Indianapolis Times, Volume 39, Number 181, Indianapolis, Marion County, 7 December 1927 — Page 4

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He Will Not Run The President last evening put at rest all question as to what he meant when he said he did not choose to run again in 1928. His second statement should not have been necessary. This newspaper never has sympathized with efforts to shade the meaning of his famous Rapid City utterance. But taking advantage of the Vermont vernacular in which he couched that statement, politicians in many parts of the country have continued to talk of Mr. Coolidge as a possible nominee in 1928. Their insistence has finally impelled the President to announce his determination in language that can not be misconstrued. It is a fine thing he has done. The Dotted Line Once again the most famous guest of the people of Indiana rushes into court with an unusual petition. And once again he threatens to “tell everything.” This time D. C. Stephenson, who will not receive in all pmbablity the same gushing Christmas cards from the ambitious and the mighty which came to him back in 1923, says that he needs a court injunction to prevent the trustees and penitentiary officials from subjecting him to tortures of various kinds if he exposes those with whom he dealt and conspired in his hour of power. It is unfortunate for the State that -when Stephenson first smuggled out a somewhat similar threat more than a year ago the officials of the State put in the way of any revelations all the legal obstacles at their command. Had there been any exhibition of even willingness to permit Stephenson to confess his political sins and prove that he had some accomplices, the latest cry would receive little attention. It may receive little as it is, for there may be doubts as to the ability of Stephenson to produce anything more in the Avay of documents. It is true that as yet there has been no complete revelation of his relationships with many who are still in office and others who are seeking*high offices. It is undoubtedly true that the people of this State would like very much to know the names and all the names of those who were willing to play politics with this life" termer, who, as grand dragon of the forces of hate, bbasted that he was the law in Indiana. It is undoubtedly true that the public would be very much interested in knowing all tpansactions and all his friendships, for the people have about decided that they can get along in the future without the public services of the playmates of the dragon. The latest outburst. of Stephenson will again direct attention to the fact that Stephenson put politics upon a basis where confidence between conspirators was banished in favor of the dotted line. No longer is the answer to his charges that no man would be so foolish as to sign his name. The people now know that Stephenson did make at least some of those he supported sign over their powers and patronage in return for his favors. The special advisers of the grand jury in this county have reported that a mayor of this city signed a couple of these contracts for patronage and that at least two Indiana congressmen gave their written pledges to Ste-, phenson that they would deliver over to him all the Federal offices they could get from the President or the cabinet. That same report says that the statute of limitations has run against many acts revealed by the contents of his famous Black Boxes. So the people know that his brand of poll" tics was what he said it was a year ago. The claim does not sound so absurd now that he made men sign contracts in violation of law. The State is soon to enter another campaign. Again men are ambitious for power. The people will again be assailed by the ambitious and the greedy. If Stephenson can contribute to their knowledge of the boys who signed up in 1923 and 1924, he should be permitted to produce. The people want to know. The President’s Message If the radio reached Mars with the President’s message to Congress, there probably was applause by political economists on that planet. A little resentment, perhaps, because the President boasted a bit of our American virtues. And a little mystification when the President suggested we should , give uji the merchant marine because it is losing money and give up the Mississippi barge line because it is making money. A little further mystification when the President, announcing his discovery that Muscle Shoals can never be a fertilizer plant, added, “It should, nevertheless, continue to be dedicated to agriculture.” But on the whole the message was well calculated to appeal to right-thinking people, at least to rightthinking people far removed from the problems discussed. I On people who have to meet these problems at L close range, the effect of the message will depend on ■the success they are having in the day-to-day busl-

The Times <A SCRIPPS-HOWARD NEWSPAPER) Owned and published daily (except Sunday) by The Indianapolis Tines Publishing Cos.. 314-220 W. Maryland Street. Indianapolis. Ind. Price in Marion County. 3 cents —lO cents a week; elsewhere. 3 cents—l3 cents a week. / B °YD GURLEY. ROY W. HOWARD. _ W. A. MAYBORN, Ed itor. President. Business Manager. PHONE—MAIN 3600. ' WEDNESDAY, DEC. 7, 1827. — ~ i , , . . , ... i. , - , , —■ Member ol United Press. Scrlpps-Howard Newspaper Alliance, Newspaper Enterprise Association. Newspaper Information Service and Audit Bureau of Circulations. “Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way.”— Dante.

