Indianapolis Times, Volume 39, Number 55, Indianapolis, Marion County, 14 July 1927 — Page 4

PAGE 4

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The Issue Is Clear Governor Jackson has spoken. He admits the $2,500 check whose photograph was produced in The Times, was paid to him by D. C. Stephenson, then the head of the KuKlux Klan in Indiana and engaged in building up his invisible government. The explanation of the Governor is that this sum was paid him for a horse. It is quite conceivable that Stephenson knew his Shakespeare and found himself as did Richard the Third who needed a horse. Richard, according to the immortal William, prayed “A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse.” Or possibly he was familiar with Missouri history. Jesse James, you remembex*, ,had a horse. The issue is now clear, plain and open. The note written by Stephenson as he was preparing for his residence in Michigan City declares that this check was one-fourth of ten thousand dollars given to Jackson personally for the Jackson primary expense. The two explanations of the check are now a matter of record. They are susceptible of proof. The Gov-* ernor had a horse. It was, perhaps, sentimentally called “The Senator.” This may be the horse. There should be no obstacles in the way of determining whether this horse had a fair and reasonable value of $2,500. There can be few objections on the part of Stephenson or the Governor, to disclosing all the facts surrounding that horse, its pedigree, its value, the worth of the saddle and equipment which went into the bargain. There should be no difficulty in establishing all the facts and forever closing the lips of Stephenson. If Floyd Christian was mistaken as to the existence of another check for $5,000, which he says was shown him by Stephenson at the time he saw this check, that, too, can be and should be brought out into the open. It is unfortunate that the Governor, months ago, did not take the public into his confidence concerning this transaction. When the grand jury was hunting for documents, it scarcely seems possible that he could have forgotten such an important business transaction. It will be remembered that The Times, months ago, produced statements from two photographers who had made copies of this che^k. It will be remembered that these witnesses were brought, at State expense, to this county to testify concerning it and that the grand jury, then under the direction of special prosecutors who drew SII,OOO from the contingent fund of the Governor, considered it important enough to pursue. The Governor, at that time, could easily have stopped the search. He could have told them what he now tells without the months of distrust and suspicion that have followed a policy of silence. There is nothing undignified in the sale of a $2,500 horse. Stephenson at that time was in financial position, as were few men, to indulge in such luxuries, if he wanted a horse or needed one. At that time the Governor had an easy approach to the grand jury. The Attorney General of the State, the prosecuting attorney, the entire citizenship, all were eager to save Indiana from the bad reputation which it was gaining abroad. But that is past. The people of this State may as well face the situation clearly. This State has suffered for years from its reputation for sinister politics and bad government. That has hurt the State financially. At Rny time that burden could have been lifted |>y an aroused and enlightened citizenship. Instead the cancerous growth has been allowed to fester beneath the surface. The Times has not been happy in the work of presenting to the public the needed facts which will create that interest and force into the light the truth. No physician attempts to cure a cancer with talcum powder. That has been the remedy in this State for the political sore. A major operation is required, made essential by the policy of silence of the past few months. That operation should be full publicity before a body which can make public all the facts. That body is the State Legislature, which now must repent the fact that the Republican members, at a party caucus, decided that it would not listen or heed when officials were silent and the State suffered from that silence. If Stephenson is now perverting legitimate business transactions into political conspiracies in order to gain sympathy, the answer lies in the frank admission of those I r

BOYD GURLEY. Editor.

“Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way”— Dante

ROY W. HOWARD. President.

