Richmond Palladium (Daily), Volume 34, Number 10, 18 November 1908 — Page 1

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t: ric. MONB P AJX AJDIITM ANT) SmST-TTTOIlAM. VOL. XXXIV. KO. 10. RICHMOND, IND., WEDNESDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 18, 1908. SINGLE COPY, 2 CENTS.

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GRAFT IN COUNTY OFFICES MAY BE ELIMINATED BYLAW

Indianapolis Merchants' Association Has Drawn Up List Of Changes Which Should Be Made. SUPPORT PLEDGED BY STATE LEGISLATORS. Adoption of Suggestions Will Be Means of Wiping Out Easy Opportunity for Graft And Plunder. Ellis Searles. Indianapolis, Nov. 18. The Indianajiolls Merchants association is receiv ing encouragement from all over the state in its agitation in favor of the passage by the legislature of laws that will reform the methods employed in conducting county business. If the plan is carried through as contem plated by the Merchants association it; will be the means of placing the business of the counties on a strictly business basis and wipe out the easy opportunities for graft and plunder that now exist. The latest bit of encouragement tomes from Evansville, where the commercial bodies have considered the platform of the Merchants asso ciation and decided to give it all possi ble support. The platform of the Merchants association includes recommendations for the following changes in the laws: 1. Provide a uniform system of county, township and city accounts and centralize their supervision in the state auditor. 2. Require the governor to make stated examinations of the books of every county, township and city. 3. Require the county auditor to audit before making settlements. 4. Pay the county commissioners adequate salaries and .require them to give bond for the faithful performance of their duties. B. Require the county auditor to pive adequate bond. 6. Cut off extra allowances to pub' lie officers. 7. Forbid public officers profiting from public contracts. 8. Require county officers to keep a public fee book. 9. Require sheriffs to feed prison ers at actual cost. 10. Require the state auditor to audit the school funds. t 11. Compel the collection of fines and forfeitures due to the school fund. 12. Put the prosecuting attorney and hie deputies on salary. 13. Compel the payment of all fees Into the public treasury. 14. Require the courts to be responsible for 4he drawing of jurors. The atrocious miscarriage of the jury system calls for radical reform. 15. Require preliminary examinations of jurors for special venires. 16. . Authorize grand jurors to make a special presentment to the governor when conditions warrant, and require the governor to institute special Investigation and prosecution of such cases and to present the facts to the legislature. When the Merchants association adopted this platform and gave it to the public it aroused much discussion. But within a short time after it became public a large number of members of the legislature hac pledged themselves to it and promised to enact laws along the lines suggested in the platform. Every democratic and republican candidate for the legislature in Marlon county, without a single exception, promised to support the reforms and many members of the legislature from other counties offered their support. So it seems likely that these measures will have strong backing at the next session and that they will become laws. The agitation for these reforms was started as a result of the graft exposures in Marion county more than anything else. The exposures are well remembered all over the state. It was claimed at the time they came to light that the methods of conducting the business of counties was r loose and uncertain and it was due to this laxity of the law more than to the criminal intent of the offenders that such grafting was made possible. The Merchants association holds that if the opportunity for crookedness in public office is wiped out, the officers will be conducted on clean lines and the people's money will not be stolen. One of the most important of the recommendations made by the Mer chants association is the one referring to placing all officials on straight sal aries and requiring all fees to be paid into the public treasury. This, it is explained, will enable a rnan to know just how much he is going to make out of an office and will prevent his making any more than that. If a man is not willing to take an office for the salary offered by the law he cannot take it at all. If he floes take It and makes out of it more (Continued on Page Two.)

FIFTY PEOPLE GIVEN JMPLOYMENT Work Resumed at Richmond Mfg. Plant.

