Jasper County Democrat, Volume 17, Number 73, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 December 1914 — The Machine and the Press. [ARTICLE]

The Machine and the Press.

Editor H. F. Schricker of the Starke County Democrat, who is president of the Indiana Democratic Editorial Association, says in commenting on the recent indictments returned against Lieut.-Gpvernor O’Neil, Homer L. Cook and other members of the last legislature: An indictment doesn’t necessarily mean that a man is guilty, but a lot of smoke usually suggests more or less fire. The Democrat’s position is that these men ought to be given a fair trial and, if guilty, ought to be given the maximum punishment. The fact that they are democrats makes their alleged crimes all the greater in our estimation. The party was pledged to economy and tne democratic press preached this doctrine from one end of the state to the other. Politicians, as a rule, have great respect for the press before election, hut many of them forgot what the 'home paper” said for them after they are once in office. The democratic press of the state gallantly defended the 1913 legislature during the recent campaign—and it had reasons to feel proud of some of the many laws that were enacted—but it does not stand ready to defend any man who betrayed his party in that session. Governor Ralston owes it to his state and to his party to see that no guilty man escapes. If the coming legislature will pay less attention to the dangerous practices of its predecessors and give greater heed to the Governor and press of the state it will a new record for economy and “horse sense.” A legislature should be the pride of a state and not a joke.