with whom he dealt as to the nature of their transactions. The Governor has set the example. H<* says that he sold a horse and equipment for $2,500 to the former Klan dictator and' political czar. Before The Times printed this check and in the hope that there might be some simple explanation, The Times sent a reporter to Kansas, to show him the photograph of the :heck and to ask for the explanation. The Times hoped that an explanation would be given. But the Governor refused to talk, either to The Times or to any newspaper or news association. Stephenson said the $2,500 check was one-fourth of a gift for campaign purposes. The issue is set. The Legislature, for the sake of the good name of Indiana and wit?/ a purpose to forever still rumor, suspicion, distrust, should meet and let the world know the truth, so that no one may suspect. The advantage is all with those whom Stephenson has accused. He is a life term convict. They hold the seats of might. Poor Politics Again A legal technicality has enabled a Pennsylvania county to withhold ballot boxes which an investigating committee of the United States Senate desires to examine In connection with the contested election of William S. Vare. As soon as Congress convenes it is certain this j technicality will be swept aside. Then—if the bal- ! lots have not been destroyed the whole story may be I told. In the meantime—it will be made clear why the j officials of this country are so anxious that the vote! shall not be counted. Under the law of Pennsylvania, the ballots may be destroyed in September, before Congress meets. If advantage is taken of this opportunity, the legal case against Vare may be weakened. But the moral case, obviously, will be strengthened. The likelihood of his retaining a seat in the United States Senate will be even less than it has been. It would seem that the old guard in the United States Senate has been guilty of poor politics. It refused. in the dying days of the last session, to grant specific authority to Senator Reed’s committee to continue its Pennsylvania inquiry during the present summer. There were votes aplenty to over-ride the old guard—including the votes of many conservative but disgusted Republican Senators—but the old guard had the Senate tied up in a disastrous filibuster aimed to prevent passage of the Boulder Canyon bill and other constructive legislation, as well as the resolution to continue the election inquiry. The poor politics lies in the fact that by delaying action, the old guard now assures a full expose of the Pennsylvania mess at a time when the public is taking its quadrennial interest in national politics. It will come in the early months of I£2B, presidential year. Just ahead of the national campaign will come the story of the Pennsylvania primary, with its ramifications reaching deep into the President’s cabinet. Had the old guard permitted, this matter might have been disposed of by now and to some extent forgotten. But the old guard was stubborn. Now the public can expect a circus of three rings, where there need have been but two. Indiana, Illinois and Pennsylvania, combined under one tent, the greatest political show on earth. Times Change Just four years ago the sport loving world was greatly excited by the discovery that It was possible for a crew of Western oarsmen to defeat the fastest men in the East. Today these same sport lovers are thrilling to the discovery that it is possible for the East to beat the West. Once the huskies from the University of Washington had shown the way, in 1923, they did it again and again—three times out of four, to be exact. But a boatload of sophomores from the University of Columbia rowed away from them Wednesday evening on the Hudson River and the athletic equilibrium of the country is once more restored. That is to say while east is east and west is west, in this country of ours, it has been proved once more that there isn’t much difference in the boy crop between one section and another. Why not send out a few people from Chicago to show President Coolidge how wild the west really is? China really hasn’t awakened yet, says a professor of history. But, gosh, professor, what a dream she's having! Accidents will kill 300,000 in the next ten years, according to safety # men. You’d think people would learn to quit trumping partners’ aces pretty soon. Maybe Cal wanted a little cowboy experience to help round up the mavericks next year. A reformer Is a man who wants things his own way.

Law and Justice By Dexter M. Keezer

A man mad£ an affidavit stating that he had seen another man “making whisky on or about June 15, 1923,” and on six or seven other occasions, and that he had consumed some of it “more than once.” The affidavit was proved to be false and the man was convicted of perjury and sentenced to serve a year in the penitentiary. The man appealed on the ground that the offense of perjury involves swearing falsely “to any material matter.” He contended that his affidavit was not material because it had not stated where he had seen the whisky made. Without that information he claimed that the affidavit was of no importance and that consequently he was not guilty of perjury. HOW WOULD YOU DECIDE THIS QASE? The actual decision: The Supreme Court of Arkansas held that the man was not guilty of perjury and ordered him released. It sai<J that his affidavit, so long as itjdid not state the where the whisky was made, did not involve any ___

W. A. MAYBORN. Business Manager.

THURSDAY. JULY 14, 1927.

TEE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

M. E. TRACY SAYS: If the People of Indiana Had Guessed the Half of What IFas Going On, ''Stephenson Would Never Have Been Able to Do What He Did, Nor Would the State Have Been Victimized as It Was.

