USA > Indiana > Marion County > Indianapolis > Indiana in the War; an address by Hon. E.C. Toner, delivered Oct. 25, 1918 at the Lincoln Hotel, Indianapolis, Ind > Part 3
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Indiana, under a Republican Governor, was first to or- ganize for increased fuel production and conservation.
Indiana, under a Republican Governor, was first among the States to organize for the registration of men under the War Department's first draft call.
Indiana, under a Republican Governor, was first to start the systematic organization of conscripted men, not only for military training at home before leaving for the camps, but for patriotic activities and practical service back of the lines. Men in deferred classifications under the War Department's draft, are organized under the Indiana idea as a part of the great defense organization which carries Liberty Loan and other war drives "over the top" with such celerity and en- thusiasm.
Indiana, under a Republican Governor, has led all the way in the enlistment for war work of the youth of the State under the flag of the United States Boys' Working Reserve. Regard- less of population, no State has equalled Indiana in actual numbers of high school boys and youths enlisted to labor in the harvest fields, in the woodlots and elsewhere as helpers in the great task of supplying man-power to take the places of men gone to the colors.
Indiana, under a Republican Governor, was first to or- ganize the women speakers for duty in the great propaganda campaign of Americanism. It was an Indiana woman who worked out the plan of "Fourteen-Minute Speakers" chosen from among the women leaders, and it was Indiana that stood ready when the national call went out for 1,000 women speak- ers-ready with Indiana's quota of effective women orators. trained in advance of the call and prepared to voice the Amer- ican idea in other States as well as in Indiana.
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Indiana, under a Republican Governor, was first to or- ganize the War Mothers for war work in co-ordination with the defense organization. This Indiana idea has spread the country over.
Indiana, under a Republican Governor, was first among the States to organize patriotic propaganda on a systematic and effective basis, forestalling and defeating in advance the sys- tematic pro-German propaganda which so afflicted and embar- rassed many of the States early in the war.
Indiana, under a Republican Governor, was first among the States to organize the sedentary militia of Liberty Guards for war work. They are not only protecting property but they are carrying to the homes of all the people the American idea.
Indiana, under a Republican Governor, was first to take in hand, through the State militia and the Liberty Guards, the preliminary training and drilling of selective enlistment men who were awaiting the call to the colors. The important In- diana activity serves the practical purpose of preparing new soldiers in a fundamental way, thus shortening the camp training period and hastening the time of active service.
Indiana, under a Republican Governor, was among the first to establish vocational schools in connection with public schools and universities, for soldiers, limited service men, and special service men of all kinds. The short course in me- chanics was an Indiana idea and it has been adopted as the nation's policy.
Indiana, under a Republican Governor, has oversubscribed the three Liberty Loans and has now oversubscribed the fourth. Prior to the fourth loan the people had absorbed more than $207,000.000 of war bonds, along with more than $50,000,000 of war savings stamps. At the same time, the State gave $2,097,000, or more than double its quota, to the American Red Cross, and showed itself first in proportion to population in Red Cross membership, a total of 736,384, or more than twenty-six per cent of the population joining that organization.
The cost of State administration during this war period of abnormally high prices should appeal to every citizen and tax-
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payer of Indiana. The cost is reflected by the cash balance on hands in all funds on September 30, 1916 and September 30, 1918. Two years ago the cash balances in all funds amounted to $2,149,756.44. This year the cash balance amounted to $3,700,161.30. In addition to all the cash balances on Septem- ber 30, 1918, the State had in storage about $600,000 worth of binder twine manufactured at the State prison. The signifi- cance of these figures is further apparent when it is remem- bered that the last General Assembly reduced the State tax rate 121/2 per cent. All this evidences the business ability of Governor Goodrich and his careful attention to the details of . economical State government.
REPUBLICAN PARTY A WAR PARTY.
I have made this address rather long-too long. It has been my desire, however, to indicate the extraordinary posi- tion Indiana has earned among the sisterhood of States, and I felt the need of going into considerable detail, so that my contention could be pressed with facts and figures that the truth might be proved.
We are proud of our commonwealth and, as another chapter is written in her history, we recall the days of our Civil War and we are pleased and thrilled with the thought that the patriotism, the courage and the willingness to work and to sacrifice in those days was a heritage that did not fall · to ungrateful or unfeeling folk, but has come forth anew in the second and third generations to the support of our flag and to the protection of our republic.
We people who are gathered here are largely members of the party of Lincoln and Morton. The fathers and grand- fathers of many of us were followers of these two great lead- ers when this country of ours was breaking the shackles of slavery and cementing a union for a lasting service to civiliza- tion.
Some months ago I stood on the quay at Bordeaux, France, and saw a thousand colored men in khaki march down the boards and line up under the direction of their officers. They were arriving in France for service of their country in this world war for humanity.
