Jasper County Democrat, Volume 9, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 February 1907 — FEARFUL ABOUT CAMPAIGN FUND. [ARTICLE]

FEARFUL ABOUT CAMPAIGN FUND.

Perhaps Deacon Rockefeller believes that he can, by his “benefactions,” bribe the people into thinking kindly of the Standard Oil < inpany, the concern that is rifling their pockets.

The Indianapolis Star says that the Republicans in the legislature will try to keep the Democrats from stealing their their “thunder.” Surely that is a mistake. The Republicans have not shown, so far, that they have any thunder to steal. Certainly they have none that the Democrats would even carry away as a gift.

No severer rebuke could have been administered to Governor Hanly for the demoralization he has caused in the cities covered by the metropolitan police law than the overwhelming vote in the house to take from him the power to appoint police commissioners By a vote of 73 to 19 the house passed the McCullough bill, which restores to the cities the power to choose their own commissioners.

Let no man be deceived into thinking that the present congress is a “do nothing” body. It is doing a lot of things in the way of bestowing subsidies and continuing tariff grafts. It is feathering its own nest by an increase of salaries. And it is getting ready to make the most enormous and reckless appropriations in the country’s history. The people are not considered. All that is expected of them is that they pay the bills.

John D. Rockefeller has given some more millions to an education board. It is said that the total of his gifts to education, religion and philanthropy is, up to date, $85,000,000. Every dollar of it was extorted from the people by the Standard Oil company, from which concern, it is understood, Rockefeller has an income of $60,000,000 a year. While he is bestowing his “benefactions” with a great flourish of trumpets bis private corporation ranges the country under the black flag and pillages from the widows and orphans of the land.

Mr. Branch, Gov. Hanly’s speaker of the house, attempted the other day, by unfair and arbitrary means, to kill a bill making it unlawful for the officers of a corporation to contribute money for political purposes without first getting the consent of the stockholders. The bill was introduced by a Democratic member. It was

only by hard work that the committee having it in charge could be induced to report it to the house. It was finally reported, but without any recommendation as to what should be done with it.

A Republican member, taking a hint from Speaker Branch, who declared that the bill “did not amount to a ’rap,” moved to kill the bill by a motion to indefinitely postpone it. Branch declared the motion carried by a vote of 43 to 41. The Democrats protested that the speaker had not stated the vote correctly and demanded a new vote for verification, which was grudgingiy allowed. The new vote saved the bill and proved that Branch had misstated the result of the first count.

The fact that the bill, if passed, might curtail the Republican campaign fund doubtless accounts for Branch’s assertion that it "did not amount to a rap.” It also explains his eagernees to kill it by an incorrect announcement of the vote.