WASHINGTON, D. C., July 14. The story goes that an egg was once successfully fried on the pavement of Pennsylvania Ave., with no heat in evidence, except that generated by the sun. Temperature of the last two days I suggests that the story may be true. ! Nothing Like Swimming With the thermometer at 93, one likes to read about such events as ' that much occurred on Lake George. Edward Keating and the one hundred swimmers whom he outdistanced may have been tired, but they were cool. With all our mechanical ways and means for getting relief from I the heat, there is nothing like a good ! old-fashioned swim. —r Coolidge's Choice Mindful of the natural tendency to seek water at this time of the year, Washington wonders why President Coolidge picked the Black : Hills. Those who know the region say j that it is hot and uninteresting. The suspicion prevails even among ; friends and admirers that politics | rather than comfort was the j objective. Noble Sacrifices The President is certainly to be admired for making himself so easily accessible to farmers and ranchers. It suggests a willingness to make sacrifices for the good of the party which should not go unheeded. When the delegates assemble to choose a standardbearer let them remember how nobly Mr. Coolidge resisted the call of the sea and immolated himself in a spot so untrammeled by the customs of an effete civilization that even the trout have not learned to take flies. Geneva Deadlock , It is the British idea that after you limit the construction of battleships, you do not have to worry about cruisers, and that if you limit the number of large cruisers you do not have to worry about small ones. It is the American idea that unless you limit all types of ships you have noHimit that is worth a whoop. Stripped of details and technicalities. this is the difference that has caused a deadlock at Geneva. Nicaraguan Trouble The Nicaraguan situation has not been so completely settled as we were led to believe. Most of the rebels laid down their arms, but Genera! Sandino did not. On July 1 he seized the American gold mine belonging to Charles Butter which he has since been operating and on which he has been collecting taxes. Major Hatfield, in command of a detachment of Marines, sent him an ultimatum to the effect that if he failed to relinquish the mine and lay down arms immediately he would be attacked by American and Nicaraguan forces acting in concert. The ultimatum expired at 8 o’clock Thursday morning. Indiana Politics What a mess in Indiana! A political boss, risen to power via the bed sheet and pillow slip, and suspected of having committed innumerable crimes, but sent to prison for one which many people think he did not commit because he knew too much, haggling for pardons at the price of his silence, but unable to drive a trade because his former associates did not trust him, and now exposing such rottenness and corruption as staggers the average mind. ignorance Is Basis It is a certainly wonderful newspaper scoop and just as certainly a wonderful newspaper service. Public ignorance is the basis of corrupt politics. V lf the people of Indiana has guessed the half of what was going on, Stephenson would never have been able to do what he did, nor would the State have been victimized as it was. The problem now is to make them understand and believe only a small fraction of what occurred. Wrong Political Theory The big point is that the Indiana situation did not develop as an isolated case. It was part and parcel of a political attitude which finds lodgement in the idea that the end justifies the means, no matter how rotten the means, or how unworthy the end. Cliques to Blame Since the Wilson code of politics was overthrown seven years ago, the country has waltzed to the tune of government by groups and cliques devoted to the Idea that they were blessed with a divine right to rule. It was this idea that made it possible for such a man as Stephenson to acquire control of Repu oilcan politics In Indiana; that led to the shameless oil leases; that debauched the Pennsylvania primaries; that mobilized the public utility magnates around Frank L. Smithy in Illinois; that reveloped an antagonistic attitude toward the Calles government; that raised the cry of bolshevism as an excuse for sending marines to Nicaragua; and that now wants to meddle In Chin*.

