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The Commoner
22
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Progressive Reforms in Indiana
Lebanon. Iutl,, March 2, 1917.
To Tlio Commoner,
Lincoln, Nebraska.
The dry democrats of Indiana aro
very much 'elated at this tlmo over
the splendid reform measures that
havo boon written into law in tho
present legislature They havo had
much to contend with for tho past
ton or twelve years but havo con
tinued to mako progress. 'Their
work has been somewhat retarded
by tho opposition but the progressive
doraocracy of Indiana know what
they were fighting for and had the
courage to continue their battles.
In tho last democratic stato con
vention tho wet forces of tho demo
cratic party wero in absolute con
trol. They wrote a platform to their
own liking without regard for tho
great majority of dry democrats in
tho state of Indiana. Tjo brewer
crowd rofusod to recognize dry dem
ocrats for any political preference or
position.
One of tho leading dry democrats
of Indiana, a man with splendid busi
ness and political judgment, one who
had contributed practically all of the
money to defray tho expenses of the
primary fight in the 1915 legislature
which, by the way, was a victory or
tho dry democracy of Indiana, was
denied tho right to even havo his
name go before his district caucus as
a candidate for delegate to tho St.
Louis convention. This democrat
was James H. McGill of Valparaiso,
a personal friend and strong sup
porter of W. J. Bryan, and about the
tlmo McGlU was being skidded in
Indiana tho brewery crowd was de
feating Mr. Bryan In Nebraska for
delogateship to tho national conven
tion; however, tho wet forces-reckoned
without their hosts both in
Nebraska and in Indiana because
Nebraska was voted dry in the last
election and Indiana has just been
given, by tho present legislature,
statutory prohibition and. strange as
it may 'seem, tho two men mentioned,
McGill of Indiana and Bryan of Ne
braska, have had much to do with
winning this great victory in Iri-dlana.
Early in November Mr. Bryani
was invited to come to Indiana to as
sist in organizing a dry democratic
movement. He gladly accepted tho
invitation and on November 18th
met with one hundred fifty oi the
leading dry democrats from all sec
tions of the stato at the Claypool
hotel in Indianapolis for a confer
ence. '
Mr. Bryan's address before that
conference was one of the most re
markable of his career. His Scath
ing rebuke of Steven B. Fleming of
Ft. "Wayne, Indiana's brewery boss,
will long be remembered. He pointed
out how Fleming had dominated the
Indiana democratic state convention
in 1916 and how a wot platform was
put over in that convention by brew
ery control and how Fleming insult
ed tho womanhood of Indiana and
tho nation in tho St. Louis conven
tion and was again supported by tho
wet forces of Texas and New Jersey.
In this conference it was unanimous
ly decided to join with Mr. Bryan in
his fight for stato and nation wide
prohibition and plans for a perman
ent organization were made and
James H. McGill of Valparaiso was
selected as the chairman of the
movement.
Just sixty days later Mr. Bryan
again returned to Indiana to address
the democratic dry organization. It
was found necessary to hold this
meeting in Tomlinson hall, and it
was certainly gratifying both to Mr.
Bryan and the Indiana democrats
who were responsible for the organ
ization to find that their number had.
increased from one hundred fifty men
to moro than fifteen hundred pres
ent at the meeting. Mr. Bryan's ad
dress again aroused renewed interest
throughout tho state for the cause of
temperance.
On the forenoon of January 19th,
by invitation, Mr. Bryan addressed
the Indiana senate, presenting his
views on constitutional convention,
statutory prohibition, and woman's
suffrage, and gave sound reasons why
tho Indiana legislature should pass
all three of these measures. Mr.
Bryan was cordially received and it
was conceded immediately after his
address that the brewery control of
Indiana had been broken in fact,
routed and there was never a ques
tion from that moment as to what
the results on all three of these
1 great issues would be.
Tho constitutional convention bill
passed the lower house with seventy
eight votes for and twenty votes
against. It passed the senate with
thirty-four votes for and fourteen
against. Prohibition passed the lower
house seventy votes for and twenty
eight votes against. It passed the
benate with thirty-eight votes for and
eleven votes against. "Woman suf
frage passed the senato thirty-two
votes, for and sixteen against. It
passed' tho lower house with sixty
seven votes for and twenty-four votes
against. It, occurs to us that miracles
aro still being performed.
It is quite true that there were
other great influences in the state
working for the passage of all of
these laws which had much to do
with tho statutes being written and
yet, I think, we are justified in claim
ing that, without the support of W.
J. Bryan, none of these great reforms
would havo been written into law.
It is gratifying indeed to those who
havo been so closely allied with Mr.
Bryan for the past twenty years in
all off Ms great reform measures,
both political and otherwise, to give
testimony to the wonderful influence
no exertea in tnis recent oattie tor
reform.
It is also vlth pleasure that we
express our appreciation of our own
T
sf
For ai Dry Nation
The Commoner, Lincoln, Neb.: I am in favor of driving the salorm
out of the democratic party and out of the nation and I will endeavor
to secure the number of subscribers to The Commoner
marked (X) in. this coupon. I will remit for these sub
scriptions as I send them at your clubbing rate of 60c
per year,. Yours truly,
10
15
20
25
Name
P. O
. . 4 .
