Muncie Post-Democrat, Muncie, Delaware County, 4 October 1935 — Page 4
' ' ^ THE >OST DEMOCRAT' '
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A Democratic weeldy newspaper representing the Democrats of Muncie, Delaware County and the 10th Congressional District. The only Democratic Newspaper in Delaware County.
Entered as second class matter January 15, 1921, at the Postoffice at Muncie, Indiana, under Act of March 3, 1879.
PRICE 5 CENTS—$1.00 A YEAR
110 North Mulb'erry Street—Telephone 79 GEO. R. DALE, Publisher
Muncie, Indiana, Friday, October 4, 1935.
“Deserving Democrats, Har, Har’ 1
The Editor’s Comer
■rii w I n Iiwnriru mi-i-niw i.ii i
(Contributed) In November of last year, two Democrats, James N. Osenbaugh, of Eaton, and John Peckinpaugh, of near Yorkt.own, were elected to office as commissioners of Delaware county from their respective districts. Mr. Peckinpaugh defeated Burton Williams, the Republican candidate, for commissioner, and was sworn into office January 1, 1935. Mr. Peckinpaugh died a few days ago and it became necessary to appoint someone to succeed him. The present board consists of Charles N. Davis, Republican, who is president of the board and Walter Shirey, Republican, who was defeated by Mr. Osenbaugh. Inasmuch as the Muncie Star has used up considerable space and much time in an endeavor to discredit the present Democratic administration at Washington, by calling the attention of its readers to the appointment of “deserving Democrats,” we are quoting from a news item of October 1, published in the Star, which item is in reference to the appointment of a successor to Mr. Peckinpaugh : “Charles N. Davis, president of the board, and Walter A. Shirey must make the decision. Shirey will complete his services on the board December 31, when James N. Osenbaugh, of Eaton, a Democrat, will succeed him. HAD PECKINPAUGH LIVED, WHEN JOINED BY OSENBAUGH THE FIRST OF NEXT YEAR, A CHANGE IN THE POLITICAL COMPLEXION OF THE COMMISSIONERS, WITH A MAJORITY OF DEMOCRATS, WOULD ' J HAVE COME ABOUT AND A CONSE* QUENT EXPECTED CHANGE IN APPIONTEES. THIS POSSIBILITY NOW PASSES OUT OF THE PICTURE, SINCE THERE IS LITTLE DOUBT BUT THAT THE REPUBLICAN MAJORITY WILL REMAIN INTACT.” In view of the foregoing it would seem as though that old “whiz” about the majority ruling, doesn’t apply in Delaware County where, a man may be elected to office by a large majority of the voters and in case of death, be succeeded by a defeated opponent, and .who in turn receives the appointment through the vote of another rejected candidate. To be consistent, the Star should have advocated the appointment of a Democrat to succeed Mr. Osenbaugh, as it is a certainty, that had the majority of the voters wanted a Republican board of county commissioners, they would have voted for Mr. Shirley and Mr. Williams, at the election. As it now appears, the present “old guard” of politicians who hold positions by appointment, notwithstanding the fact that the voters of Delaware County voted to oust them, will still be maintained.
AN EMPIRE BUILDER.
George A. Ball, Muncie multi-millionaire and member of the Republican national committee, who could buy and sell the other committeemen and all the Republican candidates for President thus far suggested, this week financed the shoestring railroad empire^ built up by the Cleveland VanSweringens, and is now tops in the railroad world of America. It is given out that in obtaining control of the vast network of railrpad lines by the Ball expenditure of three million dollars, the great house of Morgan in New York will sustain
a loss of nearly fifty million dollars.
But before shedding tears over any loss sustained by J. P. Morgan & Co., it might be well to wait and see what
actually happens.