Work was begun in the lamp shop of the Richmond Indiana Manufacturing company's plant today. About fifty persons are employed. A portion of this number is girls and women. The bed shop will be opened up again within a short time. The lack of material has prevented the resumption of work in this factory at this time. The same management will continue in control. Practically all of the former employes will be given their positions back. It is expected the plant will be run throughout the winter season. COMPANY INCORPORATES. Claypool, Stimson and Judson Are .Directors. The Richmond Manufacturing company was incorporated at Indianapolis today. The firm will appear as successors to the Richmond Indiana Manufacturing company. The capital stock Is placed -at $50,000. The directors are E. H. Claypool, of Indianapolis and Robert Stimson and James Judson of this city. The company will occupy the plant of the Richmond Indiana Manufacturing company in West Richmond. The manufacture of lamps and iron bed steads will be engaged in. HOPES TO LIVE TO BE John Fletcher Medeans celebrates 99th Birthday Anniversary. OLDEST MAN IN COUNTY. HAS USED TOBACCO GREATER PART OF HIS LIFE READS WITHOUT GLASSES AND IS HEALTHY s CONSIDERING -AGE. Greensfork, Ind., Nov. 18. Does the use of tobacco shorten the longevity of a person's life? John Fletcher Medearis says it does not. Probably he ought to know something about it, as he is only one less than 100 years old. Mr. Medearis celebrated his ninetyninth birthday anniversary Monday. He has used the weed since twelve years old. He says he wants to live to celebrate his centennial and expects to continue to be an advocate of the use of tobacco. The venerable gentle man is one of the best liked men of this community. He has made his home on North Green street, this place for the last six years. Formerly he resided on a farm south of Olive Hill. Wrhen America first was recognized as existing other than as rebellious British colonies in 1812, John Fletcher Medearis was a three-year-old boy down in Guilford county, North Caro lina. When the civil war broke out in 1861, Mr. Medearis was too old to en list. When thousands of men then in their prime of youth were marching off to the Southern fields, Mr. Medearis was only 52. Thousands of these same veterans since have died at "ripe old ages." but this Greensforker laughs at time. . When America celebrated Its centennial of the declaration of independence, Mr. Medearis was 67 years old. When the great world's Columbian exposition was held at Chicago, Mr. Medearis was old enough to have been called a pioneer of the pioneers. He was eighty-four, but that was fifteen years ago. Mr. Medearis holds the distinction of being the oldest man in Wayne county, and probably the oldest man in the state of Indiana. He remembers vividly that when he lived in Salisbury, the first settlement In Wayne county, a town that exists now solely in mem ories and county histories, the Indians were roaming about the site of the present town of Centerville. At that time Mr. Medearis was twenty years old. A republican from the creation of the party, and a Whig before that time Mr. Medearis has had the remarkable record of casting a vote for nineteen presidents. The vote he cast for Henry Clay he regards as one of the best efforts of his life. The wife of Mr. Medearis died six years ago, when she was almost 80 years old. Mrs. Medearis, the mother of Fletcher Medearis, died at the age of 94. Mr. Medearis has been the father of thirteen children, nine of whom are living. There were six girls and three I Continued on Page Two.) THE WEATHER PROPHET. INDIANA Fair Wednesday night and Thursday; strong winds, mostly southwest. OHIO Partly cloudy Wednesday night; warmer In north and east portions;. Thursday fair; slightly cooler in north and central portions; strong southwest to west winds.

