Decatur Democrat, Volume 51, Number 46, Decatur, Adams County, 26 November 1908 — Page 4

THE DEMOCRAT ■ 1 ■ ■■- — . —-— BVKBYTHUKSDAY MOwNING BY LEW G. ELLINGHAM, Publisher. UAOPBB YKAB IN ADVANOB. tat Bred st the pottoffice M Decatur. Indiana as Mtonad-elaM mat) wawr OFFICIAL PAPER OF ADAMS CO. THE STAR HAS A YELLOW LIVER Democratic State Chairman Jackson is right and his critics are wrong as to the significance of the recent state election. Neither the election of Mr. Marshall nor the choice of a Democratic legislature can be honestly viewed as anything but a verdict against county option.—Muncie Star. Since the defeat of its party the Star, like most all Republican newspapers, lays the blame to county local option. It now wants it’s own party law repealed, and has the nerve to insist that a Democratic legislature should repeal it. During the heat of the campaign the Star wag perhaps the most unfair of all the Republican press. It’s language at times was brutal. It classed those voters who supported the Democratic candidates as “red necks,' and a disgrace to decent citizenship. The truth is that the Sta r misrepresented the issues involved, and in misrepresenting those issues, insulted the intelligence of their readers. It is but natural that they now' would favor the repeal of their own law, in order that their position, during the campaign might appear the more reasonable. The attitude of the Star should make clear the duty of every Democratic member of the Indiana general assembly. It is a “lead pipe" that if the repeal of the law in question would strengthen the Democratic party, the Star would be as strong against repeal, as they are now for its repeal. The Star disgraced its journalistic position by its unfair attitude during the campaign, and there is nothing now to indicate that it is any more sincere than it was then. But after all is said and done, the duty cf the Democrats during this legislative session is plain. Their own party platform was a temperance platform. There wag never a thought to omit the issue, but on the other hand they held their convention early with a view of being first to emphasize the part they intended to play in putting the liquor traffic under the ban. And the politics of it is that the law is a Republican law'. The Democrats are not responsible, if it proves unpopular. But whether popular or unpopular, it deserves a trial, free and unhampered by friend or foe. Mark Thistlewaite is the announced private secretary to Governor-elect Marshall. He is said to be all right. ANOTHER POST MORTEM “I was defeated wholly on the question of local option. The liquor republicans were more iu favor of liquor than they were in favor of their party. The temperance democrats, on the other .land were democrats before they were temperance people. The great majority of prohibitionists care nothing about temperance, their only object being to defeat republican party, and they voted their ticket. Some temperance democrats vcted for me. and those prohibitionists who really cared anything about temperance voted in the same way. The majority of the people, however, have said at the ballot boxes that they were not in favor of county local option, and on that question I was beaten.’’ —James E. Watson. ' Now, that sounds like the same hot mush we heard during the campaign. At that time Mr. Watson shed many briny tears over the ruined waste that was overshadowing this great state, because of our liquor laws. That is, he put this sort of a face on the question in public, and then in private he wouK tell “the boys” that as

governor he would not hurt their feelings. What few people that were not on to his light and fantastic curve 4 before the campaign opened, did get onto him before the campaign closet, and they refused to turn over their confidences without a safe and reliI able guarantee. He could not supply I the bond. Governor Hanly signed as I one of the necessary sureties, but the people refused to accept him unless he also put up a bond. There you were. The result demonstrates that it pays to be on the square, in politics and public life, as well as in everything else. Jim’s life and public record in congress does not read like the biography of a hardshell prohibitionist. In fact it gives the snap away. The voters, whether they were as Jim designates them —temperance Democrats or whiskey Republicans—listened to his high class oratory, c >l--a few of his salt stained tears as souvenirs, and then reserved their

