Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 July 1916 — INDIANAPOLIS NEWS LETTER [ARTICLE]

INDIANAPOLIS NEWS LETTER

(By Willis S. Thompson)

Indianapolis, July 13.-—Senator Thomas Taggart has made another assault upon the time-honored customs that have grown and prospered for years of injecting a large “pork” supply' into every appropriation bill that passed the senate and congress. He made a record in his vigorous attack upon more than ?20,000,000 of “pork” in the rivers and harbors annual appropriation bill. Senator Kenyon declared that that fight will make such things impossible forever and a day. Now Senator Taggart has attacked the appropriations bill of the agricultural department. He has declared the folly of spending thousands of dollars each year in the promiscuous distribution of seeds, making a joke —an expensive joke—of what was originally' designed as a practical and good work of the government He impressed the enormous additional uncalculated cost of transporting these seeds under the congressional postal franking privilege. Everybody knows that this “free seed graft” into which it has deteriorated while the.cost has multiplied, is now little else than an advertising stunt for senators tind congressmen who are otherwise unknown even to their direct constituents. Senator Taggart’s attack was backed by figures, showing numerous absolutely foolish and indefensible outlays which nothing short Oi the necessity of making , jobs for politicians had ever excused. The

whole saving which he proposes by his amendments amounts to Ji. 455,480 a year. The senate vote ; to eliminate free seed. • * * The Indianapolis Star, gone body only proposing to hold a state Contention and nominate a full ticket, but they have secured Bainbrid-a Colby of New York as their conven tion keynoter. Mr. Colby is one o: the.best orators of the country and he is also one of the most effective men in the Progressive party organization. In 19 12 and 19 14 h< was one of the national leaders whose Work got results. His presence as the keynoter o.f the Indiana state: conyention will do; much to insure a most excellent representation, a- well as ; n enthusiasm in the campaign work.

Tile Indiana Star, gone body, breeches and gallusses to the Repubcan party, says the Progressive state ticket in Indiana in 1916 can only operate against the Democrats. For in JD.lt; a peculiar condition exists in this state. The nominees on the Republican machine ticket, the array of candidates and bosses in eluding Jim Watson. Jim Heinenway, Jim Goodrich, Joe Kealing, Harry New, Charlie Fairbanks, and their bosom friends, are not likely to inspire confidence .in any Progressive minds. William Dudley Foulkt is the one Indiana Progressive that anyone has heard about leaving the party and going with Colonel Roosevelt to swallow all that was mixed lor the Progressives at Chicago. He says the members of no party to which he belongs can vote for any Democrats, and the temper of Progressives is such just now that AVilliam Dudley found no other way of reconciling matters than to march right over to the erstwhile enemy. So William Dudley and Colonel Roosevelt are marching side by each to the music of “The Gang’s All Here.’’ ; * * ♦ In the report of the organization meeting held by the Republican state machine, the Indianapolis News comments upon the cordial relationship existing between Jim AVatson and Harry New in their speeches. “There is a feeling among Republicans,’’ says the News report, “that both Watson and New must be pushed with equal fervor in order that the success of the ticket may be assured.” Reference is made to the fact that the cry of Taggart for senator “has been heard in some Republican quarters, especially in Marion county, and even a number of men who are still working in the Progressive party' have announced that they would vote for Thomas Taggart. “This situation,” says the News report, “has worried some Republican workers.” • » * Congressman John A. M. Adair, in his campaign as the Democratic nominee for governor, concluded a 10 days’ speaking tour and has returned to Washington. The interesting feature of these meetings, aside from the fact that large crowds were on hand everywhere, was the large number of Republicans and Progressives who came to meet and hear the Democratic nominee. But more interesting still was the fact that large numbers of both Republicans and Progressives pushed their way to the front to say they were making no secret of their personal support and advocacy of the election of the Democratic national and state ticket. They are coming to the party that has both the issues and the Candidates that commend themselves to the voters.

There is one thing about the Indiana senators. They do not have to use their franking privilege to send out “free seeds” and unspoken speeches to show they' are on the job. Neither have any' of the Democratic congressmen from Indiana had to do these stunts to prevent their names being forgotten by their constituents. ♦ * Sit Frank D. Butler of Peru, Democratic district chairman, has established the speakers bureau of the Democratic state central committee and will remain in charge of state headquarters until the last speech of the campaign has been spoken. There will be more good speakers f’om all over the country than have ever before invaded Hoosierdom. And they have never had more good things to talk about than they’ will hhve in this year 1916. The national and state records do not have to be defended. The state and national Republican conventions did not even dare attempt to attack them. Mr. Hughes has tried some destructive attacks but nothing constructive. And all he has said has made Wilson stronger. Roosevelt has tried his hand at assailing Wilson for not shooting up the world generally and sacrificing a few hundred thousands of young Americans, but the colonel has grown into the Artemus ward class of “Amoosin’ Kusses.”