The Post-Democrat has no evidence of the truth of this assertion. aud is loth to believe it, yet it was a rumor, and whether baseless or not, the sheriff was made defendant in a civil action for damages, filed by the youth ini question. The youth made affidavit that the officer was intoxicated. There can be no question at all but that the prosecuting attorney was fully cognizant of that particu-

And speaking ol rumors, there liar RUMOR, since he refused to

prosecute the sheriff when asked to do so by the young man, and later when the civil action was filed, according to local newspapers, entered his appearance as attorney for the defense. Blinded by Prejudice. This is in no way an accusation made by the Post-Democrat against Sheriff Puckett, but is merely meant to point out the unfairness of Prosecutor Leffler, whose eyes' are blinded by prejudice and his ears filled with the cotton of parti-, san - hatred, w hen. RUMORS affect-, ing the Conduct of his personal and political friends are put in circula-

tion.

In other words, the whispered rumors against the mayor should be investigated with the Utmost bravery, and pursued to the last whispered calumny, while rumors affecting the mayor’s enemies must be laughed off, coughed out, scorned and repudiated and those demanding impartial justice are to be condemned for the suggestion. Rumors, More Rumors. There was another rumor here a shbvt time ago, set in motion by the board of county commissioners, that the county road superintendent was not all that he should be and his resignation was demanded. Nothing has been heard of the case since, although “rumors” were in circulation affecting the honesty of more than one Republican county official. If rumor is to be the basis of grand jury action, why did Prosecutor Leffler overlook that particular rumor. And then, two or three weeks ago Muncie automobile dealers combined in their wrath and made charges against the county commissioners, circulating rumors, which, if true, implicated the commissioners iiLrtbe ^rooked purchase of county trucks. Without passing, on the truth or falsity of the rumors about the commissipnefSjwlxp, .are all Republicans, and/.Uthierefbi'e blameless, they should have been investigated by the grand jury. Rumors are serious things. Charges Not Specific. And it was only Thursday that Councilman John Maxon blew up and in voting against another huge; appropriation for the trustee, of Centre . Township for poor relief, expressed the belief that there was something rotten in Denmark. One of the councilmen then said, in effect, that none of the charges against the trustee had been made specific, and that there was no proof of irregularities. A bystander then mentioned that $150 was a big price to pay for cleaning a septic tank in a country school yard and t^as sawed off by one of the councilmen, who advised him to go to the prosecutor and file an affiddavit, if things didn’t suit him. Prosecutor Refuses. Remembering how the prosecu-

“sounds like someone planning! the perfect crime—well, they gqU off on the wrong foot this tifrig, Better come along, Doctor, and'be

in on the surprise party.’

i The traffic was bad ;i and ftlIthought the siren >> constantly shrieked its warning note to those that might be in the way, the big car was forced ou several occasions to slow down. Only once during the wild ride did ..Doctor ,Fillmor,e speak aud that was to inquire of the captain what on earth a murderer would he. doing asking for advice on how to. kill a

man.

“He either really Wanted the information or else just wanted to make a sensational story for the newspapers,” replied Captain Denney, “or else,” he added, “he’s pulled the trick and -. skipped be-

fore we get there!’ '

The police car halted just outside a pair of rusty iron gaj-es, which opened into a stone drive running diagonally across .the grounds aud disappearing among shrubbery and trees which almost completely hid the great house' from sight. Captain Denny and his four men followed by Doctor Fillmore, climbed from the car and

entered the grounds.

Not a sign of a light w as visible in the big house as the officers approached. Captain Denny motioned his men to spread out and cover the sides and hack of the place while he and the - doctor made for the front door. The faint tingling of the distant door-hell was the only sound r-that came from within as the captain held

.his thumb on the button.