Some Champeen Flagpole Sitters

Jfc

As Hoosier Editors See ‘Steve’s’ Evidence

WANTED—A MAN OF CHARACTER (Anderson Herald) Indiana needs a man of unquestioned character as Governor. Hoosierdom is a wonderful commonwealth. Geographically and economically it is thrice blessed—a wonderful State to live in and prosper. But politically—what a farce! If this were in some more pagan era we might start a movement to offer up some sacrifice to appease those gamboling gods who surely must be trifling with the Statecraft of Indiana. With one Governor removed and sentenced to a Federal prison, and the present Governor subject to recurrent and ever scandalous charges, the average citizen is ready for anew deal. And he wants a square deal —the placing of the affairs of State in the hands of men of integrity, men who can be trusted, men of merit. The occupant or aspirant for the governorship of Indiana should be, like Caesar’s wife, above suspicion. Surely, among the 2,000,000 adults who comprise the voting population of the State there can be found ONE man who has enough brains, ability and character to be entrusted with the governorship. But look.at the spectacle that has been furnished from the Governor’s chair at Indianapolis for the past six years! It has made Indiana looked upon as the political lode-star of the nation, the laughing stock of the country. Indiana deserves better than what she has and has had as Governor during the past two administrations. The situation can be changed only by the men and women who vote. It is high time that we all begin thinking. SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE (Bluttton Banner) It seems now Mr. Remy has sufficient evidence to start the ball rolling. The friends of Stephenson say they will add from time to time more evidence, which will keep the State and its shame before the world just that much longer. The "evidence” if it is evidence, has fallen Into the hands of one Indianapolis newspaper and it’s good circulation building stuff to prolong the story over as many days as possible, and that’s to be regretted, but any newspaper in the State would be glad to have what The Times of Indianapolis evidently has, and would make the same use of it, if so fortunate, so that part of it will have to be endured. Mr. Remy is now surrounded by able counsel and no one doubts his sincerity, although his hands have been tied by the political gang in Indianapolis. The new grand jury now, being Impaneled, is made up of prominent men of Marion County, and much is expected of them. Governor Jackson could render a great service if he cared to—or dared. But he dismisses the whole thing with “nothing to say.”

THE “BLACK BOX” (Kokomo Despatch) The much-heralded opening of D. C. Stephenson's “Black Box,” the receptacle supposed to contain an astounding amount of T. N. T. capable of blasting the reputations and careers of numerous high officials in Indiana, apparently is at hand. What it contains, and the potency of its contents, are questions yet to be answered for the public. Monday, in a copyrighted article, The Indianapolis Times published what purported to be a photograph of a check, drawn on a bank at Columbus, 0., by D. C. Stephenson and payable to Governor Ea. Jackson. The amount of the check was $2,500 and a note appended to the check according to The Times, said that the check was the first of four such checks given to the Governor. The protograph of the reverse side of the purported check showed that it either had been indorsed by Governor Ed. Jackson or that a clever forgery had been executed. The stamps of the various banks through which the check had been cleared, were also shown on the reverse side. In an article accompanying the photographs, The Times declared

that the check is in its possession, having been delivered to it upon orders from Stephenson by his attorney. Lloyd O. Hill. The Times also declared that other damaging documents are in its possession, and are to be published. The Governor, reached by longdistance telephone at Ossawatomie, Kan., absolutely declined to say anything concerning this newest development. There may be more potent explosions tflr follow, of course. But anything relating to contributions to Governor Jackson’s campaign fund by D. C. Stephenson in 1924 does not appear at the present time to be particularly vicious. The assertion, of course, is that Governor Jackson failed to make a report of these contributions. But it is to be borne in mind that even if State officials are required by law to make a report of all campaign contributions. that the statute of limitations already has intervened to prevent prosecution. The public has been told before that such checks were In existence, but no proof was forthcoming, or at least if it was, it was smothered by

Times Readers Voice Views

To The Editor: Has our traveling Governor no honor—no pride, no sense of shame, that he can answer such convincing charges as has recently been revealed, with “I have nothing to say." Can he not see that the citizens of Indiana want the truth about this whole miserable affair? Give the people what they want. Stop this damnable conspiracy which has been going on for months and for once let the bald facts be made public! They call the Grand Old Man of bygone days a four-flusher, but there was a day that our Governor was humbled before him. glad to do as "Steve” dictated, glad to ride around in autos given him by Steve and glad to accept personal checks for $2,500. Is It difficult to see who the real four-flusher is? Why is Warden Daly so interested in Stephenson, he is only a number? And since when can the prison warden demand private papers of an individual, read them, refuse to return or destroy them, at the same time keeping within the bounds of his petty jurisdiction? Has not Daly also shown his colors—Doesn’t his actions lead one to believe that

Mr. Fixit Shade Trees Which Bother Pedestrians Need Cutting.