ballot for Tom Marshall. They did it more for the reason that Tom Marshall sailed under no false colors, and that is what counts, after all. Jim, that is Jim Watson, should revise his after the election post mortem. The burden of it is that thcpeople have spoken against county local op’tion. We do not believe It They may have spoken against, the manner and method in which Governor Hanly served it to them, but we seriously doubt tl at they voted against county option. People are not in the habit of speaking against something that they know not of. County option is an unknown, an untried commodity in Indiana. We have the law, that’s all. The majority of people are willing to try any remedy before relegating it to the scrap heap. Thus it is with county local option. We have the law, and it is worthy of a fair and impartial trial. The defeated candidate for governor is like the rest of the politicians of his party. They want no issues or elements that do not glitter with the elements of success at the polls. It is policy not principle with them. Thev want no planks in thei r platform that fails to allure the church, the business man and the brewery, and if there is any way for a pig to climb a greased pole, they will have them. THEY NEED GOOD GUIDANCE The Decatur Democrat, edited by Lew G. Ellingham, a member of the Democratic state committee, protests emphatically against committing the Democratic party to the repeal of the county option law. The Democrat insists that ample opportunity be afforded to test the practicability of the law before it is repealed. Several other Democratic papers have expressed themselves in like manner, but the drift of Democratic sentiment appears to be in favor of substituting township option for county option.—South Bend Times, The Times is nothing if net conservative. Editor John B. Stoll’s opinions are of value, and we regret that township or county option i 8 not considered of enough importance for an opinion frem the South Bend Times. The Indiana Democrats, especially these in legislative cloth, need good guidance. The man with an axe to grind is always in evidence- The fellow whose personal Interest overshadows his interest in party or good government is on hand, as is also the one whose opinions always coincide with those of the political.powers that be. But what counts now is an opinion given for the real good of the party, who must accept responsibility. Perhaps we overestimate the importance of this particular issue at this particular time, and if so, It is the enthusiasm of youth and the desire that the Democrats do that thing that best serves the purposes of good and wholesome government, for in doing that they the better serve the Democratic party. The Democrat appreciates the fact that both township and ward local option and county local option are temperance measures, so designed and understood. But we also understand that county local option is now a law, and to put into force and operation the

Democratic idea, it is necessary to repeal another temperance law—the merits of which is untried and unknown. Is the undertaking not dangerous? Who demands the repeal of county local option? Here is the argument of the Hartford City News: The majority of the voters of Indiana cast their ballots for a Democratic governor and a Democratic legislature because they preferred the township and ward units, if we must have local option, to the county unit It was so in every other county in the state where there was an increased Democratic vote. “If we must have local option,” indicating a preference for neither. The News should speak for the repeal of county option and against adoption of the township or ward as the unit. But such argument is not good argument against the repeal of the present county local option law. It is the mind of prejudice against the law. The Democrat does not believe the law will be repealed. Sentiment may be against it, but good sense and good politics —as we see it —will prevail. It is a Republican law, the Republicans were so anxious to pass it that, they called a special legislative session costing forty thousand dollars to enact it. It is their law and if the Democrats are as wise as we think they are, it will stand. Two years from now, will be soon enough to repeal it.

IT WAS A TEMPERANCE CAMPAIGN No plank or no place in the Democtratic (state platform pledges the party to a repeal of county local option and the adoption in its place of township and ward option. When the Indiana Democracy held their state convention, there was no county local option law. The .convention was held early with a view of giving advanced pledges in favor of temperance. This preliminary pledge was adopted as a part of the Democratic creed, and the party went forth to battle for more and better laws to restrict the sale of intoxicants by retail. Since that convention a county local option law has been made a part of the laws of our state. Sincerity in a township and ward local option law, should compel respect for a county local option law, which is now in full force and effect. Democratic legislators cannot or should not treat this fact too lightly. Economy in public life is a better and more convincing card for Democrats to win an election, two years hence. State taxes are extravagant, and petty offices have become an abomination. The legislature should set the example of economy and thereby practice that which they have been preaching. They will do it, too. THEY WANT TO REBUKE GOVERNOR HANLY “Anyone with a thimble full of brains containing a due proportion of gray matter knows that the over fourteen thousand majority given Mr. Marshall was not a vote for or against county option or township option or any other op tion unit. The option principle was enacted into law and the option unit removed as a campaign question by Governor Hanly’s special session; and many, many thousands of anti-saloon Democrats voted for Mr. Marshall because they had confidence in his integrity, who would have voted against him had he or the Democratic party declared In favor of the repeal of the county option law without giving it a trial. Who is demanding its repeal? The most vociferous arc those Republicans who want to rebuke Governor Hanly for having forced the measure on the party; but with this sentiment the Democrats have no sympathy and very little concern.”—White County Democrat. There is the politics of local option. The election returns did not produce a verdict for the repeal of the present law, but instead it did indicate that the temperance issue was settled by Governor Hanly’s special session. The