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It came to my mind then that a half century and more ago the white race of the north waged a four years' war to free the negro from the bondage of slavery, and here was an evidence of the reward. These colored men of the south were landing in France to aid in freeing the white race of the world of an attempted domination that would be almost the equal of slavery.
The Republican party is in control in Indiana. I have re- ferred to Governor Goodrich frequently, but let us know that every State official has staunchly and efficiently supported him in all his labors. Together they have given the State an ad- ministration of which she can well be proud. They were severely handicapped in legislation due to a Senate that was controlled by the opposite party and that refused to co-operate even in measures that were urgently needed for the State's welfare and the State's progress. It is not my mission to speak of this. It is my mission to speak of the great war work of this patriotic and efficient administration.
Through the agency of this administration and under its inspiring and helpful influence, Indiana has attained to its present high position.
My plea is that in the election next month the voters of Indiana bear this in mind. Among other things let us give Governor Goodrich a legislature that will co-operate with him, that will support him.
The Republican party in a national sense, has always led in patriotic activity and in constructive progress. This was so in the Civil war. It was so in the reconstruction period. It was so in the Spanish-American war.
We folk, gathered here tonight, are proud of the record of the Republican party. We can't be prouder of that record than of the record it is making in this war.
In other periods, the Republican party was the party in power. It formulated the policies of government and it exe- cuted them. It was met at every turn with obstinate and dis- heartening opposition, but it prevailed, and its record through those periods is not only the glory of the party but the glory of our Nation.
In these days of our country's stress and peril, the Repub-
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lican party has risen to even new heights of patriotism, of de- votion and of service.
The Republican party is not the party in power. It is the party out of power. It is not the Republican party's part to formulate or execute the policies of national government ; it is its part to support those policies.
This war has tested the Republican party anew. I submit, in reaction to this test that, in the history of nations, no minority party has ever conducted itself with such patriotism, such devotion, such unselfishness and such propriety as have marked the course of the Republican party during this war.
And so tonight we have more reason that ever before for our pride in the Republican party and for our assurance that it is the best possible agency of our people for our nation's progress and prosperity.
Through it all, every function of government must register and express the opinions of the people governed. A republic to be stable, must be free. Our ballot must be kept sacred and suffrage should be expanded. The women of America ought to have the same rights as men.
American ideals in this world war have pointed the way to a world peace.
American ideals in peace should lead the world to a better day, to a realization that government, wherever administered, is the servant and not the master of the people.
The new period coming will try the courage and the re- sourcefulness of our people.
· I believe the Republican party can best be trusted in these critical times; that it can best be trusted in arranging the terms of peace, and I believe the Republican party is neces- sary to the reconstruction period that will follow.
The Republican party has proved itself in Indiana. It has supported the war with the full volume of its power. It has answered "aye" to every patriotic call. It has lived up to the ideals and labors of Morton. We would honor tonight the grand old party-the party of Morton and the party of Good- rich-but the honor is ours; its record of achievements in this war has been a fitting chapter in its glorious history and ob- ligates anew our fealty and support.
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The party that has so conducted itself in Indiana has in like manner established itself throughout the Union. It is the one party in the nation that can best accomplish the work of Lincoln, Grant and Roosevelt.
While we are making the "world safe for democracy" we want to make "democracy" safe at home.
The war over, there will be a thousand readjustments nec- essary. That period will try the courage and the resourceful- ness of our people.
America will emerge with the satisfaction that through her efforts a world has been made free. She will emerge with a place at the head of the nations of the world. She will emerge, however, tremendously in debt and with the knowl- edge that her governmental as well as her economic fabric has been wrenched by war and that a long period of reconstruction and rehabilitation is before her.
We will have to absorb into our economic life the millions of our boys as they return from our cantonments and from the fields of France where they have wrought and sacrificed for their country's flag.
We will have to provide for the gradual liquidation of our unprecedented debt. There will have to be an increasing and expanding efficiency in governmental functions. Our govern- ment must aid and develop our industry and commerce. It must not shackle and obstruct them. We must control our markets at home and must reach out an hundred ways, along unblazed paths, to develop markets abroad.
American industry has been mobilized for purposes of war. It must gradually be turned about face and made to supply the demands of peace.
Under the new conditions, extravagance must be elim- inated and in government especially there must be no lost mo- tion. Taxation, national and state, should be kept as low as the strictest economy will permit. Its burdens will be heavy at best and they must be distributed equitably on the basis of benefits received and ability to pay.
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"There has been no wobbling in Indiana. With keen vision, Governor Goodrich saw the march of future events-marked with precision the State's course in the war and piloted her activities with a firm and vigor- ous hand without procrastination, without wavering, but with determined energy that Indiana should be true to her traditions. He did not wait for the development of a war spirit to move him. He did not wait for public sentiment to impel executive action. He did not wait for a popular de- mand for preparedness. Among the first in the land, he saw the war demands of future days and prepared while others talked. By an aggressive initiative he moulded public sentiment and led the peo- ple of Indiana into the vanguard of effective patriotism and practical preparedness."
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