Jasper County Democrat, Volume 14, Number 99, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 March 1912 — SPLENDID RECORD OF DEMOCRACY [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

SPLENDID RECORD OF DEMOCRACY

GOVERNOR MARSHALL MAKES THE KEYNOTE SPEECH. Jk . Tells of Great Work of the Party In Indiana—Democrats Put Stop to Republican Extravagance. INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., March 21. The glorious record of the Democratic party since it was intrusted four years a«o with the management of the affairs of the state of Indiana was eloquently set forth in all of its striking detail by Governor Thomas R. Marshall in his speech at the Democratic state convention. It was the keynote speech of the campaign, and no more, forceful, logical and unanswerable speech has even been made in defense of the record of any party than this one of Governor Marshall. Himself a master of oratory and argument, the Governor was at his best when, he made this speech. -It is a document that will go down in history of Indiana. He said in part: "The Democratic party has crystalized > into law important principles and is now enforcing them. Let me briefly mention some of them. Along the line of public health we have new laws to curtail child labor; to regulate the sale of cold storage products; to require hygienic schoolhouses and

to permit the medical examination of school children; to prevent blindness at birth; to regulate the sale of cocaine and othdr drugs; to provide treatment for hydrophobia through the "State Board of Health; to establish public grounds in the Capital City of the state; to strengthen the pure-food act and to require the branding of renovated butter. "Along the line of labor, let me mention the acts: To create a Bureau of Inspection; to provide a weekly wage; to require purchase by the state of the products of the Indiana Reformatory; to establish free employment agencies; to require the inspection of locomotive boilers; to require standard cabooses; to require full switching crews; to require storm windows for locomotives; to require handbrakes' on railway cars; to require block system on railroads; to require the erection of danger signs at grade crossings; to require railroad companies to give certificate of service to discharged employes; to safeguard the lives of laborers on high buildings; to provide examination for miners.

Another Important Law. “And let me also mention in connection with labor legislation the Employers’ Liability law, abolishing the doctrine of assumed risk and the fellow-servant doctrine and making contributory negligence a defense. “Along the line of public morals we enacted laws: To prevent corrupt practices at elections; to require general registration of voters; to provide penalties for furnishing money to naturalize foreigners; to enable the State Board of Pharmacy to revoke the license of whisky-selling druggists; io increase the penalty for horse stealing; to provide police court matrons; to establish uniform weights and measures; to prevent traffic in white slaves. "Other enactments of pith and moment to the people might be mentioned as follows: To provide for the examination of building and loan associations; to prevent the granting of rebates on policies of*lnsurance; to fix liability on bills of lading; to permit night schools in cities; to permit the purchase of flags by school trustees. Created Educational Commission. . “The Democratic Legislature also ratified the Income Tax Amendment. It created one commission to investigate. industrial and agricultural education and another to investigate the > feasibility of establishing a State Workhouse and Penal Farm. It authorized the purchase of a farm, provided state finances would permit, for an insane colony where the incurably but not violently insane might have the benefits of outdoor life. It appropriated |30,000 for the advancement of agriculture, domestic science and rural life. It sought to provide for the industrial education of colored children. “The Legislature also ordered a thorough and systematic investigation relative to fees and salaries. The Democratic party believes in the strictest economy in the administration of public affairs but it also believes that the workman is worthy of his hire and that township and conn-

ty officials should be paid salaries .. commensurate with their ability and service. It deplored the patch-work system by which the fee bill was from time to time being changed, knowing that justice was not being* done thereby to many ill-paid “In addition to all this, the Legislature presented to the people of In* dlana for their adoption or rejection, a new Constitution. The Governor expressed his hearty disapproval” of the recall of judges and judicial decisions, as advocated by Theodore Roosevelt. Economy in Finances. Speaking of the state’s finances, the Governor said in part: “Much has been said, and falsely said, about the condition of state finances. It is true that nothing will lie worse than figures have figurera. The tax levy, however, will disclose that one and one-half cents less upon each one hundred dollars has been taken from the pockets of the people by .this administration. In the aggregate it amounts to $290,000 a year. “Notwithstanding this decreased levy, the Democratic party has been able to meet the increased cost of living and the increased population at state institutions, to open up the new hospital for insane at Madison and the tuberculosis hospital at Rockville, to increase the capacity of the School for Feeble Minded Youth and the Epileptic Village, and to pay off the Colisseuin bonds of SIOO,OOO plus interest and it will be able to pay $150,000 of the state debt in July of this year and $150,000 more in January of next year.’’ The Governor recommended better primary election, laws. He recommended the establishment of a penal colony for prisoners sentenced for one year or less. He favored the establishment of a state orphans’ home. The Governor and the pardon board, he said, have been criticised for the way they have exercised the clemency power. He said he had no apologies to make on this score.

He pleaded for a higher degree of practical religion in state craft. “No longer may a man with safety to either his soul or his reputation pray on the Sabbath day as the Gospel commands, and pray the rest of the week as the law permits,” he said. He said that the ballot should be given only to those who would use it for the greatest good of all the people. An Ignorant, corrupt, besotted and purchasable electorate, he said, will destroy the fabric of any Democracy. The new Constitution, which waa proposed at the last session of the Legislature, he said, would eliminate from the ballot box all who were ignorant of our institutions and who could be purchased. He said an effort would be made to have the Legislature get rid of the lawyers’ amendment, now before the people, in order that need; ed amendments to the Constitution may be proposed. % The Governor said he did not sep any need of the initiative, the referendum and the recall at this time, but that he believed wisdom demanded that,, the Constitution be made to provide for them, so as to be ready to meet any emergency, He said he believed there are times when the recall should be used on public officials. Best Liquor Laws. t “In accordance with our last state platform,”'said the Governor, “and to conform to our belief in the doctrine of local self-government, we hkve enacted the township ants city unit law to govern option elections as to whether saloons shall or shall not be permitted. We have, likewise, passed a stringent regulators law known aS the ‘Proctor law,’ which fearlessly enforced, must inevitably result in lessening the well-known evils of the liquor traffic. It will be well tp fearlessly and strictly enforce these laws. They are, in their language, the best regulatory laws we have ever had. Whether they prove to be so in active operation will depend upon their enforcement. These—should not be regarded as prohibitory legislation for the question of prohibition bas never yet been presented to the people of this state. We have had no opportunity to pacs upon prohibition. So long as regulation is to be the object of the law, the present enactments, when honestly enforced, will be found satisfactory.”

The Governor recommended the enlargement of the powers of the State Railroad Commission and that it be converted into la public service commission, to deal with public service corporations, laws and regulations. Tariff for Revenue Only. The speaker devoted some time to a discussion of the tariff questio\i, taking the position that the protective tariff principle was ’indefensible, and said that the Democratic party believes in real tariff reform and a tariff for revenue only. He also favored an income tax, so that those who have large incomes would pay their proportionate share of the taxes. Corporations are all right, he said, so long as they keep within the law and the scope of tbeir rights, but they should not * be allowed io go beyond that boundary. Anti-trust laws, he said, should never be replaced so as to avoid offenses already committed. “It is our belief,” said the Governor, “that howsoever men have cast their ballots in the past, eighty per cent, of the voters of Indiana are, this day. Democrats at heart. “The rights of'men should be safeguarded from both the encroachments of majorities and the usurpations of powerful minorities. I cannot myself subscribe to the doctrine that majorities are always right. I grant the privilege qf majorities to' rule,' but always within constitutional limitations and , with never an. encroachment upon the inalienable rights of a minority, however small.*

GOVERNOR MARSHALL.