Those astute gentlemen of Wall street are not in the habit of being cheated and somehow or other the man on the street thinks that someplace along the line a billion or two is in sight and that when the melon is cut the Morgans will have their feet under the table. Mixing politics with business has not been unprofitable to George Ball. If a Republican candidate for president satisfactory to that gentleman is nominated and elected, the railroad empre secured by his check, would become a power m government of tremendous magnitude. Very few people know the extent of the power in politicofmancial circles of George Ball. He is one of the industrial vt Ame 1 r i i . ca - He is completely saturated with .the idea that the Republican party is the source of all good. Instead of remaining in the background, and ordering politicians to do his bidding like most of the ultra-wealth crowd he mingles wtih the politicians and is one of them. It is unavoidable to draw the conclusion that his latest move to the top in the railway world is connected in some way with politics and that many secret deals were agreed upon before the important step was taken. It may mean that the Republican party next year will be ^ nev . er wa f before. In his secret heart Mr. Ball olds politicians in contempt. He is an empire builder and ?hlv\n enera 7 fi eeS w l nd of every trail he takes » he Probably knew exactly what he was doing when he financed the VanSwermgens holding company and the Democratic nation transaction 11011 W ° U d d ° Wel1 t0 carefuIly di ssect the entire
It always gives us a laugh when some hardy writer begins to talk about beating Finly Gray for congress. A story in the Star last Sunday relates a dark conspiracy among Democrats of the tenth district, who are supiposed to be beating the bushes looking for some man to lay 'the congressman away in the primary next spring. i. The name of Hubert L. Parkinson, city controller, was mentioned as one who might turn the trick, the suggestion being made that Mr. Parkinson would have the solid backing of the city administration and the state administration. It is assuming somewhat to tie up the statehouse and the cty hall, but even if that was true, you could throw in the Democratic national committee and all the “influence” that could be mustered up and it would be just the same. Finly Gray will be nominated for congress on the Democratic ticket next spring and will be easily elected next fall, as usual, notwithstanding the enormous natural Republican majority in the Tenth district. 4 The curious thing about Congressman Gray is that he never seems to know that he has any opposition. He just does his own stuff and pays no attention to the threats of political organizations or the sweating endeavors of political opponents to down him. Last winter in Florida I saw a wrestling match between a gentleman from Alabama, billed as “The One Man Gang,” in a mat struggle with “The Louisiana Tiger.” The management placed two referees in the ring to sec that there was fair play. The one man gang promptly gathered up the tiger and both referees, jumped over the ropes with them and all four disappeared under the platform. After a few resounding bumps in the darkness below the one man gang came to the surface and was proclaimed victor. The crowd surged out and the tiger and the referees were still under the platform. For all I know, they are still there, arguing it over. That’s the way with Congressman Finly Gray. He’s a
one man gang.
He’s somewhat different from any politician you ever met. Once in 1932, in his first race in the Tenth district, I introduced him at a political meeting in a neighboring town. He spoke and the crowd was with him. He never mentioned once that he was a candidate. He did not mention any party. He simply spoke of the ills of the country and his
ideas of the solution of economic problems.
w Gray swept the district in 1932 and repeated in : 1934; and I never caught him once resorting to the regulation method of playing petty politics to secure the approbation
of politicians.
There may be hardy souls in the district who will seek to unseat him next year and both parties have men who are probably just as capable and just as sincere, but the Tenth congressional district will simply refuse to swap bosses, and you may lay to that.
X X X x
John Peckinpaugh, Democratic county commissioner, died suddenly Saturday morning. Mr. Peckinpaugh was one of the finest citizens of Delaware county. He was serving the first year of his three-year term as commissioner, and had proved up as an efficient and faithful officer. James Osenbaugh, Democrat is due to take office the first of January. If Mr. Peckinpaugh had lived until that time the commissioners’ court would have been Democratic,
the first time in years.
But the two Republican members, one of whom is to retire when Osenbaugh takes office, met Tuesday afternoon a ?d ®l®cted Burton Williams, Republican, to take the place of the deceased Democrat, thus the Republicans will be in powei after the first of January, instead of the Democrats. Mr. Williams was defeated by the late Mr. Peckinpaugh last year. Of course it would have been morally right for the two Republican commissioners to select a Democrat to succeed the deceased member, but they would have been cast in outer darkness by the Republican organization if they had done so and besides a Democratic designee would have been accused of dark maneuvering with the enemy by manv of his
party brethren.