State
good citizen, James H. McGill, who
has rendered such splendid service
and given so liberally of his financial
means and contributed so generously
with his time during tho legislature of
1915 and the session just now clos
ing, The real democracy df Indiana
will always bo under many .obliga
tions to Mr. McGill for tho reason
that ho has made his fight and the
sacrifices of money and time without
any selfish motives. He has had no
desire to hold office and. has not ex
pressed a willingness to do so in fu
ture. Tho only favor that he has
asked at tho hands of his party was
tho privilege of representing his dis
trict in the national convention in
1916, and this privilege was imme
diately denied him by the wet forces
of Tippecanpe and Lake counties. Mr.
McGill was informed by the men wno
have dominated the democratic party
in these two counties that ho was
entirely too dry and for that reason
they would not even, allow his name
to come before tho 'caucus, much
less permit him to-go as a delegate.
Indiana has been one of the stater
in which Mr. Bryan has been extreme-.
ly popular since he first made his ap
pearanco in American politics. In-
umuu juub given Mr. joryan more
votes as a presidential candidate
than any other candidate making
the race for president on the demo
cratic ticket. Mr. Bryan received in
1908 fifty-seven thousand votes moro
as the candidate for president than
Woodrow Wilson received in 1912,
and Mr. "Wilson's vote of 1916 was
six thousand votes short of the Bry
an voto in 1908.
The real democracy in Indiana- re
joices in the great work that Mr.
Bryan is now doing for the splendid
cause of temperance. - 4We' are' glad
to note that the liquor control of
Nebraska is at an end and wo are
glad of the conspicuous part that Mr.
Bryan played in crushing it. We are
extremely giaa in Indiana for the
great service ho has rendered in our
stato for tho cause of temperance
and the writer appreciates more than
words can express the privilege he
enjoyed by being present at the great
temperance dinner tendered Mr. Bry
an in Washington on December 6,
1916, and I am of the opinion that
Mr. Bryan's stand in Washington at
that time in favor of temperance had
much to do in advancing the tem
perance legislation in the present
congress.
I desire to call the attention of the
Indiana readers of The Commoner to
the activities of Governor Goodrich'
m regard to these great reform
measures. I am sure'lt-'ia ekririfnliv
conceded that the governor himself
wielded a wonderful influence in be
half of these great reforms.' It is
also conceded that he accepted with
great honor the privilege of signing
all three of these great reform meas
ures. Goyernor Goodrich has taken
.the side of the common people in
many instances during the session of
the legislature, His fight for an ex
cise tax law and the bracing the
burden of taxation on those who a
able to bear it is indeed commend
able, and yet the general impression
is that his efforts will fail because
the system or the big business inter
ests in both the democratic and re
publican party are opposed to the
legislation that he has recommended.
The governor appreciated very highly
the appeal made by Mr. Bryan, in his
address before thexIndiana senate in
January in behalf of the governor's
economic program, and it is quite re
gretable .that the democratic mem
bers of the' senate have not voted for
more of the governor's recommenda?
tions.
VOI- 17, NO. 3
The dry democracy of Indiana N
well organized for the selection l,
delegates to the constitutiona con'
vontion. They are not golne utT
partisans to fight for democra Vj
are going- to join with tho nrmrrio
sive citizenship of Indiana in S
ing men capable of rewriting i,"
diana's organic law.
The Indiana Forum, the demn
cratlc state organ that was Rtnr?t"
in October, 1915, under CmawE
ment of Horace H. Herr for the Jr
pose of fighting for constitutional
convention, statutory prohibition
and woman's suffrage, has had much
to do in advancing the cause of real
democracy, and its splendid editor
Mr. Herr, is rendering a great ser
vice to the state as an advocate of
real democratic reform. All demo
crats iii Indiana who desire party
success along right lines should read
Mr. Herr's splendid paper.
We are glad in Indiana to give
expressions of our appreciation for
the great service rendered to our
stag. by the .great Commoner and It
is gratifying to furnish information
to The Commoner readers of the na
tion of the wonderful work that has
recently been accomplished in our
slulo uy iir. jaryan in his fight
against the liquor traffic.
JAMES K. RISK.
LEAGUE APPROVES GOODRICH
, PROGRAM
From the Indianapolis News.
Tho Wilson and Bryan Leaguo of
Indiana, by its executive committee,
has come out in resolutions approv
ing the efforts of Governor Goodrich
to get economic legislation in tho
abolishment of unnecessary offices
and also indorsing the excise tax
measure proposed by the governor.
The league goes on record in favor
of the part suffrage bill for women.
commends the general assembly for
the enactment of the state-wide pro
hibition law and for its action in call
ing" for a constitutional convention.
The league opposes repeal of the
primary law, but believes, if changes
are made, that these slibuld he to
extend the principle.
The Wilson and Bryan league, a
democratic organization was formed
three years ago in a state-wide meet
ing at Marion, Ind., and since that
time it has always put in its best ef
forts for meritorious legislation and
has stood for progressive ideas in
party management. The league was
organized principally for the purposo
of getting a constitutional convention
and to bring about the enactment of
a state-wide primary law. The state
wide primary law was enacted two
years ago and the act calling for a
constitutional convention passed on
favorably by the present legislature
only a few days ago completed the
second half of the task outlined by
the league.
The league was militant two years
ago in bringing about the enactment
of the primary, law, and it was
through the activities of the league
that pressure was brought to bear on
some of the members of the session
two years ago. It was also througn
the work of the league that the at
tention of Indiana democrats i in
Washington was called to the efforts
that were being made to defeat tue
primary measure. fV
While the league is a AemoonM
organization, its officers say that i
believes in promoting f ood JK Jf
tion, no matter, what the origin o
such proposed legislation may o
The indorsement by the league of tM
efforts of Governor Goodrich, a
.though .he is a republican, is not un
usual tho league officers say.
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