Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 September 1907 — INDIANA DEMOCRATS AGAIN PLAYING UP ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN PROVED TO BE FLAT FAILURES [ARTICLE]

INDIANA DEMOCRATS AGAIN PLAYING UP ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN PROVED TO BE FLAT FAILURES

[Special Correspondence.] Indianapolis, Sept. 11. —Judge R. K. Erwin of Decatur, one of the leading Democratic candidates for nomination for governor, when asked what he thought the paramount issues of the next campaign in Indiana will be, said; "The issue of prime Importance, as I eee it, is the extravagance of administration and the necessity for a reduction of expenditures. ‘Economy’ should be the Democratic watchword in the. state Campaign nest year. There can and should be an administration of affairs for less cost lh both state and nation. <' "I can illustrate my point by cordparing the cost of state administration now with the cost ten or fifteen years ago, say under the Democratic administration of Governor -Matthews. When Matthews was governor the total appropriation for the governor's office 4or-ths year 1893 yraa $12,200. This Included, the salary of the governor, of all his subordinates and, clerical assist an ts an d the con tingent expenses of tbte Office. “The lexlelature Of 1905 appropriated 164,000 for the governor’s office, and at its lait session, in 100 i, the appropriation for the governor 1 * office was swollen to about $03,00.0. Thus, within fourteeen years, we have seen the cost of the executive department grow to five times its former proportions, and goodness only knows where It will stop. ' T.en yeiu-s &go t£e annual cost of runnnlng' the auditor of state’s office was about SIB,OOO. 1 Now ft is more than three times that amount • ' -+* "Taxes should be reduced in Indiana. 'i'iunti sure that if thte people understood the situation they would insist op greater economy.** ■ -*~i~

I* (rwlft In Etfrneat? Judge Irwinis one of the well-known Indiana Democratic lawyers and politicians. He is inferred to' frequently as tie man "#ho looks like Bryan.” The' Democratic party thought sufficiently well of, him last year to nominate him for supreme court judge, ■o he may be regarded as one of Its leaders. What, he says on the subject; of issues therefore must be taken seriously, but it is difficult to take his "present utterance seriously. If the Democratic party is going tp proceed along the lineß fie lays down it will be as -issueless*' as it was last year when it was Jidpeleissiy beaten. Sam Ralston," John Kern and otHer Democratic spell-binders tried last year to delude the voters into believing that the public’s inoney wad be* ing recklessly squandered by the Republican state administrations. In filet, there is nothing new in Judge Erwin*S plea' The Democrats have been harping along that line for several years with very little success as the result of, all the state eieoUOfis in the last ten years shows. The really hopeful thing about it to Use Republicans is that it indicates pretty clearly tfiat the are. going to be forced £6 make a‘ campaign' on issues that have' proved S flat failure. Facts Misrepresented. When Judge Erwin's statement hi sifted down it shows that be has been talking to the galleries. There Is absolutely nothing 1 to support the statement that the Republican administration® have been extravagant

Socle appropriations are larger, but this follows as a matter of course, as the state lias grown very rapidly in the last twelve years. It has been that long since the Democratiß have had a chance to mismanage the state 1 ® affairs. During tfiat tiipe the Republicans have developed tfie resources of the state almost immeasurably, a fact that Mr. Erwin and his Democratic hssoclates do not seem to take intp consideration. ' Unhappily, however, for them and their' party the people of the state have appreciated the improved conditions and consequently are not beifig misled by anything the dismayed Democratic politicians are saying. As to State Taxes. Judge Irwin’s cry about taxes is not fair. He does not seem to remember or to know that during tfie last ten years tfie Republicans have added to the tax duplicate, and t&t Udver before In the history of tfie state have the corporations been eopipelled to pay anything like a reasonable share of ttfies. He and other Democrats do not say any thing, about the fact that while the value of lands has increased enor mously that their taxes have increased a very small per cent It Is fair to say that never in the history of the state has there beeen a time when there was being made a more systematic effort than now to relieve the burden of taxation from the masses. Debts Are Being Paid. Notwithstanding the charge of Judge Irwin and hip like that tfie state la having to spend more racnaf thjfi it did. the state debt haa been predticaJfcf wiped out tinoe the Rcpwtrfio&aa «WU »«wer tau year* a*.