Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 70, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 February 1909 — CAUCUS DECIDES AGAINST OPTION [ARTICLE]

CAUCUS DECIDES AGAINST OPTION

Indiana Democrats Agree Upon Old Excise Laws. NEED REPUBLICAN VOTES

Bome of the Law Makers Refuse to Pledge Themselves to Take Action Toward the Repeal—Conclusion Is Reached by Majority Only After a Protracted Session—Forty-Nine, It Is Reported, Adopted the Compromise Plan. Indianapolis, Feb. 2. —Forty-nine of the Democratic representatives In caucus on the county local option issue, agreed, it is said, to support a bill repealing the county local option law, and substitute the Democratic platform idea of township and ward option carrying with it a high license. Ten members, it is said, refused to be bound by action of the caucus. The compromise plan said to have been adopted by the majority of the members present provides, according to report, the repeal of the local option law, and the substitution of the township and ward local option with a license of from S3OO to SSOO. Representatives Sicks, Clirisney, Clore, Hostetter, Merriman, Madigan, Gottschalk, Moss, Davis and Maish, are said to have refused to be bound by the caucus action. If the forty-nine representatives who are said to have united for the proposed high license and repeal measure vote as expected, two Republican votes will be necessary to pass the bill in the house. Schreeder, Republican, of Evansville, has declared for the repeal of the county local option law, and Hewig of Evansville is also said to favor a more liberal measure than the present law'. Neither declared his position on the substitution of township and ward option. The special election in Marshall county Feb. 11 to choose a successor to tha late Representative Sarbar may cause delay in bringing the issue before the house. Marshall county usually gives a good Democratic majority