- Fixit, the Times reporter at city hall, will be glad to present your com&lalnts to city officials. Letter* inust ear writer's name and address. Names will not be published. A De Quincy St. resident todaj* requested Mr. Fixit to influence city officials to order trimming of trees in his neighborhood. Dear Mr. Fixit: The shade trees in Emerson Heights on Wallace. De Quincy, Bancroft Sts. and Riley Ave. are small and the limbs hang over the sidewalk so that a man can not walk under them without knocking his hat off. We have beep trying to get something done for three years, but all we have been able to get Is promises from the park board. Will you see what can be done. S. S., 770 De Quincy. City Forester Elbert Moore informed Mr. Fixit that in due time the property owners along the streets will be ordered to trim the trees mentioned in the complaint. Meanwhile, there is nothing to prevent property owners from trimming the trees before they are compelled to, Moore said. Moore said all young Norway maples should be trimmed while young, and lower branches cut in order to cause the crown to grow high. Tops and leaders should never be cut away, but extending tips on lower branches should be tipped. Now is a good time to do the work. '

the Marion county grand Jury. Developments of the investigation has been so long delayed—and it appears that Stephenson himself is to blame for a part of the delay—that little damage may be expected to result from the exposure of corrupt practices of 1924. It may be. of course, that Stephenson really is in earnest this time, and that he intends to really disclose something that will do all that he threatens. Anyway the public will wait with expectancy further disclosures in the case. HAS NO COMMENT (Marion Leader-Tribunt) “I have no comment to. make.” said Governor Ed Jackson, yesterday, according to a dispatch from Kansas, in regard to the $2,500 canceled check which is said to have been made out by D. C. Stephenson and to have been payable to the Governor. Governor Jackson is visiting relatives in Kansas. He might at least tell us what he thinks about all this. He could say "it's a lie” and we should all feel very much better about the whole business. It is this suspense which is driving us mad.

someone has him "posted” not to let any thing of value “get by” him? But he must protect his job. The citizens of this State are becoming hardened, they are through with being put off from time to time, they were beginning to lose faith in Stephenson too. But now they know the truth in part, they are with him heart and body! He must not go back on the people any more—he must tell all. It is his duty now to tell so much that the people will take matters In their own hands and give their once honorable State a much needed political cleansing. It is up to the people to let Ed Jackson know they do not want him sitting in the Governor’s chair, it is up to a citizen’s committee to demand his resignation at once. We Hoosiers trust too fully—we fall for every bit of hokum a politician pulls off In his campaign speeches, the result being one thoroughly fleeced State. Indiana never before figured in' any political scandal to any great extent, but now we are the talk of the nation. The laughing stock because we continue to swallow whole the pious propaganda spread by the conspirators to deceive us. "Steve” claims there is an empty chair next to his own in the chair factory. Such vacancies should not be permitted to occur in face of the fact that there are so many prominent men of our noble State eligible to occupy it. It is the earnest duty of the grand jury to send someone there at its earliest convenience, for if Steve must remain in prison it is only fair that he be given the privilege of enjoying the company of some of his old pals. MARGARET O- STEARNS.

Brain Teasers .

The first five of today’s questions are famous quotations. Tell who originated them. Answers to all the questions are on page 16: 1. “There never was a good war or a bad peace.” 2. “All Gaill is divided Into three parts.” 3. "England expects every man to do his duty.” 4. “We have met the enemy and they are ours." 5. "I propose to fight it out on this line if takes all summer.” 6. What canal Joins the Red Sea and Mediterranean Sea? 7. Where is Abraham Lincoln burled? 8. Who was the first Christian emperor of Rome? 9. What is the national anthem of France? 10. What English King was beheaded in die seventeenth century? 11. How many miles of gas mains in Indianapolis? 12. Who is the Indiana securities commissioner and what are his duties/