public speakers and the press plainly stated this truth before election, and it was so accepted by both the advocates of temperance and by the liberal elements. There were no pledges or indications of a desire to repeal the county local option law. It is worthy of notice that all the anxiety of repeal comes from Republicans. Their anxiety for repeal exceeds their good judgment. It is easy to remember their unnatural interest for prohibition before the election and to compare that with their hardened open denunciation now. They are for any old thing that wins—only. The Democrats are wisely not evincing a deep concern over repeal or no repeal. They are letting the Republicans scratch their own eyes out. It is their law, they made it and while they talk much about repeal, yet if they had the power they would not dare to force a repeal. ARE THEY NONPARTISAN? If the county local cption law is allowed to stand on our statute and the next general assembly passes the joint resolution for a constitutional amendment aiming at state-wide prohibition, the program cf the Anti-Saloon League will have been carried out, and as the’ League is nonpartisan, it has no preference as to which political party carries out the wishes of the people it represents. —Berne Witness. The Witness is really amusing. If supporting the Republican candidates, annexing their headquarters with the Republican state headquarters is nonpartisan, then the anti-saloon league is truly nonpartisan. The Witness itself is a fair sample of the league’s independence, and whoever heard of the Witness supporting any candidate other than Republican? All this narrow partisan bigotry has done more to retard than to help the growth of temperance. But in spite of it ail, much has been accomplished. If all the Democratic newspapers in the state would take the stand the Decatur Democrat is taking, the couuy local option law would have little to fear at the hands of its enemies —Berne Witness. Who are the friends and who the enemies? Before the election the Republican state organization and the Republican press were red hot and getting warmer for prohibition. Now they are the “wettest” bunch of patriots ever. Are they the friends? And are the Democrats, who were open and above beard, the enemies? It is said that the anti-saloon league had $27,000 for their work last year. Those in charge are no doubt drawing fancy salaries, and if these salaries were shortened, their interest would be materially dampened. With Jim Watson and Hanly on. the lecture platform, all the other boys attended to, what is to become of George Washington Cromer? George is one of the left-overs of the state organization that will have to be looked after. We know of a number republicans of the eighth district that hope he will get an appointment so far away he can only get back to see the folks about once a decade.—Bluffton Banner. Our mail yesterday contained three letters from three prominent Adams county Democrats, who agree In whole and in part with the Democrat’s position against the repeal of county local option. The main argument of each letter was that the as yet untried law should be given a trial, and that it was not in the cards for Democrats, to help create Republican thunder. But few congressional districts in the United States have changed political complexion stronger than has this district In 1904 George Cromer was elected as a Republican congressman by a plurality of 7,394. This year John A. M. Adair was elected as a Democratic congressman by a plurality of 5,663. A change of over 13,000 votes in four years.—Winchester Journal. Let no one imagine for a moment that Stephen B. Fleming, the atata

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senator from the counties of Allen and Adams will not be an important factor in the contest for the United Staes senaorship. “Steve” is a hustler. Grass is never permitted to grow under his feet. And what a long memory that untiring little man carries in his head!—South Bend Times. With others we regret the loss of fortune to Mayor Tom Johnson. He has been a good man, and unlike most men of wealth, he has always stood with the people. The “Interests'l have fought him and according to late telegraphic dispatches they landed him high and dry. Indiana will have to get along without a Chautauqua governor, thanks to the spirit of Democracy that is afloat

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Id the state. Governor-elect Marsha':! has just turned down a flattering offer of a lyceum bureau, and says that for four years he belongs to the state. Good for Tom Marshall, soon to be Governor Marshall. Dr. John W. Vizard has been mentioned as chief clerk of the house of representatives during the approaching legislative session. Not a better one could be selected, and if he wants it, about all of Adams county will move down on the state house and show tnem how to work the simple game of pulling the political wires. 1 The longer we know Mr. Taft the better we like him.—-Winches-ter Herald. Now you quit flirting with Mr. Taft; he’s married.