CENTENARIAN

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IS SOUNDED BY OPTIONISTS Citizens' Meeting Will Be Held To Discuss Advisability of General Attack on the Saloons. SPECIAL ELECTION WOULD COST $4,000. Same Routine as in General Elections Would Have to Be Followed The Law's Contents. Dear Sir: You are respectfully invited and urged to attend a meeting of representative citizens of Wayne county, to be held at the South Eighth Street Friends church this Thursday, Novem ber 19, 1908, at one P. M., to discuss the advisability of proceeding at once with the circulation of a petition in order to secure at least 20 per cent of the voters, for the purpose of holding a county local option election. A representative of the Indiana Anti-Saloon league has been invited to be present. If you cannot come, send some one to express your opinion. Yours truly, A CITIZENS' COMMITTEE OF WAYNE COUNTY Richmond. Indiana, Nov. 18, 1908. Copies of the above letter have beea sent to about three hundred Wayne county people known to be actively interested in furthering the movement to drive the saloons out of Wayne county. This is the first step taken by the Ministerial association and the Wayne County Civic league in the crusade it is preparing to wage against the saloons of Richmond, Cambridge City and East Germantown, the only wet spots in Wayne county. The county local option law, which is not yet in effect, requires that the petition for holding a local option election shall not be presented to the county commissioners, who set the date for the election, unless" thepetition has been signed bv at least twenty per cent of the voters of the county wherein the election is held. There are, judging from the vote cast at the last election for the first elector on the republican ticket and the first presidential elector on the democratic ticket, 11,168 voters in Wayne county. It would be necessary, therefore, to secure the signatures of 2,234 voters to a petition for a county local option election. 0 Liberals Active. It is understood that the "liberals" have been as active as the temperance workers in preparing for the struggle over the "wet" or "dry" proposition and, it is said, if a local option elec tion is ordered the "liberals" will not be found unprepared. Some of their most active workers state that many business men who were thought to be in favor of driving the saloons out of the county have announced that they will vote "wet", fearing that a city the size of Richmond would suffer loss of business should the county be vot ed "dry." Active workers for the temperance cause state that it is an assured fact that the county will be voted "dry" and that they are daily securing recruits to their cause. Election Cost $4,000. To hold a county option election in this county would cost approximately $4,000 or very near the same expense as the recent general election. The same number of precincts and voting places would have to be provided. It is the kind of an election, the cost of which might be diminished by the use of voting machines. There would have to be election commissioners, sheriffs, clerks, judges and all the oth er officials such as provided for by the general election laws. The petition for the election must be signed by not less than twenty per cent of the aggregate vote cast in the county for secretary of state at the last general election. No voter can sign his name to the petition after it is filed, nor withdraw his name after the petition has been filed. The elec tion commission shall be composed of the county auditor and two resident free holders, one known to favor the sale of intoxicants for use as a beverage and the other to oppose. Whenever an election has been held under the provisions of the act, no subsequent election shall be held there under until the expiration of at least two years from the last preceding election. If a majority of the legal votes cast at the election shall be in favor of prohibiting the sale of intoxicating liquors as a beverage, after ninety days from the holding of the election all licenses for the sale of intoxicating liquors granted In the county after the passage of the act shall be null and void. The holder of the license shall be liable for any sale of liquors made by him thereafter the same as if no license had been issued him. If the bolder of the void license surrender it within ninety days the county, city or town Issuing the license shall refund a proportionate amount of the money paflL

MEN WHO FIGURE IN GREAT SAN FRANCISCO

-- .- - - - .. . TTTtT ir 'V V V 'V !' 'Mr r T T mr yT r V kr V V f Francis J. Heney, the prosecutor In the famous San Francisco graft cases is shown in the large picture. At the top, to the left, is shown the late Senator John Mitchell of Oregon who was convicted and sentenced for complicity in Oregon land frauds. At the left of the sketch showing the matter of shooting is former Mayor Eugene Schmitz of San Francisco who was convicted of bribery. At the bottom is Abraham Ruef, whose second trial is now on. Heney was shot in the court room by Morris Haas, the exconvict, who was exposed by Heney in the former trial of Ruef. . .f . , . ,f, ,f, TTtTtTtTtTTtttT Greensfork Squabble to Be Heard in Appellate Court Thursday. SENTIMENT -"IS"- DIVIDED. MANY TOWNSPEOPLE WISH TO INCORPORATE, TAKING AFFAIRS OUT OF HANDS OF TRUSTES, BUT OTHERS FEAR TAXES. The celebrated case involving the Incorporation of the town of Greens fork will be argued before the Appel late court at Indianapolis tomorrow. The petitioners for the incorporation will be represented by Wilfred Jessup and the demonstrators will be repre sented by Addison Harris and John L. Rupe. The case was heard before the commissioners court of this county and a verdict given in favor of the petitioners. An appeal was taken to the circuit court. Jonathan Newman was appointed as special judge. He returned a verdict in favor of the incorporators and another appeal was taken. The petitioners are among the most prominent residents of the town. They claim that under existing conditions they have no system of town government and;the township trustee has more to say as to the governmental affairs than anyone else. They claim many advantages could be derived as the result of incorporation and the powers the town government would accrue would be such as to make the system one of benefit to the entire community. ' Chief among the remonstrators is Alonzo Harris, who resides just at the edge of town. The proposed corporation limits would include a portion of Mr. Harris' property and he objects. To pay a corporation tax on this property would be more expensive to Mr. Harris than simply to pay the township tax and this is said to be one of the reasons for his opposition to the measure. The matter has been in litigation for two years. It has been asserted that if the remonstrators lose in the present case, they will take a further appeal to the supreme court The litigation sufficies to bring about a delay and prevent the town's incorporation whether it accomplishes anything else or not. SUPERINTENDENT VISITS. Jordan at Model Economy School Today. Charles Jordan, county superintendent, was at Economy today to visit the Perry township schooL This school is one of the most thorough township schools of the county in the character of work done. It i3 also one of the largest In point of attend-