JULY 14.1927

Why the gap Weather? Meteorolosy

SUN SPOTS AND WEATHER Sun spots were at low ebb in August. 1 923, when for days none were visible in the telescope. Now they are approaching high tide. In other words, a maximum of the eleven-year sun spot cycle is likely to be reached in the course of the next few months. The exact dat* cannot be determined in advance Though the length of the cycle averages a little more than eleven years, it is subject to large variations. However, we have already reached the stage when, besides being numerous, sun spots often grow to an enormous size. Last year twelve groups of spots big enough to be seen without a telescope appeared oh the solar disk. Thus a longmooted question crops up again. Do sun spots affect terrestrial weather? That we may do so was first suggested by the astronomer Riccioli in the middle of the seventeenth century. Sir William Herschel investigated the subject at the beginning of the nineteenth century He believed there was a relationship between the abundance or scarcity of solar spots and the prices of wheat prevailing from year to year, indicating some connection between sun spots and terrestrial temperatures. Since th& existence of the elevenyear cycle of spots became generally recognized, toward 1850. hundreds of investigators have occupied themselves with this problem. Sun spot records have bceen compared with records of temperature, rainfall, cloudiness, thunder storm.', tropical cyclones, and so on. It seems to be quite easy to discover a sun spot period in almost any record of earthly weather, but not to convince the rest of the world of its existence. The main result of all this hunting has been—controversy. Only one relationship has been quite generally accepted. Dr. W. Kocppen found that the earth’s weather is, on an average, a little cooler when sun spots are numerous than when they are scarce. Thr temperature fluctuation involved is very small and is not generally well marked outside of the tropics. (All rights reserved by Science Service, Inr.i

Questions and Answers

You can get an answer to any question of faet or information by wrltine to The Jmliananolis Times Washington Bureau, 132, New York Ave.. wml* (nylon, T> C.. inclosing 2 rent* In stamps for reply. Medical legal and marital advice *BOOOI lx- given nor can extended research he undertaken. All other queatlona will receive a peraonsi reply. Un aimed requests cannot hanswered. All letters are confidential. —Editor. What State produces the greatest amount of lumber? Washington. The production in 1924 was 6,267,243.000 board feet. Who won the Waterloo cup. coursing event, for 1926? Jovial Monk, owned by J. Jarvis. W'hat are the specification* for watches used by railroad men? One prominent railroad has the following specifications for watchc. used by their men: Not less than seventeen jewels; five positions, heat and cold: screw case, back and front; front lever set; must not vary more than thirty seconds a week. How long has Mardi Gras been celebrated at New Orleans and how did it originate? It has been celebrated since 1857. The’ origin is obscure. According to some historians the custom is a survival of the old Roman festival of Lupercalia, that was held at the same season of the year. Others say that it originated in the pagan spring festivals. Did Woodrow Wilson speak French at the peace conference at Paris? While Wilson had an academic knowledge of several languages, including French, he spoke only English. While abroad he used Interpreters. Who were the five greatest composers? It is largely a matter of opinion, but among the greatest were Beethoven. Bach. Wagner. Mendelssohn, Schubert and Mozart. What nationality is the name Hulett? It is Norman French and is a diminutive of the name Hugh, meaning little Hugh or son of Hugh. What are horse latitudes? A belt of the Atlantic Ocean where calms often prevail; so called in colonial times when vessels carrying horses from New England to the West Indies were sometimes obliged to throw overboard part of their cargo for want of water, while they were becalmed. W’hat are the three largest libraries in the world? The Biblotheque Natlonale. Paris containing 4.500,000 books; the British Museum, with more than 4,000,000 books and the Library of Congress (United States) with S,179,000 books. Did a woman ever command an army? Joan of Arc commanded an army A woman. Lieutenant Buitchkarev was an officer in the "Command of Death” in the Russian Army In the World War in the Kerensky regime. From what book Is the moving picture, "The Big Parade.” adapted? Where and when was it filmed? It is an original scenario for the screen written by Laurence Stallings. Production was begun early in the spring of 1925 and completed in August. It was filmed mostly in California, but some of the battle scenes were taken in Texas. What ii meant by New Tork’s “Four Hundred?” The term refers to New York society. During the preparations for the centennial celebration in 1889 Ward McAllister and Mrs. Vanderbilt prepared a list of 400 people, and McAllister declared that there were only about 400 socially eligible people in New Yefe