ness of making a living. The solution for their difficulties offered by the President Is relatively simple. It Is, essentially, to confine the activities of the Government to preserving the peace, protecting private property, providing adequate protection against foreign aggression and giving the benefit of the protectivfe tariff to those who use the benefit. That sounds like a reasonable line of procedure. Whether it is or not depends on the facts. The President, for example, opposes the use of the Government’s machinery to directly lift the burden on agriculture. He Is willing to give the farmers any legislative advantages enjoyed by other producing groups, including most any kind of protective tariff. The fact that farmers cannot use the protective tariff to any advantage, while the manufacturers, for Instance, can, seems to the President to be beside the point. The Government is treating both groups exactly alike—as he sees it If the President had been called on to referee the famous fight between David and Goliath, on the same logic he would have takeii the slingshot away from David and insisted on both fighting with the same weapons. This probably would have appealed strongly to Goliath; not so strongly to David. The paragraph of the message likely to be most discussed is that containing a broadside attack on somebody or other guilty of disagreeing with Secretary Mellon’s views on tax reduction. The consensus appears to be that he had the United States Chamber of Commerce in mind. “If special interests,” he said, “too often selfish, always uninformed of the national needs as a whole, with hired agents using their proposed beneficiaries as engines of propaganda, are permitted £o influence the withdrawal of their property from taxation, we shall have a law that is unbalanced and unjust, bad for business, bad for country, probably resulting in a deficit, with disastrous financial consequences.’” This may suggest to some that the President Is now already to part company with those who have been his greatest allies and admirers. The message as a whole prevents this suggestion being taken too seriously. Never was the President firmer in his insistence that the Government should engage in no activity that offers a possible profit to private enterprise. The President’s dispute with the Chamber involved at most $175,000,000. That is a mere bagatelle compared to the fruits that may follow adherence to his creed of private profit. It is the larger outlines of the message, rather than one heated paragraph, that is important. The heads of the Chamber of Commerce will find plenty of paragraphs to soothe their hurt feelings. Mr. Insull Thinks Again Samuel Insull now wants to tell all, according to word from Chicago. He is willing, even eager, to appear before the Reed slush fund committee and tell who received the money he contributed to the last Illinois campaign. So is his attorney, Daniel F. Schuyler. Insull and Schuyler didn’t feel this away about the matter last spring, but since then something has happened. „ Justice Hitz of the district Supreme Court has reminded the world that many a man sits behind bars because he followed the advice of his attorney, and has sentenced Harry F. Sinclair to three months in a common jail for contempt of the United States Senate. Insull it would seem, has no desire to join Sinclair either before the bar of justice or in a common jail, and so now he’s asking another chance. Mr. Insull’s new state of mind is an exceedingly wholesome one. It proves wisdom of the Senate’s action calling Sinclair to account for his attempt to defy its authority, and the whole incident is an encouraging demonstration that the legislative branch of government can, if occasion demands, protect the public interest even without help from the executive branch. I These new-fangled marriages are supposed to last five years. Well, that’s some improvement. A mother-in-law is only a relative trouble, after all.

Jail for Usurers BY MAX STERN “

What Shakepseare’s lady lawyer said about the late Mr. Shylock’s profession was mild compared to a philippic against usury embodied in a brief filed with the California Supreme Court by City Prosecutor E. J. Lickley of Los Angeles in his case against one A. H. Seccomb, Los Angeles money-lender. The brief, filed in an appeal from a judgment by Judge Ruben Schmidt who refused an injunction against Seccomb, assails usury as “a cancerous growth” and a crime that has through history been a factor disturbing to the peace. Lickley calls Seccomb’s contention that those injured from high interest rates may appeal to civil courts “a grim and bitter jest,” and adds that the Government, sworn to protect those who can not protect themselves, should, If necessary, resort to jail sentences to stop usurious practices. “In ancient Rome,” writes Lickley quoting frbm Chancellor Kent, “usury, according to Tacitus, was discouraged in the early period of the republic by the Twelve Tablets, which reduced interest to one per cent. It was later reduced to one-half per cent and finally abolished by the clamors of the people. The Roman law-givers found by experience that unlimited usury led to unlimited oppression, and that the extortion of the creditor- and the resistance of the debtor were constantly agitating and disturbing the public peace.” Usury laws, Lickley argues, do not drive at the right of contract because “the borrower’s hecessities deprive him of freedom in contracting and placa him at the mercy of the lender.” “Usury is a cancerous growth on the body politic,” concludes Lickley. “It thrives chiefly in times of economic distress, when the social order of the S'ate can least stand the havoc that it wreaks. In the financial debacles the snake-like trail of the usurer can always be found. “The tenets of the faith of our Republic have been builded at the little firesides of the lowliest of our people. Sentiment that has, upheld the nation in times of greatest stress has been born there. From these hearths, through all American history, our soldiery has sprung to defense of country and, victorious, their greatest hope has been not laurels nor medals nor chejrs, but the right to come home again. Organized usury, buttressed by the ablest lawyers that money can hire, has met them at their doorstep.” Lickley Is leading a crusade bn usury in California, and has begun on the wealthy money-lenders of the famous Julian Petroleum Company scandal. He is trylog to send these to jail under the California law.

