Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 December 1896 — LEGISLATIVE GOSSIP. [ARTICLE]

LEGISLATIVE GOSSIP.

SUBJECTS THAT WILL COME UP THIS SESSION. Ballot Law Will Receive Early Atten J tion—Liquor Legislation Will Also* Be Prominent—Effort to Abolish: reaching German in Public School*! Work for Hooaier Solons. Indianapolis correspondence So far as is known, no new laws are) to be proposed in the coming session, but: there are many important amendment* to existing ones suggested, and some of these amendments are likely to be bitterly opposed. Chief among these are the proposed 4 , amendments to the Australian ballot law.i One of these will seek to prevent fusion; of parties in the way it was accomplished' between the free silver wing of the Demo-1 crats and the Populists in the recentl campaign. A second amendment will seek to do away with the rubber stamp and ink and substitute in its stead a pencil, to be furnished by the election officers. Still another will provide that) each of the parties having tickets to be: voted for may appoint one or more of itsmembers to watch the count of the vote, a privilege that only the two dominant! parties now enjoy. The change from the! rubber stump to the pencil is on the scored as convenience and economy of votes, forj the law is so strict regarding distinguishing marks on the ballot that many votes have been lost because the careles* voter smeared or blotted the ballot through the careless use of the stamp,; especially as the ink stained other part*' of the ballot when folded. A fourth. 1 amendment will provide for indicating *i vote for a straight ticket by placing &i cross in the square nt its head, with exceptions to be noted by crosses oppositethe names of candidates on other tickets. Recent experience of shareholders in! building nnd loan associations has dem-t onstrated that the law incorporating and'

protecting these institutions needs radical amendment, and one of the first duties to which the Legislature addressee Itself will bo to reform the abuses which* are everywhere present in the system. Within the past few weeks these abuses* have come to the attention of the public in a way that they never have before, and! there is a general demand that the expense fund, the great source of profit to the incorporators and of loss to the shareholders, shall go. The last Legislature wrestled with this feature, but succeeded' in accomplishing nothing, ns the lobby, which the associations Invoked in their aid proved stronger than the claims of 1 the shareholders. The Governor, however, was authorized to appoint a com-, mission to investigate itnd report on some fbasible plan of reform, nnd this has been) done nnd its report will l>e submitted as soon as the session opens. Among the laws passed by the last Leg- 4 islature was one permitting special verdicts to be returned in all cases where tho, suits were to recover damages. .This will no doubt be repealed nt the coming session, jib It hns proved extremely burdensome to persons who Imve sustained injuri<>s and sue for damages. It is said by competent attorneys, some of whomwere In the Legislature and voted for thelow, that it has proved the most unjust measure in its practical operations that was ever enacted in Indiana. It seoma to have passed through all the stages of legislation without awakening a thought' of its hidden sting, and those who voted* for it two years ago are now anxious to vote again on its repeal. Corporation* have profited by it nnd that class will no, doubt attempt to perpetuate it, but the dhp'ussion it hns evoked and the abuse* that have arisen under it insure its repeal. It appears to belong to that, claa* of hasty aud ill-considered legislation! which is enacted by one body only to ba repealed by another. Considerable interest Is being map!- 4 tested by both the liquor and the temperance element in regard to certain proposed amendments to the Nicholson temperance law. The Liquor League has d<9-, termined to ask it* friends in the Legislature to relieve the saloon element from' some of the most burdensome features of. the measure, while many of the temperance people believe more safeguards still should be thrown around the liquor traf- 4 fie, Tho local option feature, which enables residents of a word or voting pre- 1 ' cinct to prevent the sale of intoxicant* in that locality if a majority sign a petl- 4 tiou asking that licenses be not is tho most feature to the saloon element and one that it desires re-: pealed. On the o-ther hand, the advocate* of the law sav that this feature should bo perfected by changing the signing of petitions to the opening of i>oll* in place* Where It is desired to test the sentiment of the voters and allow the majority so voting to control the issuance of licenses. The reason for this change lies in the fact that so many, after having signed a petl- 4 tion against an applicant for license, withdraw their names, a thing that would not! occbr under a voting system. Again, it is urged that many who refuse to sign such petitions would vote against li- 4 censes if they could do so under such *| protection as the Australian ballot sy*- 1 tern affords. E. B. Reynolds, member-elect from Wayne County, will introduce, It is understood, an amendment to the common school law to do away with the teaching; of German in the public schools. Thi* measure will occasion a good deal of discussion, and as there is a large German constituency in Indiana it is hardly probable that either party will take the responsibility of fathering such a measure. From time to time within the last few: years there have been efforts to do away with this branch of study in the city schools, but the sentiment in its favor, when the question came up for arbitrament by the people, has generally been pronounced aud the language is being taught in all the city schools in the State. It is probable that a law against trusts, combines and monopolies will be enacted, and if this expectation is realized it wilt be in the shape of original legslation in Indiana. Some of the more prominent members-electxfeel that some law of this kind should be passed and one Senator particularly is at work upon it. The coming Legislature will also attempt an apportionment law, this being the sixth year since the State was legally redistricted for Legislative purposes.