Jasper County Democrat, Volume 21, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 July 1918 — DRAFT BOARD APPEARS UNFAIR [ARTICLE]

DRAFT BOARD APPEARS UNFAIR

Denies Democrat Information and Gives Same to Republican. > There is some criticism of trie local conscription board, but as to its merit we are not able to judge. That it is composed of one political faith only is unfortunate. Undoubtedly it would be much more satisfactory to have both parties represented. * * * As to the local board being wholly Republican, it is only fair, to say that any melmiber of this board would be pleased to be relieved of his duty and be succeeded by a Democrat or any other person. Each member feels that When called upon it was their duty to serve, the government.—Rensselaer Republican. . It will be seen that the Republican admits there is criticism, and it also admits that “it would be much more satisfactory to have both parties represented. ” It further says that “any member of this board would be pleased to be relieved of his duty and be succeeded by a Democrat or any other person,” but “each member feels that when called upon it was their duty to serve the government.” Now if this is a fact why is it, in the numerous changes in the personnel of one member of trie board and in vhe employment of many sub-clerks no Democrat has —to our knowledge, at least—been even offered the position? Is it because all the patriotism is confined to Republicans and »t was thought useless ’o mention a D.?nr crat, or was. It an endeavor to keep all the money the government has paid out nere to this boarl and assistants for t-eir “free’’ and patriotic services in the Republican family? To the writer’s knowledge but one Democrat ever served in any capacity .on this board, and he served, as he understood it to be at the time, without pay, but prac-

tically every other member or assistant was paid for the same Class of work, "after a member of the board had gone over to Newton county and found that the board there were making a charge for their services. " Admitting that the duties of this board are such that it is difficult to please everyone, it should be their aim to try to "please" no one, but perform their duties in a fair, open and impartial manner without fear or favor. If they do this and make their acts public they will have the confidence of the people. Otherwise criticism must be expected. So far as The Democrat is concerned it asks no special favors in the way of giving out the lists of registrants, reclassification, names of men cotm prising the quotas to be sent to the various camps, etc., but it does ask to be treated .the same as the Republican in this respect. .That it is the intention of the government that all this information should be made public is evident from ths attitude that has governed thd drawing and posting of names. Yet here, and especially in recent months, it has been difficult to secure information from the local board. The Democrat has gone to the county clerk’s office for lists and been told that we could have same, but Dr. Loy was the clerk of the board and had the lists and we must go to him. We. have then gone to Loy who refused to give out the information in some instances, saying it was not ready to be made public and would not be for a couple of days yet, and within a halt hour from the time we were at Loy’s office the names appeared ■in the Republican, the list evidently having been given the Republican and were in type some time before it was refused us be. cause of "not being ready for a day or two yet." It was 100 late then for The Democrat to publish the list for the information of its readers over the county until practically the day the men selected were called to entrain. We secured information that in the recent’ reclassification of registrants *here seventy men had been taken from deferred classification and placed in Class 1. This came from one of the two Republican attorneys who assisted in this reclassification —who evidently did not know there whs any secrec,, about it. And right here it might be well to note that no Democratic representation .was had. Last Tuesday we asked for th*, names of the men so reclassed, and were informed by Mr. Nichols that we could secure the list from Loy. Going to Loy, the latter said the list was not ready to give out — although a great many registrants had already received their cards of notification. Wednesday the chairman of the board said, "Babcock can have that list if he wants it; Loy has no right to keep it from the public. If he will come over I will give hirai. the list today," although only Loy as clerk had the official list. Loy said Wednesday, "The Democrat can have the list Friday,” yesterday, too late to get it into type without letting something else go. The excuse given by Loy was that some of the "appeals .were not yet back from the district board ai Laporte.” Now The Democrat was not asking or caring about what the district board done. What it wanted was to know w hat the local board had done; the names of the seventy men who had been changed to Class 1. The action of the district board is made public and is published in the Indianapolis papers right along. If no influence is attempted by the local boards it is not responsible for what the district board does, and the local board’s acts have nothing whatever to do with those of the district board. The Democrat contends that the

people of Jasper county have as much right to this class of information as have the people of other counties, and that Democrat react* ers are entitled to as early Information as are Republican readere; that It is an injustice to deny it such information while giving it to the Republican. It also contends that its party has been treated unfairly all thd way through in being denied representation on this board either in clerks or permanent member, a fact which Governor Goodrich has r adnritted over his own signature, and said that apparently ours was the only county in the state in which this injustice had been done.