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

M. E. TRACY v SAYS: “Few Men Ever Have Occupied the White House Who Could Locate the . Middle of the Road With Such Precision and Dexterity; Coolidge Simply Will Not Take an Uncompromising Position on Any Matter.”

President Coolidge has not recommended what the National Chamber of Commerce wanted, what the farm bloc wanted, what the advocates of flood control wanted, what the big navy crowd wanted or what the pacifists wanted, largely because it was impossible. Compromising in such a way as satisfies none of the aggressive groups, Calvin Coolidge has struck a balance which will appeal to the average citizen as rather fair. This seems to be the President’s one outstanding ability. Few men ever have occupied the White House, who could locate the middle of the road with such precision and dexterity. Calvin Coolidge simply will not take an uncompromising position with regard to any matter. That is one reason why people loos upon him as a safe executive. 000 Trial for Jackson Governor Jackson of Indiana musk stand trial. The statute of limitations of which he and his friends depended proves a vain hope. Common sense, as put into action by hohest, courageous newspaper work, wins a cleancut victory over bad law. The statute of limitations is one of those legal conveniences which help crooks more than anyone else. Those who are afraid invoke it. Other people find it hard to understand. Why should a man escape the consequences of a serious crime simpiy because he has been able to cover it up for two years? o*9 Tammany Hall Sold Tammany Hall has been sold—the building, not the organization —and the power behind the throne of greater New York will move “from the teeming teens,’* as one headline writer puts it, “to the fashionable fifties.” Just another incident in the colorful career of what is recognized throughout this country as the smoothest political machine ever developed. In these days, when A1 Smith has done so much to live down the record of Tammany Hall and Jimmy Walker so much to dress it up, it may be unkind to recall the name of Tweed, but if Tammany Hall lost something through association with his misconduct, it could have lost more without his robust leadership. However he may have hurt It at the end, he did a lot to make it at the beginning. o*o Stands by Ideals In spite of all the grafting and mal-administration for which Tammany has been held responsible, it was not only organized to promote some mighty fine ideals, but has stood by them with remarkable consistency. The Society of Tammany came about as a protest against the attempt of colonial aristocracy to reinstate itself after the revolution. As originally conceived, Tammany stood for popular suffrage, for the laboring man, and for the immigrant. It gradually became a vehicle of expression not only for the masses, but for Democratic, decentralized government, taking up the anti-federalist cause as a matter of course, opposing the alien and sedition laws and supporting Thomas Jefferson. 0 0 0 Taught to Vote Whatever else may be said of it, Tammany Hall has made one great contribution to the political life of New York City. It has taught the people not only to be interested in politics, but to vote. New York City makes a much better showing today, and Tammany Hall has done a lot to help it do so. *OO Greet 40 Descendants Surrounded by forty children, grandchildren and great-grand-children, Capt. and Mrs. Richard' Van Wicklen of Freeport, L. 1., celebrated their sixtieth wedding anniversary on Monday. Miss Mollie Cobb, who was their bridesmaid in 1867 and Isaac Forbell, who acted a4 best man, were also present. / Such items are good for the young folks of this generation to read. They help offset all the talk of companionate marriage and all the glooming about divorce. It simply can be done. Two people can look across the table at each other for half a century and still know the joys of* real affection. Whether Captain and Mrs. Van Wicklen are one of those couples who never had a cross word, the chances are there were times when they felt like throwing something. All normal people have that feeling occasionally. Some exercise self-control while others give their temper free rein. In that lies "90 per cent of the marriage problem. 0 * # .Selfish Marriages Break Barring death and accident, self-control can guide most any marriage to a sixtieth wedding anniversary. Barring self control, most any marriage can be landed on the rocks. It all depends on whether young people start out to take thfijr quarrels seriously, whether they are willing to give in a little . ; )

