Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 61, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 April 1908 — THE GOVERNOR CHEERED [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE GOVERNOR CHEERED

Stirring Declaration on Temperance Question Arouses the Convention. Governor Hanly was then called for and he responded in a lengthy and careful review of the work of the Republican party in home affairs. The governor's defense of the present state administration against the attack made by the chairman of the recent Democratic state convention was given the moot studious attention. The governor based this defense upon figures from the official records, of which he declared there was no gainsaying, and his answer wae taken by the convention as a conclusive refutation of the charges brought In the recent Democratic "keynote." To the charge that the administration was "reeking with graft.” the governor challenged the

Minor or that statement to mm the man or men who were "grafting** la the statehouse, and promised that upon the establishment of such charges those guilty should be removed in thirty days. The governor’? assertions regarding the attitude of the recent convention upon the temperance question and his presentation of his views upon that subject were listened, to with almost breathless attention. The governor’s statement that the people of Indiana would be satisfied with no equivocation or backward step on this question wrs met by vehement cries of “Right!” and when he made his celebrated announcement In -favor of a county unit as the basis of a local option law, the convention literally rose at him. His wonderful peroration, when he made that terrific

arraignment of the liquor traffic created one of the most extraordinary scenes of demonstrative applause of an Individual utterance ever heard In that hall The temper of the convention toward this vital question was unmistakable, and a view of the earnest faces in that hall raised toward the speaker during this arraignment was a significant sight indeed. It was fully apparent that Indiana was ripe for an unmistakable declaration of principles on the question of the further 'regulation of the liquor traffic in this state.

Compliments to Mr. Miers. “In the course of his speech he cried •Let us open the books and turn the rascals out,’ ” said Governor Hanly, referring to the speech of the chairman of the recent Democratic conyention. ” ’Honesty and fair dealing’ required that he state the fact that the books of every state office are already open; that they within less than a year were inspected by a distinguished Democrat appointed by the present administration for that purpose; that daily settlements are now required to be made; that an executive accountant makes frequent and searching examination of every office; that interest on public funds has ceased to be the perquisite of these officers; that every paper, every book and every document was laid before a Democratic investigator, and he directed to find the truth and report it to the people. ’’ ’Honesty and fair dealing in politics’ required that he state the fact that rascals are already out; that there is this difference between Democratic and Republican administration: They continued their rascals in office until the end of their terms and permitted them to go with their plunder; we turned ours out, under whip and lash, and compelled them to make restitution of every dollar taken, and then went back and recovered thousands of dollars of the funds, or have suits pending to do so, which their rascals had taken. “In another sentence he declares: 'The state’s business is topsy-turvy with blunder and reeking with graft’ '* ‘Honesty and fair dealing in politics’ required that he furnish with this sweeping charge an itemized, statement, a bill of particulars; that he point out the blunders, put his finger on the graft and his hand on the guilty official. Unless he does this he must stand condemned in the forum of honest debate."

TOMLINSON HALL.