... And a S e V a11 ^ doesn,t ma ke much difference to the citizens of Delaware county what party is in power locally just so the affairs of the community are properly adminis-
DIG AND FIGHT
HERE’S CHANCE FOR LON. fines Rl ' ack ® n ’ c i ty at torney, is an impersonator of dogs, chickens and other barnyard inhabitants, and loves to play on the floor with the children, he has the chancl of a t V m . m - 0 r tal , 1 . ze h . ls perfections. As it appears now, the cit> administration is “down on the floor financiallv ” and !f Lon can come through with an imitaton of a hen or for that matter a rooster, laying a few “golden eggs ” Mayor Bunch might “promise,” that some day he would mention him as a possible candidate for Vice-President mentlon
San Diego Expo, is Worth Seeing Many figures and statistics have been printed about the San Diego Exposition. The visits of the great and the near-great have-been recounted. The magnitude of the undertaking has been broadcast to the world and the wonders of the Southern California climate have been expounded upon. But there is a certain atmosphere about the San Diego Exposition that all the figures, all the statistics and all the superlatives cannot describe. It is more than buildings and more than exhibits. It is a feeling one get as he walks through the grounds, of being in a place that is different. The extremely modern and the extremely old in architecture are found under the same spreading trees. At night the grounds and shrubbery and the Spanish towers are
turned into a fairyland with invisible, soft-colored lights. In the streets and beautiful byways and paths, one sees individuals from all parts of the world and the cosmopolitan atmosphere is increased by the colorful costumes in evidence on both men and women. One may even surprise a captive nudist strolling outside the Garden of Eden spot assigned to them. Yes, the San Diego Exposition is worth seeing, if for no other reason than to relax in an atmosphere of ease and romance which one does not find in the hustling, bustling centers north of our southern borders. It will be a new experience to the average sightseer.
WHY HE GOT LIFE Judge—You are charged with expectorating in a trolley car? What have you to say? Prisoner—Well, your honor, I was half asleep and thought I was in court!
tered.
, There is nothing in the history of Mr. Williams to indicate that Delaware county is to slide back to the dark days of cured gravel scandals and scarcely concealed graft, so thoroughly exposed and broken up a few years ago by PostDemocrat revelations, so there will be no general uprising over his selection. s The ones who feel the “outrage” most keenly are the small army of Democrats who would have fought like dogs the fTrst o/lanuary? 118 j ° bS in the gift ° f the . The Republican majority of the commissioners’ court wil! now have the exquisite pleasure of filling these jobs and taking the booting of the disappointed ones and their friends ficiaUnrae pecpSe c^SncTIn “ 8 PUbh ' C ° f -
GOVERNMENT (Continued From Page 1) do with the sewer. He added that Mr. Bracken had been messing around the PWA offices in Washington, asking questions. “Well,” responded the mayor, “Mr. Bracken is a fine citizen and a good lawyer, but he has no authority whatever to speak for Muncie. Only the governmental agencies of Muncie will confer with your department with my approval. Since he has been here without my knowledge I assume he has been trying to crab the works.” Weasel Words The official, looking out of level eyes, and without a change of countenance, casually remarked, “Just as I thought; ambassador extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary without portfolio.” Just about that time Rollin H. Bunch, an adroit and resourceful politician, was casting about in all directions for campaign issues that would make him the Democratic nominee for mayor of Mun-
cie.
His close conferees were Lon Bracken and Bob Parkinson. It was decided that the sewer would make good campaign material. The citizens of Muncie now know
ing reports from these gentlemen. They killed the sewer project.
son became city controller and Bracken was named city attorney. They are now using “weasel words” that mean nothing to try to keep everybody satisfied about the sewer. When the Press said “maybe it serves the city right” and the Star suggests that “maybe it’s another lesson,” they both said a mouthful. It serves the city right for electing officers who say one thing and mean another. The crowd elected were against the sewer before the election and now the same fellows declare they are for it and nobody here really knows what they do stand for, if anything. It is doubtful that they know themselves. And “maybe” it’s a lesson. If it isn’t then the voters of Muncie are beyond the pale of educative influence.