Easy to See Where That Road Leads

(Michigan city Dispatch) (Democratic) “Steve” may be put on a bread and water diet every once in a while for violating the prison rules, but we bet he grinned when he learned that his old-time friend, Governor Jackson, must stand trial for alleged conspiracy to briDe Former Governor McCray. It is reported that Jackson will demand an early hearing of his case which he should do for the State is constantly humiliated through Jhe action of its officials. If Jackson is proven guilty, let’s get rid of him at the earliest possible moment. (Kokomo Dispatch) (Democratic) There is nothing in the long record of human experience to indicate that the truth about anything ever hurt any one who didn’t deserve to be hurt. There is evidence on every hand to show that the more truth there is in circulation the happier and safer every one is likely to be. Now, more than ever before, the masses of the people need to know the truth about men and affairs. Meanwhile, strangely enough, the disposition to public censorship and the suppression of useful Information are becoming increasingly the habit of governments. And it is a habit that has taken hold of many men in the places of authority in this country. / An indication of this mood is to be found in the suggestion by Federal Judge Charles P. Faris of St. Louis, who wonders whether newspapers have the right to report the facts of cases tried in Federal courts while trials are proceeding. This is a relatively small matter. What Is important is the precedent it suggests. Judge Faris speaks warmly of what he calls the “English method” ot censoring or forbidding court news of special kinds. Does he know how the English laws recently passed to censor court news have been working out? The English hopefully adopted the habit of prohibiting the pub-

IGIAI SI f 10 1 1 ILI

The Rules

1. The idea of letter golf is to change one word to another and do it in par, a given number of strokes. Thus, to change COW to HEN, in three strokes, COW, HOW, HEW, HEN. 2. You can change only one letter at a time. 3. You must have a complete word of common usage, for each jump. Slang words and abbreviations don’t count. 4. The order of letters cannot be changed* -* f

'SII IL IK M. j__l_ K_ M_J L_JE_ MO L_E HO L E M~O S _E - ■■

What Other Editors Think

lication of the news of divorce suits. This was done “in the interest of public morals.” What happened was unexpected and as-

Questions and Answers

You can get .an answer to any question of fact or Information by writing to Tbe Indianapolis Times Washington Bureau. 1322 New York' Ave., Washington. D. C.. inclosing 2 cents in stamps for reply. Medical, legal and marital advice cannot be given nor can extended research be undertaken. AU other questions will receive a personal reply. Unsigned requests cannot be answered. All letters are confidential.—Editor. What do Don and Senor prefixed to Spanish names mean? Don is a title in Spain prefixed to a man’s Christian name, like “Sir” in Great Britain, used in addressing a gentleman. Senor is the Spanish equivalent of “Mr.” in English. Where is the city of Sagunto? It is a town in Spain, fourteen miles -northeast of Valencia, three miles from the Mediterranean, picturesquely situated at the foot of a mountain. It has Roman and Moorish remains. What is the legal rate of interest in the District of Columbia? Six per cent. Who was the leading man in the motion picture “The Whirlwind of Youth”? Donald Keith. How is carrot and orange marmalade made? Dice six carrots and cook until very tender in as little water as possible. Cut three oranges in small pieces and add the juice and grated rind of one lemon. Mix the carrot and the fruit together and add twothirds as much sugar as the fruit and carrot mixture. Simmer until the mixture is clear. Turn into jelly glasses and when cold cover with hot paraffin.

