Jasper County Democrat, Volume 9, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 January 1907 — THE LEGISLATURE. [ARTICLE]

THE LEGISLATURE.

The Democratic state platform is a Rood chart for the legislature to follow. Secretary Shaw’s declaration that there is more prosperity in this country than we can take care of will cause a good many people to do some powerful hard thinking. An eastern paper urges that the salaries of federal officials be increased because of the greater cost of living. This might be all right provided the incomes of the taxpayers can be increased so that they can afford to pay the bigger salaries. The taxpayers are also struggling with the cost of living problem.

Jim Watson of Rushville, seems to be in doubt whether to be a candidate for congress again or run for governor. The wonder is that he should have the nerve to think of running for anything after the walloping Thomas H. Kuhn gave him in many counties of his district. The fact is that Watson is tipping very rapidly toward the "has been” class.

Governor Hanly’s legislative record is bad. When he was a member of the senate he arrayed himself against the fee and salary law, the tax law and every other important reform measure proposed by the Democrats. Before he whs governor he was either a lobbyist or an attorney for lobbyists before the legislature. He may have seen “a great light,” but if so it is up to him to prove it.

Vice President Fairbank’s Indianapolis organs, the News and Star, hope to see the country turn to Fairbanks as a proved‘‘conservative ” If having no ideas or opinions on any public question makes a man a "conservative,” then Fairbanks is one. He is the biggest moral coward that ever made himself conspicuous by the free use of mysteriously acquired money. If that is another element of conservatism, then Fairbanks has it

Just keep your eyes on the ship subsidy steal. The men behind that measure intend to pass it through congress in one form or another and President Roosevelt will approve it if it ever gets to him. tie has some sort of a notion tbai <>y paying subsidies to the merch-iut marine the latter will train HHamen for the United States nav) At least that seems to be the ban which the subsidy grafters are in iding oat to him, knowing that h "big navy” is his weakness.

The meeting of the General Assembly this week in regular sixtyday session would mean something beneficial to the state if the people had given the Democrats a majority of the members. As matters stand it is a question whether anything affirmatively good will be done. If Governor Hanly succeeds in his manifest purpose of using the legislature for the personal and political benefit of himself and the machine with which he is allied, then it would have been better if it had not assembled. The state’s finances are ih deplorable shape. This is due to the gross mismanagement that has characterized Republican control. Taxes have been high and the state has had a large income from its various sources of revenue, but a reckless extravagance in expenditures has not only eaten up all the current revenues, but has trespassed far on the future. How this condition, which is exclusively of Republican making, is to be improved, is a huge and serious problem in itself. The principal hope of the people is that the Democratic members of the house and senate, by united action, will force the republican majority to be decent. It may be a bard task, but it should be attempted. Enough republicans may join them to thwart at least a part of the worst schemes that are likely to be proposed. The forty-seven Democrats in the house should be able to block much that is bad and force forward something that is good. But they cannot do it by scattering their strength. They should and doubtless will, stand solidly for the real reforms to which they are committed by the Democratic platform,and just as solidly against all shams and false pretenses of every sort. By doing this they can finish their service with honor, whatever may happen to the other fellows.