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HENEY RECOVERS STRENGTH RAPIDLY Within Few Weeks He Will Be Able to Push Graft Cases. NO CHANGE OF VENUE. RUEF MUST STAND TRIAL IN SAN FRANCISCO FOR HIS CONNECTION WITH MONUMENTAL GRAFT UNCOVERED. San Francisco, Cal., Nov. IS. Francis J. Heney is recovering with surprising rapidity and it is predicted that in a few weeks he will be able to resume his prosecution of the graft cases. He is able to swallow without serious difficulty and was able to take liquid nourishment today. Superior Judge Lawler brushed aside all dilatory motions interposed by the attorneys of Abraham Ruef and denied in succession the motions of Ruef for a change of venue, continuance for SO days and dismissal of the jury. .... The same precautions were taken today as on yesterday to safeguard the courtroom - from violence.' Ruef was brought from the county 'jail, closely guarded and a number, of police were scattered along the approaches and throughout the courtroom. - In the effort to establish more clearly the motive of the rejected Ruef juror, who shot Prosecutor Heney, the (Continued on Page Three.)

Twenty-four Year's Drought Record Broken This Year

All records for drought in Wayne county for the past twenty-four years have been broken by the past three months and the first 18 days of November, according to Observer Vossler, of the waterworks pumping station. The observer is able to cite the records for precipitation back as far as 1SS4 and no three and one-half months show such a lack of rainfall as August. September, October and November of this year. The drought has been so extreme within this length of time that three-fourths of the cisterns in the county are practically dry and about one-half of the wells have been affected.

GRAFT CASES

WITHDRAWAL NOT FOR AIIKIlNDIDnTE Taggart Says Senatorial Bat tle Is Open So Far as He is Concerned. MENZIES GETS SUPPORT ALL OF SOUTHERN INDIANA IS FOR MT. VERNON, AS HE IS IN SYMPATHY WITH THAT SEC TION OF THE STATE. Indianapolis, Nov. 18. Although it is believed generally among politician that National Committeeman Taggart's withdraws! from the race for the United States senate was In behalf of John Worth Kern. Taggart declares that he will keep hands off. He. says that be will not help or hinder any candidate for the senate. "It's a free-for-all, , so far as I am concerned," said he. "I am not going to do anything for or against any of the boys who are seeking the honor." Major G. V. Menzies, of ML Vernon, the First district candidate, who has arrived here to look after, his Interests, was assured by Taggart that he would not mix in the fight. Quit For Personal Reasons. "Taggart told me that he would not play any favorites," said Major Menzies. "He declared that he .withdrew for personal reasons, and that I might make it as public as I liked that be would not support or oppose any candidate." - . - ' - , . Notwithstanding the assurance given Major Menzies by Taggart, the latter's lieutenants here are lining up for Kern. : Taggart himself informed Major Menzies that Kern would benefit by his wthdrawal to the extent that it gave him a clear field in this county. Taggart-had nine of the twelve votes here sure' and it was by no means certain that Kern would have landed the other three with Taggart in the running. It is now believed that Kern will get the support of the Indianapolis delegation, although it is said that (Continued on. Page Three.) . During the- last .three months and eighteen days, the total rainfall has been but 2.37 inches. The nearest approach to this was during the same months in 1884. when 2.66 inches of rain fell. In August and September of this year the total precipitation as measured by standard instruments was just exactly one Inch. In Septem ber there was .59 of one inch of preci pitation and in the following month the total was .41 of one inch. The nearest approach to the record of these two months was made by July and August in 1894.. The rainfall for July was .37 of an inch and for August .85 making a total' of L22 inches.