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tonishing. The divorce courts of England are now clogged with suits filed by persons who no longer have reason to fear public opinion. Public opinion is the most dependable agency for the maintenance of order. If it is not to be informed, how can it be trusted? (Ft. Wayne News Sentinel) (Republican) We do most heartily agree with our neighbor, the South Bend Tribune in its conclusion that “the efforts of critics of Attorney General Arthur L. Gilliom to magnify an act of mercy into a criminal act should be discontinued in view of Mr. Gilliom’s letter of explanation made public recently.” But we would not, on that account, lose sight of the imperative necessity for taking steps to prevent some more obscure citizen from being similarly accused —perhaps, without as fair an opportunity to present his case to the world. Only a little handful of narrow-minded, half-baked fanatics would be willing to go on record to the effect that any man, whether public official or humble citizen, is a criminal because he procures whisky to save the life of a loved one. Yet there stands on the statute books of the great State of Indiana today a law which expressly ' declares that who-iver purchases any liquor containing more than one-half of one per cent of ethyl alcohol, for any purpose, is a criminal, liable to fine and imprisonment. That law should-be repealed. It is unholy, un-Christian, inhuman, savage. It? has no place In the code of a civilized society. Even the rigorous Volstead act permits the use of alcoholic fluids for medical purposes. The Wright law of Indiana is out of harmony with the national enforcement act. It is out of harmony with the preponderant public sentiment. It should be repealed at the earliest possible moment. Surely the Volstead act's provisions are drastic enough for any State.

<_An Impressive Answer The five largest insurance companies in the world, having assets of $6,400,000,000, have $5,500,000,000 invested in securities, thus answering the question, "Why should I buy securities? , , , f Sells more securities, originates more issues and participates Ail I more issues of national and international importance than any I other Indiana investment house flefcher American Company c Affiliated with ‘The Fletcher American National Bank Southeast Corner Market and Pennsylvania Streets

DEC. 7, 1927

' Times Readers \ Voice Views

v The name and address ot the author must accompany every contribution, but on request will not be published. Letters not exceeding 200 words wIU receive preference. To the Editor: Dr. Klein of Washington, D. C. t director of foreign and domestic commerce, in speaking to the Chamber of Commerce recently, said: “America is unsurpassed in mass production, but the weak link in the chain is distribution,” in short we must have more outlets. While the writer is of the opinion that we should have absolute free trade with other nations, the question arises: “What is wrong with our ‘Home Market?’" The Labor Review, published at Washington by the United states Government, tells us that notwithstanding our much-vaunted prosperity, fifteen of twenty millions are not sharing in it at home. It is evident that wages must go higher to enable the laborer to buy back more and more of what he produces. If not, why not? Have the two old parties a real remedy to offer? CHARLES H. KRAUSE, Sr., 674 E. Drive, Woodruff Place. To the Editor: In regard to capital punishment, I wish to say of Ruth Snyder or anyone else, anywhere, that “Thou shalt not kill” is just as binding now as when God gave it to Moses for the Israelites to live up to and obey. By what authority has any man, or set of men, the right to make such laws? Capital punishment was formulated to stop murder. Did it ever do it? Will it ever do it? No, emphatically not.' Every time some person is legally killed, the man who enacted such a law are guilty, too. Let the Christian people, and all others who disfavor the death penalty for prisoners, petition our legisle tors to repeal and abolish such laws forever. We, as citizens, are more or less guilty, too, if we do not try to abolish such a barbaric law. A TIMES READER.

Mr. Fixit Cleaner Street Car Windows Asked.

Let Mr. Fixit. rrhe Times’ representative at city hail, present vour troubles to city officials. Write Mr. Fixit at The Times. Names and addresses which An advocate of “clean street car windows” today asked Mr. Fixit to urge the “polishing” of the Indianapolis Street Railway car windows. Dear Mr. Fixit: I ride the street cars all the time and the windows sometimes are so dirty one can’t see out. Usually I ride the Brightwood cars, but the Illinois and Washington lines are just as bad. Will you see if you can do something about it. Thanks, from one who likes clean windows. Superintendent James P. Tretton told Mr. Fixit the car company makes every effort to keep the windows on cars clean. Tretton said this i$ the season when i the work is most difficult and an extra force has been hired. Often on a rainy day a car leaves the barns with clean windows and in a few hours they are smeared up, Tretton said. Dear Mr. Fixit: I see in the papers that the police planned some time ago to get the “one eye” driver and also those who drive without a tail light. They don’t need to send officers to the country to get them. Just put a policeman at the corner of New York and Delaware Sts., and if they don’t get fifty in two hours they won’t be on the job. It is the most ' reckless corner in the city. MRS. J. J. Police Chief Claude M. Worley said he would order an officer to “pay attention” to the corner which you reported.