Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 90, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 February 1910 — THE DEMOCRATIC STATE HEADQUARTERS. [ARTICLE]

THE DEMOCRATIC STATE HEADQUARTERS.

The union of business and politics in the United States has produced a class of men unfit to be tolerated in public life, and they not only should be promptly and severely punished for their misdeeds, but the reform should be so drastic, so full and so cortiplete in every branch of the public service that not a single root of the cancer should be left by the voters of the states and the United States. With our honest people taxed heavily through the various channels of Federal taxation for government revenues, and great corporations at the same time found defrauding the Government of its dues, swift and condign punishment should be inflicted upon all such offenders, whether they be the employes or the men called “higher up.” No man in this country should be beyond the reach of the power of the law nor any class permitted to think they can escape its penalties. In New York the state situation seems to disclose a condition of affairs in the Legislature that has no parallel since the days of Boss Tweed, whom Samuel J. Tilden and John Kelly sent to prison after flight and exile. Corruption of the foulest type is charged specially against Republican officials by fellow Re•’blicans, and so serious have been the effects of the exposure that the President of the United States, as chief of his party, and Governor Hughes, as the highest official in the state, have been brought into consultation to see what can be done about affairs of party and state. Ohio has but commenced to open up the graft that is to be found throughout its borders, and the* g. o. p. finds itself in its very strongholds befouled, besmirched and tarred up with dirty scandals, thefts, combines and bribery that it can never disavow, deny nor disown. Pennsylvania was the first state to unite business and politics m this mechanical manner, and it would have been well for the republic if it could have been confined to the borders of the state of ‘‘addition, division and silence.”

The contagion lias spread to the other states, and now Governor Hughes of New York, Fort of New Jersey, Harmon of Ohio, have to deal with a foul plague of political corruption and debauchery that they must stamp out of the states, and counties comprising the state, in the interest of the tax]layers of the states. The revelations as to corruption in the state of New York outside of the city are most appaling. and they are among the very people who for years have professed horror at the reputation of Taminanv Hall.

Tod long possession of power by one political party has ever produced evil effects, and it seems now that it is in the Interest of all good citizens to disregard party spirit and give the political machines a thorough cleaning up, Politics must be divorced from the taint of graft ami officials must be made to know that political organizations will not be permitted to save them from punishment for criminal acts or malfeasance in office. The country requires honest men in the humblest to the highest offices. The taxpayers are the people who suffer, and it is they that should see to this. There can be no true progress made by any nation where officials aie corrupt, dishonest, and therefore utteily unMOtihy. It takes an epidemic arouse the public to adopt strict sanitary measures. This epidemic of graft calls for a movement of all honest citizens to “turn the rascals out.” Official corruption cannot be permitted to become epidemic in the counties, states or nation. —Cincinnati Enquirer. (Ind. Rep.)

U. S. Jackson, Democratic state chairman, who was in the city Thursday, announced that he would open Democratic state headquarters in the Pythian building March 15. The Democratic state committee will lease twelve or fifteen rooms on the third floor of this building. The committee had headquarters in the same building and on the same floor during the last campaign. Mr. Jackson also announced the appointment of William F. Moore, Democratic city chairman, of Indianapolis, as secretary of the Democratic state committee. It has been known ever since the meeting of the state committee for organization that Mr. Moore would be selected *as secretary. —Indianapolis News.