BUSINESS MEN ARRIVING FOR

BIGMEETIHG First Sessions of State Feder ation of Commercial Clubs Delayed by Late Arrival of Delegates. MUCH INTEREST BEING TAKEN IN ORGANIZATION Big Connersville Delegation Surprises Local Secretary Indianapolis Well Represented. It was impossible to begin the first session of the Federation of Indiana Commercial clubs this afternoon at the appointed time, 1 o'clock, owing to the fact that many of the delegates were slow in arriving. Up to 2 o'clock this afternoon the only delegates that had reported at the local Commercial club headquarters represented India napolis, Evansville, Gary, Anderson. Peru, Muncie and Connersville. It is not probable that all the other delegates will arrive In the city until 4 o'clock this afternoon, consequently the program arranged for this after noon s session will be delayed until that time. The delegates that had reported at headquarters up to 2 o'clock were as follows: Gary H. V. Call, Homer J. Carr, H. S. Norton, George H. Manlove. C L. Graves. Evansville W. V. Dixon. Peru P. M. Crume. Indianapolis R. ,S. McClure, C. A. Macauley, J. I Gavin, A. W. Dunn, A. M. Potts. II. H. Woodsmall. Connersville A. E. Letter. Dr. J. E. Mountain, George R. Carter. F. A. Vossler, H. M. Case, D. M. Wiley, 11. D. McCready. Muncie Senator C. W. Klmbrough. Anderson W. E. Campbell. The arrival of the large Connersville delegation was unexpected as no reply had been received by Secretary E. M. Haas of the local club to the Invitation extended to Jhe Connersville Com-, merclal club. AH the Connersville delegates are enthusiastic about the formation of the Federation and predict it will be a most useful organization to the business men of this state. The Gary delegation was ths first to arrive. Muncie and Anderson will be represented by large delegations but only one representative from each of these cities had arrived by noon. The Indianapolis delegation Js taking an ae tive Interest In the organization of the Federation as they think such an organisation is necessary to secure satisfactory legislation for the busi- ' ness Interests of the state. GARY DELEGATION BUSY. New Northern Indiana City Desirct Next Meeting. Gary, the baby city of Indiana. Is in the field with bells on to capture the next meeting of the Indiana Federa tion of Commercial clubs, which is holding Its first meeting in this city. The Gary delegation includes five hustling business men of that wonderful little city of twelve thousand population which, two years ago, was on ly a waste of sand on the shore ol Lake Michigan. These delegates ar II. Vr. Call, Homer J. Carr. H. S. Norton, C. L. Graves and George H. Manlove. The latter is a former Richmond man. He left this city in 1892. "We have secured the promise ol the Indianapolis delegation to support us in our effort to land the next meet ing of the Federation for Gary and we hope that the Richmond delegation will line up for us," said Mr. Manlove. There appears to be no doubt that Gary will land the plum Jts after. Gary is anxious to show the isiness men what wonders she has accomplished in her brief existence and the business men are equally anxious to see the unique little city. At the Westcott hnl this morning the Gary delegatioi?lened np a "boomers" headquarters and were busy showing the many visitors examples of Gary's enterprise. Hung up for exhibition were photographs, engravings and architects' plans of tbe public buildings erected or planned for and on a table were many copies of the Gary Tribune, which is just a year old but thoroughly up to date and metropolitan In its makeup. Mr. Carr is the editor of the Tribune and he is justly proud of the success his publication has met with. The copies of the Tribune distributed at the Gary headquarters bear yesterday's date line and were run off especially for distribution in this city. Four of the eight pages are- devoted exclusively to illustrations of Gary views, including tbe new buildings, the "made-to-order" harbor and the monster steel mills. "Gary has a resident population of about twelve thousand and as soon as we can provide enough residences tb population will be doubled. We already have two first class hotels and two more are being built." said Mr-Manlove.