“MERRY WIDOW” HAT DAYS The return to fashion of the cart-wheel hat is reminding many an old-timer of the story about the irate lady on the trolley, who turned indignantly to a maie passenger and said; “Sir, your glass eye has broken my hatpin.” OR SPAGHETTI EITHER
If Mussolini, through force of objections by other foreign powers of Europe, is compelled to aban-
how they were misted bT 'ddtrfttSf^ *'dOn "HfT^b'b'dues't of EfKibpid, whaF
Bunch was elected mayor, Parkin- bananas?”
better excuse could he give subjects, than “yes we have
his
no
Constructing a sewer and disposal plant is a good day’s work without a team, but Muncie has one public official who promises to take off his coat and get right after it. Says Controller Bob Parkinson, in a fine frenzy^ of enthusiasm, “We are going to have that sewer if I have to dig it myself!” Bob, no doubt, feels like the eminent soldier who declared, “We will fight it out on this line if it takes all summer.” City Attorney Lon Bracken also added his nickel’s worth. “We have just begun to fight,’ was Lon’s contribution to seweritis. A celebrated admiral of history once made the
same crack.
.Admiral Bracken’s sanguinary proposal to wade in gore to glory or fall fighting on the field of battle, bloody, hut unbowed, requires some elabor-
ation.
One can easily vision Bob shoveling whatever it is you shovel when you dig a sew r er in a day, single-handed, but who and what is it that Lon proposes to fight? If in the estimation of the city attorney, we have just begun to fight, what is it, in the name of all that is wonderful, that we have had going on here ever since the former city administration took a determined and successful stand in favor of securing from the government funds to complete this vast undertaking? Last year the fight seemed to be centered on former Mayor Dale, who secured the allotment from the government, and Mayor Bunch, Mr. Bracken and Mr. Parkinson were definitely established as being the gunners who fired the Long from the enemy side. The enemies of the project won their great battle and now that the government looks coldy on their conversion to the cause they fought and ignores Muncie in the dispersal of federal funds, the belated promise to dig and fight has its ludicrous
aspect.
In the absence of definite information as to the indentity of the enemy to be engaged, it is suggested that if there is money enough left in the general fund, the board of works should buy Bob a shovel and Lon a popgun, “and damned be he who first cries hold, enough!”
' IM...I .j.—. - — — J v... -J.
l'| Capital CuMent 11,900 MILES OF
IND. HIGHWAYS ARE IMPROVED
Italy, in debt to tne United States in the sum of 30 million dollars on aecount of the international unpleasantness of about twenty years ago, creates a war chest of 240 million. Great Britain, in the hole for the same reason to the extent of 380 million, is said to be contemplating a naval building program calling for the expenditure of a billion dollars. It is alleged that a propaganda campaigh j is under way, with a view to involving the United States in the African row. The symnol for this country sometimes is the familiar figure of Uncle Sam. Again it is the eagle. If the U. S. A. permits herself to be drawn into the existing difficulty, congress should pass a law throwing Uncle Sam and the eagle into the discard and substituting a poor fish, preferably the sucker, or the monkey pulling the chestnuts out. of the
fire.
Most Ambitious Program of State Highway Ever Attempted
Life certainly presents some strange contrasts. On the 24th of September, Max Baer and Joe Louis indulged in f'Stcuffs tor a quarter of an hour or so in Manhattan. and each received more than two hundred thousand dollars. On the same evening, a bout was in progress in Washington, though not of the variety which produces a bloody nose and a sore torso. Representatives of the soft coal diggers and their paymasters were contending as to whether a man ought to get sixty-nine cents or sixty-seven and a half cents for mining a ton of coal. Regarding what the prize fighters delivered in return for their pay, an oldtime Erie Canal mule with a had disposition and a wicked hind leg could have done a more deadly job than Louis, and would have been satisfied if he got off without being clubbed over the head or jabbed in the ribs. The benefit that-the public'derived from the performance of Baer was about as valuable as that rendered by a sack of potatoes which happened to be in the way of the nmle’s hoof. That admitted, wouldn’t it still have been a real hardship if we had been compelled to wait until the next morning to get the results of the fight!