) “I don’t like it,” said Captain iDenney in a hoarse whisper, “it looks like we’ll have to help ourselves to the door.”, , v \ , ■ The massive.sdow,-was not locked. Captain Denny pushed it open easily. Pistol in band he-stepped

.down his back. Perhaps It was be- inside. Rather reluctantly^the doc-

The molehill grew into moun-[cause it had startled him out of a tor. followed. Thf ule'of jthe of-

As Others View It (Indianapolis News Editorial)

The turbulent career of George R. Dale, mayor of Muncie, has been further agitated by the opinion of a grand jury that lie should be tried on its charge that he conspired with others of his official family to levy on city employes for a defense fund to see him through his troubles with Federal authorities. There is a law forbidding the coercion of public employes by their superiors. In the minds of the jurors. Dale may not have been properly regardful of the intent of the statute. The grand jury wasp of course, bound by the*law\ and could not allow itself to iuilueuced by custom. Public employes who have been prevailed upon to give part of their pay for one purpose or anottrer may be surprised to learn that there is such a law. Some public officials may be shocked to find that a grand jury would take;

notice of it. • ’

Mayor Dale’s troubles formerly came with some regard for the right of a man to a fair fight against the adversities of public life. Whether his enemies and the upholders of the law had an understanding and drew lots for the order of their attack has not been ascertained. It may be that chance alone determined the sequence and orderly spacing of his contests with foes in office and out, including some who even went so far as to fire bullets into his home. Now, however, his troubles are coming in pairs, or even worse. He rests under a sentence to Leavenworth on a charge of violating the Federal dry act; his city council is in litigation over a plan to oust him from his official position, and now he is indicted on an accusation of passing the hat among city employes for certain funds needed in the career of every man at outs with the law. The Muncie leader has managed in one way or another to keep himself prominently in the public eye. He gained some renow'n as a champion of free speech at a time in the recent history of the state when others were less bold in their fighting. This was, in a way, the beginning of his career as the central figure in the Muncie trouble zone. The people rewarded him with preference for public place. He found when he assumed the duties Of his office that the ways of politics are sometimes dark and* inscrutable. An effort to please all failed, as it must, and the subsequent choice of a public following in the assertion of his reform ideas involved the displeasure of the discarded element in the social structure. At critical moments, the statutes obstructed the pursuit of his career. Since the people have not changed the laws, and juries, courts and prosecutors have views on the subject, and Mayor Dale appears to have dedicated his life to certain nonconformities, the conflict may continue in-

definitely.

not later than June 3'3|, 1933. Every, appointive officer, except the chief deputies under the six elective officers, v r ill be subject to appointment and removal by the governor and no term will exceed four

years.

The powers of the lieutenant governor are broadened considerably. He will have a full-time secretary and will serve with the governor on several of the boards operating the eight executive-ad-ministrative department's.

Rights Returned

Section 10 of the act, which contains 32 sections is the merging clause that provides for the combinirtg of boards, bureaus and commissions. This section specifies that any person may serve on two or more boards, and that any •‘organization, subsidiary to any hoard, may serve under any other

board or boards.”

Under the provisions of the measure, it is anticipated that many of the rights of communities Will be returned to themwith .some supervision from hoards. The governor, is given the power to adopt and' amend rules of pro- ; ceedure from time to time to ex-'| pedite transaction of business. Al-

facts an the. grand jury acted.

tans ; and now the Star says that these charges are the most serious of the , many accusations made aganst the mayor, aud the Press

SHIPPERS: First morning delivery to Indiana points —and second morning to Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, To-

ledo.

“Ship Electric” and boost one of your best , local taxpayers and most important services.*

AWii •

;fiiw UkJzl

^L'Z-$tt^^\You:tfeed the itfve,- it ' asi'*' ■ '

does . jjvvqy With the objec-

tionable featilreU of concentrating I local powers, with a myriad of boards and Wqinmissions. The new j system will eifect radical feductions in the personnel of •'‘officers and employes, concentrate responsibilities in the elective officers and reduce the cost of executive and administrative government in

the state.

o ‘ Official estimates show that, at : this time the 'United States has a j surplus of 416,000,000 bushels of j wheat. The normal carry-over is j about 100,000,000 bushels.

v "

Electric Lines

Walter F. See INDIANA

RAILROAD 'SYSTEM^'

half sleep. The hour was late and ficer’s flashlight: disclQsed a wide upon his return from a call he had open Stairway on the opposite momentarily dozed off into sleep, side of the room. A slight noise Slowly Doctor Fillmore again seemed to come from this direc-

is bursting with indignation (took the receiver from the hook tion. The two men made their way

and wants another Republican for mayor who will make Muncie as pure as it was when the traffickers in second-hand trucks and street contracts were in the saddle and when bootleggers, gamblers and prostitutes paid the freght, instead

of firemen and policemen.

