Jasper County Democrat, Volume 13, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 October 1910 — CRUMPACKER EXPLAINING [ARTICLE]

CRUMPACKER EXPLAINING

Congressman is Trying to Square His Performances With His Professions. Merchant :—My friend, what is the latest news from the front? Farmer: —The latest news is that Judge Crumpacker is sending ont letters of explanation to the soldiers, telling them that he is their friend and asking for their support. Merchant: —He is? How do the old Soldiers take it? Farmer: —They are treating the'letters with the same cold indifference that the Judge treated them when he recommended politicians for postmasters and left the old soldiers out in the cold.

Merchant:—He did do some of that. sure. Farmer:- —Did it! He did it all over this 'district. Lafayette for notable example. The postmastership in Lafayette is an asset of the old Burt-Terry Company and the Lafayette Journal, and the old soldier never had a look in there. There are innumerable other' places in evert" neck of the woods. ; ‘ Merchant:- —The old soldiers seem to think that the Judge's mcdtioiy fails him in election ■time.. Farmer:—That’s, it exactly. Actions speak Inoder than mere emptv promises. Crumpacker has alwavs used his power in recommending appointments simply to build up a political machine, rather than with, the idea of recognizing patriotic service in the past: Xo hot air goes now! Merchant: —Do the soldiers accuse him of not supporting pension , legislation ? Farmer'That’s not it at all. He couldn’t help doing that if he had any sense of gratitude at all. but the soldiers do say that he has shown a spirit of indifference as to their rights. Merchant:—ln what respect? • Fanner: —Well, in the first place., a- to the matter of appointments that he had the handling of. and then they say for another thing that certain members of the Indiana delegation in congress appeared before the pensions committee and asked for a dol-lar-a-day pension law. The fudge did not go with them. Merchant:—lts a wonder the fudge himself didn't introduce a dollar-a-day pension bill if he had such a yearning in his heart for the old soldier. ' Farmer:—The Judge probably took the view of it that Chairman Sullowav of the pensions committee did. Merchant: —What was his view? Farmer:—He said' the nation could not afford it. Some danger of breaking us up you know.

Merchant: —Well. I think that if the old soldier could afford to leave home, friends and fireside to put down the rebellion, that we can afford to pay him at least a dollar-a-day pension, don’t you." . Farmer: —-Or coarse I do. hut you don't seem to understand mis thing at aIL , Merchant: —Why ? Farmer: —Why, it you pay all the old soldiers a dollar a day. this -whole system of pension distribution may come directly from W ashington. There is some talk of that now. In that case, the most of these pension boards, detectives, clerks, examining surgeons., pension attorneys-, and so forth have to go. Their little johs will be gone. Merchant: Well, suppose they do lose their jobs, who cares?

Farmer: —Tut. tut. my friepd! Whv the Judge and all the other politicians who have the giving out ,of political jobs and pulls, of course. Cut off ajl this machinery and where is the political dope? > For instance, they paid out la>t year, “out of the appropriations for pensions for old soldiers to lawyers in Washington, 5321,237J56; to examin-

ing surgeons in the bureau of pensions at Washington. $380;000 ; to salaries for bureau clerks at Washington, $1,650,000; to detectives to sleuth over Our country to ascertain whether or not the Old soldiers who are drawing •40c % a day are getting too much, they Were paid S380.0Q0; to examining surgeons in the eighteen useless pension agencies throughout the country, $500,000 ;

to clerks’ salaries in these agen-j cies, $476.000; to rent for these agencies, $71,000.” * Merchant.:^—Shame! Shame forever! Instead of these rotten jobs to support idlers and political boosters, why not give this money directly to the old soldier who certainly deserves it? If the Judge has the old soldiers not try to eradicate some of this

! rot. Has he never raised a protest against this sort of thing? Farmer the Judge ever Raised J>is voice againsV a political job? Search his history and tell me that. Merchant:—>l believe you are friend,, one of the greatest curses we haye in America today is the creating of pettycle'rkships, agencies, bureaus, committees, detec-

tive agencies and jobs for pol - tical henchmen and hirelings. If the Judge now, could have point" ed out sorrte noble effort on his part to do away with some of these steals and pajr the thus uselessly expended to the old soldier to whom it belongs he might have written his lettel with more grace.