SHAKING
(Continued from Page One) pay them. That, we will all say, was one of the best reasons that could be suggested . But the controller might have gone further and told why. The mayor’s budget and that of the city clerk, the city judge, city attorney and city health commissioner, all comparatively small amounts, were not exhausted. The budgets of these officers showed balances but the general fund had suffered from complete exhaustion. Budgets Mean Nothing A substantial balance is still recorded in the firemen’s budget, but budgets mean nothing if the sums allotted have been spent else,
where.
Park employes who have not been paid since August were stimulated, but not paid. Wednesday, when it was announced that the state tax board had approved a special appropriation of $8,000. The park fund had been wiped out. The engineer’s office had used up the money alloted for this year. The police department fund, in^* tended for forty men, could not stand the strain of 68 pay\ checks. It has all gone and the city is asking for a special appropriation of $25,000, in addition to the 1935 allotment, to pay them off. Regardless of piffling and trifling complaints against the former Democratic city administration, and the construction of mountains cut of mole hills and ant holes, such a condition as this did not exist once during its five year regime. This was largely due to the fact that the mayor promised no jobs before election and kept every department strictly with its budget during! each one of the five years and refused to make jobs the city could not pay for. The Muncie Star, a newspaper that could not by any stretch of the imagination have been regarded as an enthusiast for the city administration during those five years, Wednesday gave its version of what is happening now. Here * is what the Star says; Payless Pay Day “The elective officials of Muncie yesterday had their first payless pay day in the administration that took charge of the city’s affairs last January, and now they can appreciate what the policemen and firemen have been up against on other occasions this year. Extravagrance in public office at the expense of the taxpayers can be blamed for the conditions existing in municiptl circles here today. Names were added to the payrolls of all departments, apparently without thought of the future of the men and their families or of the city’s ability to pay, and now all departments have had a taste of the same medicine. Now that the payless payday has made the rounds, maybe the officials will not be so free with their authority to hire beyond the means of their respective budgets.” The foregoing is an explanation, in a few words, that might have keen ‘ made by Controller Parkin 1 son, of why that the city does not have now the money on hand to pay its elective officers and ap-
pointees.
Two week ago the Post-Democrat quoted Chief Jftlassey as stating |to the county board of tax adjustment that the police force would hav$ to be reduced from 68 to j51.
Firing The Police
Two policemen were fired this
week and others are slated to go. , ,. , . It is easy to hire and unpleasant to to free
fire.
This week the police department abandoned the three-shift plan, and returned to the two-shift method. In Lafayette this week the police went from a two-shift to a threeshift plan, without increasing the number of officers, the installation of a low wave radio station rendering the change possible. Last year the city added radio to its equipment and instead of decreasing the force the present administration added thirty to the payroll, thus exceeding the budget allotment for 1935 to a tremendous extent.
G. OF C. (Continued from Page One) ects have advanced one inch since the first of last January? Name one, please, and we will name a dozen that have advanced backward, like a crawfish.
DICTATOR (Continued from Page One) Deal, the President nor the gov_ ernor When the swimming pool was constructed, Ball was head of the county CWA and he sent a representative to the state board of health to protest against it. He reported to the mayor then that he was sorry but the board had disapproved the plans. A quick telephone call to the state board o| health disclosed that Ball’s agent had been there trying to balk the project. The mayor worked fast and in Fwenty-four hours the project was approved. No dependence can be placed on Ball. He is a counterfeit Democrat and a worse than counterfeit representation of the government. If he had had his way about it the Tuhey Park and its beautiful swimming pool would have remained a city dump with mammoth cockroaches roaming day and night over a mass of tin cans, household rubbish and remains of former automobiles.
MAYORALTY UNWANTED Marysville, O.—Unionville Center, a village of 200 persons, near here, has an election scheduled for November but no one to run for mayor. Dr. J. L. Davis, the incumbent, did not file for re-election.
JAIL FAILS TO AWE BANDITS Toledo—An unobstructed. 'from the county fail across the street failed to hinder two robbers who slugged the proprietor of a filling station and fled with $97.