ELEVENTH AND "E* STBEETS NORTHWEST WASHINGTON DC

MURDER AT GREYSTONE

tor refused to approve an affidavit when the Albany boy wanted to prosecute and how the prosecutor saved City Clerk Ridgeway from prosecution, the suggestion of the councilman should l>e placed in the category of pure, American wit and’

humor.

Finally, it should be remembered that Muncie is one huge rumor factory. There are more human, talking parrots here than in any other spot on earth. No man, no woman, is exempt from the whispering tongues of malicious meddlers. Molehill Into Mountain. The mayor of your city has been indicted. The daily newspapers peddled rumors. Scoundrels whispered them, these rumors, by frequent reiteration finally grew into

By Russ Rennaker

“Is this Doctor Fill mere talk ing? Yes? Well, listen. Doctor, I am going to kill a man tonight and I want to do it without leaving a single clue for the police— Doctor, don’t hang up—I want your advice—the best way to kill a man without leaving any trace

of the evidence—”

Doctor Fillmore heard no more.

and asked for the supervisor. For- cautiously to the top of the stairs tunately, the origin of all calls which, they found, .ended in a hqllcoming into his telephone was re-way.. A few yards down this hallcorded in the central office. This way a slim shaft of light gleamed service had proven very valuable from the edge of a partially to the doctor many times in the closed door. Captain Denny and past. the doctor stopped at the edge of The call, Doctor Fillmore soon the door. ' - learried, came from a residence! Slowly, silently tne captain Iclown on Terrace Avenue—the pushed the door open and with'a jGreysfcone estate; G r e y s t o n e? nod to his companion to S;tay be|Where had he heard of that be- bind, stepped into the room, I fore? Oh, yes, he remembered. 1 “Stay where you are! Don’t The Greystone had belonged to a move!” commanded Captain Denmillionaire who had married a ney, and the doctor peered shop girl—the papers had been around the door. It was a rather full of it at the time—the girl had small room in the center of which been murdered in cold blood and was a desk. Behind the desk, shortly afterward the millionaire sleeves rolled to his elbows, was had been found in his own hall, a man, apparently very busy.” murdered. That had all happened “Are you the guy that called a good many months ago—no one Doctor Fillmore about an hour] had ever been convicted of either ago?” asked the captain. .The man murder. Greystone now belonged nodded his head, looking from one to heirs in California—do you sup-to the other of the .two men bepose—? fore him. “say,” asked the daptain A few minutes later Detective suddenly, “who the blazes '.are

Captain Denny and his squad slid you?”

!o a stop in front of the Fillmore

Cautiously, as if the person at the home.. Doctor Fillmore had once

other end of the line might see him, he hung up the receiver. For a moment he sat staring at the instrument. Doctor Fillmore had been in practice in the great city for twenty years and in that length of time had undergone many and varied experiences; both related and unrelated to the profession. This, however, was a brand new experience for the doc-

Lr.

Something uncanny in the voice

been medical inspector on the Department staff aud was well

known by the captain.

"And,” said the doctor, “that is all there is to It, but I have a hunch that something is wrong.

That voice had a cold, calm tone {fire Syndicate.)

that struck me as being that of a cold-blooded murderer or a maniac. In either case I’m positive

“Why,” came the reply,. “1 am David .VauDyke, the novelist—I rented this place for the summer, last week—I called Doctor Fillmore for some advice in regard to my new mystery book ‘The Per

feet Crime’.”

PUBLISHER DIES

Denver, Feb. 3,—Fredexuck

coming over the telephone had| Captain Denny listened to the caused a fold chill to play up and I doctor’s story. “That,” said he,

th/t murder is intended tonight at'Bohfils, publisher of .the* Denver the other end of that telephone Post, died at his home here yesRmbJ” iertday after a brief-attacte: oL in-1

fluenza, which developed into pneumonia. He was 72 years old.

CRUSHED STONE

Roads, Auto Drives, Garage Floors Concrete Aggregate Muncie Stone and Lime Company

Phone 1266

P. 0. Box 1212