Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 August 1909 — INDIANAPOLIS POLITICS. [ARTICLE]

INDIANAPOLIS POLITICS.

The Anti-Saloon League picked out the names of the men it wanted the Republicans to nominate for the city council. The Indianapolis Star (Republican organ) approved' the Anti-Saloon League’s list and the men were nominated. The cord that bound during the last campaign seems to be still In working order.

The New York Sun declares that the new corporation tax is not for revenue, but for “ immediate partisan politics,” and that it will be usqd to coerce corporations into being ’’good” according to the exigencies of Republican campaigns. And the New York Sun is a Republican paper, too. Surely it ought to know what it is talking about. An Eatern paper, speaking of the tariff, says that “the plundering of the consumer will not go beyond a certain point.” Certainly not. When the trusts have gathered In all that the consumer has there will be no need of further plundering. Until that is accomplished, however, it seems that the game will go on so long as the work of revising the tariff is left to its “friends.” The Richmond Palladium (Republican organ of some degree) fumes about the mythical threat of Aldrich and the .new Republican regulars to “read Senator Beveridge out of the party.” It should not worry its soul. There is mighty little difference between Aldrich and Beveridge on the tariff question. Beveridge, with an eye oil the tariff reduction sentiment in Indiana, did not want to legalize quite so much tariff graft as Aldrich. We was willing—and said legalize a large amount, but not quite such a large amount as demanded by Aldrich and Cannon. Senator Beveridge was trying to save his senatorial bacon. He is not a real tariff reformer.

Senator Cummins (Rep.) of lowa, said in an interview tile other day that the tariff is no longer an issue between the Republicans and Democratic imrties, but that it is an issue between two elements in the Republican party. This statement so far as it relates to the Democratic party, is sillq The Democratic party stanßs for a tariff for public purposes and in the interest of the masses. On the other hand, the Republican party stands for a tariff for private purposes and in the interest of a few favorites, The Republican, factions are merely fighting pver the question as to how much plundering of the people should be legalized by a tariff law, Democrats are opposed to this plundering in any degree.:

Prof. Robert J. Aley, the present state superintendent of public instruction, has shown that the people acted wisely In electing him over bis Republican opponent last fall. Prof. Aley not only Joined Governor Marshall in preventing needless changes In school books at a big cost to the school children, hut 1 he Is putting in operation some muchneeded reforms of the common sense

variety. For sSme time, under other management, there was danger that our common schools would be torn away from their old moorings and be used for purposes never Intended by the designers of the system. Prof. Aley will not give further encouragement to this tendency. On the contrary he Is working to maintain all of the best that the system contains and to revive some of the things that were discarded by his Republican predecessors.

Having nominated their city candidates, both of the big parties in Indianapolis will rest until the hot weather Is over before beginning the hard work of the city campaign. Charles A. Gauss, the Democratic condldate, for mayor, Is a clean and able man who has the absolute confidence of everyone who knows him, regardless of party lines. His candidacy especially appeals to the business interests and taxpayers generally, and besides he is popular with all classes and will have no factional opposition. His Republican opponent, Lew Shank, Is not so favorably regarded. Mr. Shank was nominated by a large majority In the Republican primary, but this was due to his negro support. There are about 8,000 negro votes in Indianapolis, and it is said that Shank got 7,500 of them. A different situation will have to be faced at the election next November, and it is not believed that Shank will be approved by the voters at large. It will be an interesting campaign, with the chances favoring Gauss, who ought to be elected for many reasons.