The suggestion that Mr. Lindbergh ask clemency for the convicted slayer of his child has little of sound sense or substantial justice behind it and amounts to no more than the procedure which is known as passing the buck. The problem involved is whether or not Mr. Hauptmann had a fair trial and was lawfully found guilty. Col. Lindbergh has neither training nor experience which fits him to decide questions of that kind. Disclaiming any intention of clamoring for the blood of the innocent on the one hand or at-
a murderer on
the other, it should be insisted that the established order embodies no provision whereby matters of law may be referred to a
skillful aviator for decision.
A father in Massachusetts forbids his boy to salute the flag in school, on the ground that the flag is a man-made thing and that all things made by man are under the control of satan. Drivers of old autos have been thinking along
that line for some time.
Improvement of more than 1,900 miles of Indiana state highways— a part, of the 1935 program—had been completed before September 1, James D. Adams, chairman ol the state highway commission, announced. The work included new construction in addition to surface treatment and oiling of approxi mately 1,800 miles of existing stone and gravel-surfaced highways. This total mileage will be materially increased during the next few r weeks, Mr. Adams added, when additional construction work is completed and the surface treatment and oiling projects still in operation, are furnished. This has been the most ambitious program of state highway improvement ever attempted in the history or the state highway commission, including a greater mileage than in previous years. A major part of the mileage improved by construction before September 1, was high-type surface with less than thirty-five miles of secondary-type surface construction and grading. Reports for the construction season to September 1 show completion of 113 miles of high-type surfaces. A greater mileage of construction work would have been completed prior to September 1, but for heavy rainfall which halted progress in all parts of the state at various times. In the surface treatment and oiling program now practically complete, more than seven million gallons of oil, tar and bituminous materals were required for the treatment of gravel and stone-sur-faced roads in the state system. In addition 156,000 tons of stone and gravel were required for this work. The 1935 program provided for the surface treatment of 796 miles of state highways and for the application of oil on 970 miles. This extensive improvement program, indicated by the scores of detours encountered by motorists, gave employment to approximately five thousand men during the summer months and meant the expenditure of many thousand dollars for wages as well as for materials. Extensive as this improvement has been, it represents work on less than twenty-five per cent of the mileage in the state highway system. A considerable part of the sixmillion dollar federal-acid highway program is already under contract, providing largely for high-type improvement on ICO miles of state highways. This program will provide employment for hundreds of workmen during the fall months. o —- CAN'T SAY “NO” Generally speaking, the average tax payer has little regard for the public official who can say “Yes” in the ten different languages, but who cannot say “No,” in plain United States.
“SALUTING” MUNCIE
A story in the Star this week indicates that its evening competitor was slightly off when it stated that the names of Muncie citizens who had been indicted were not to be mentioned by the WLW broadcaster in the Muncie “Salute to Cities” program on the night of October 23. The names “sent in” include the name of the mayor and the name of G. A. Ball, both of whom were indicted by federal grand juries. It was also revealed that the chamber of commerce supplies the information to the broadcasting company as to the notables who put Muncie on the map. Since the chamber of commerce promoted the idea of “saluting” Muncie via the Cincinnati broadcasting route, it has a perfect right to feature its own selections, and in censoring the program with the Polyanna idea of discussing only our “pleasant” experiences we can either take it or leave it alone. However, the thought cannot escape us that the real forgotten man is the late Ferald Chapman, who did the job in a big way. The strange story of that noted outlaw, whose criminal career ended in Muncie, the mysterious hide-out on Road 3 north of town, the murder of Ben Hance and wife, the life imprisonment of One Arm Wolfe and the shooting down of Dutch Anderson blend into a story that would make Muncie sit up and take notice. In round numbers there are about four hundred members of the Muncie chamber of commerce. The citizens as a whole do not accept the dictum of the four hundred very seriously. Their idea of what Muncie people want to hear is almost as devoid of kick as the near-beer of former days. The “salute” will not be very exciting if it conforms to specifications. D. C. Stephenson did not live here, but Muncie was his stronghold. Steve’s orders kept Frank Ball out of the United states senate.