Jasper County Democrat, Volume 17, Number 88, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 February 1915 — Where Will This Flag Preservation Scheme End? [ARTICLE]

Where Will This Flag Preservation Scheme End?

The Democrat referred briefly in Saturday’s issue to the appropriation made by the present legislature for caring for the old battle flags in the state house at. Indianapolis. The 1915 appropriation was $7,000, and in looking tile matter up we find that every legislature in recent years, beginning with that of 1909, has made appropriations for this purposed-19097 $12,000; 1911, $lO,000- 1913, $10,004); 1915, $7,000. Here is a total of $39,000 for this purpose in only six years! The 1909 appropriation states that the $12,000 is sor ’ the “care and' custody of the flags carried by the Indiana soldiers in the civil, Mexican and Spanlsh-Aemican wars, and for the mounting and reinforcement of said flags and for the purchase of cases for same,’’ the money tp be expended by a “commission’’ appointed by the governor. u The 1911 legislature appropriated SIO,OOO to carry on the\work, the "commission’’ to receive $4 per day each, also clerk hire, stenographers, traveling expenses, etc. The 1913 legislature.fn its appropriation of SIO,OOO to carry on this work, increased the pay of the "commission” to $5 each per day, with traveling and other expenses, etc. With the $7,000 appropriation made by the present legislature, Is it any wonder that those familiar with the appropriations that have already been made, are asking when it is to end? While it might perhaps be too far-fetched to say that this “flag preservation” scheme is nothing-but a system of graft, yet, when we consider the huge sums that have been appropriated for the alleged purpose it almost convinces one that there is a colored gentleman in the woodpile some where. At the average price of corn, of, say, 4 0 cents per bushel, it would take nearly 100,000 bushels of thirf cereal to pay the $39,000 that has thus far been appropriated for this battle flag preservation scheme, and apparently the end is yet far off.