Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 72, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 February 1909 — EXTREMISTS GET SETBACK [ARTICLE]

EXTREMISTS GET SETBACK

Democrats In Legislature Reseat Dictation. TO PURSUE EVEN COURSE Though Threatened by the Extrem* lata on Both Sides of the Liquor Question, the House Majority In the General Assembly Does Not Feel Bound to Accept Dictation From Either Side, and Will Observe a Middle Course Which Promises to Lead to a Measure Advocating Some Real Temperance Regulation. , Indianapolis, Feb. 9, —This week will probably see some definite action on the liquor question. The antagonistic atttitude of the two big parties as to the unit to which the lioense laws shall apply was marked by their platforms and emphasized during the campaign. If it had not been for the interference of the special session of the legislature there could now be no cause for a difference of opinion among Democratic legislators as to what they should do. But the action of the special session, as some view it, confused the situation, though it could not possibly change the underlying principle for which the Democratic party stands and for which it has stood throughout its hundred years of history. And now, although the Democrats control only one branch of the legislature, an effort is being made to hold them responsible for everything that is done or not done on the liquor question at the present session. They are being threatened by the extremists on both sides—the radical temperance-people and the radical liquor people—the ones who would bind all others to the stake of their own opinions. As neither of these elements has ever done anything to help the Democratic party they are in no position to dictate its policies and they will not, it is said, be allowed to dictate its legislation. It is the intention of the Democratic members of the legislature to offer a substitute for the county option law which will be a real temperance regulation. It will preserve the principle of local option and allow liquor to be retailed under license only in localities where the people vote for it, and then under limitations and restriction that will reduce the evils of the traffic to the minimum. Blind tigers, dives, doggeries, deadfalls, cross-roads hell-hcles, road houses, barrel-house poison shops, and such like inventions of the morally degenerate must go. They must not only go but they must keep gone. The Democratst believe that the bill they will offer will clear the atmosphere and receive the approval of a large majority of ail citizens of the state who are not either downright Prohibitionists or congenital outlaws. In the Democratic proposal the county unit Is to be set aside and a smaller unit Is to be substituted. The license fees are to be high and the number of retail places that may be established will be limited. Saloons can only be opened in localities where they can be constantly supervised by the authorities. They must be owned by the men who actually operate them. And they must be run exactly in conformity with the law. A violation of the law works a forfeiture of license, and imprisonment. This bill may not pass. The Republican senate may not indorse it. But as a mere temperance regulation jts superior will not be found anywhere. It is so far ahead of anything ever before proposed in Indiana that it looks as if it ought to satisfy every good citizen who,is not bent on absolute “prohibition. A good many persons believe that there is one other thing that should be done about this matter of liquor regulation, and that is something to guarantee the quality of the goods sold. It is declared that a man who knowingly sells poisonous adulterations to his neighbors should be hanged, drawn and quartered or otherwise summarily dealt with. The proposition Is thus extremely stated merely in an lllustrative way. Half of the evils which it is claimed the liquor traffic produces can fee traced, Jt is .said, to adul-

terants used by conscienceless dealers in extending their stock. The practice is old, but it has grown so steadily worse in the last generation that it has become a public menace. One of these days a proper remedy will be found and applied. Perhaps the best remedy*is to grant licenses only to men who can he trusted to handle no articles that are not certified to be pure. * * * Representatives of the school book and supply trust have been camped in Indianapolis since the beginning of the session. And occasionally a new one shows up. The other day a letter was .received by a prominent Indiana Democrat from a member of the Democratic state organization in Ohio containing a warning against the ativlties of the book trust. Agents of the trust have been hard at work in Columbus, where the Buckeye legislature is in session, and some of the smoothest of these men have moved over to Indi* anapolis to astflst those already' on the ground in picking up what they can in our legislature. There is a growing suspicion that at least a part of the bills nov pending relating to changes In the school book 'jla!ws are not as Innocent as they seem. When the Democrats back in 1893 passed the law which guaranteed good books at reasonable prices and prevented frequent changes, it was acknowledged that they had done a wise and popular thing. But the school book combination never liked that law and has constantly sought Its overthrow. Changes for the worse have been made In it through the deit manipulation of the trust until its original features can hardly be recognized. The book and supply people have benefited by all of these changes, and now they would like to have the bars thrown down completely. They want to go back to the “good old flays,” and some of the hills now pending would be, it is declared, a long step in that direction.. It is admitted that school book legislation Is needed, but it should be of a kind to benefit overtaxed parents instead of increasingthe power of the trust to levy additional tribute on them. • * • Although the fact that the state is having a hard time to figure out how it can meet obligations already incurred has been proclaimed from the house tops and the church steeples there are several interesting groupa of citizens here who are trying to add to its difficulties. Several old claims have bobbed up as serenely as if they had never been knocked out before. The state is also being asked, though the legislature, to assume the benefits and damages of some educational and elemosenary institutions which have not proved to be profitable under private control. There is a pressure also in some quarters to secure the creation of a few more boards and commissions to license, certify and regulate divers and sundry occupations, persons and things. Likewise there are efforts to abolish some of these boards and commissions If the members of the legislature should assent to all the beautiful plans to dispose of the state’s cash chat are presented to them the state debt question would again become a very “live wire.” But they won’t. They don’t dare to. Jn the first place they know better, the Democrats, at least, and in the second place certain promises and pledges made to the people stand in the way. The Republican leader in the house has introduced a bill to increase the tax levy for the special use and behalf of certain of the state’s educational institutions, but It is not likely that the Democratic majority will agree to the boosting of any tax levy at this session. * * • The resolution offered the other day by the Democrats of the house for the investigation of the clerical and financial needs of the state offices will be acceptod. It is understood by the Republicans of the senate. This investigation should prove to be one of the really interesting events of the session and the result of it will be seen in the appropriation bill when it is reported in the house. There is a general opinion that there ought to be more light cn all public transactions, To this end, during the present week, two or three bills will be introduced providing for a more complete publication in local newspapers of the business transactions. These bills have been prepared In aid of various proposed reforms in the management of puhlic business. On the theory that publicity is the surest preventive of official Incompetency and rascality the official incompetency and tascabity the passage of such measures as those proposed will hardly be difficult. * • * It the representatives of some of the patriotic societies can bring it about, the “Star Spangled Banner” will not only be printed in full in all song books used in the public schools but it will be sung as Frances Scott Key wrote it while watching the fireworks at Fort Henry. The charge is made that some school book publishers have been in the habit of omitting the stanza that bears hardest on John Bull, out of a spirit of comity or general amnesty or something of the sort. The legislature is asked to make this omission impossible in song books used in this state. • * * It develops that there has been a deep-seated epneern for many years over the prevalence of “foul brood” or "black brood” among bees, but it Is only now that a negligent commonwealth has thought to do belated justice to these numerous toilers. While the house was in committee of the whole on the sanitary condition of things in general the other day, it took

steps to uplift the health of the bee. The state entomologist is to be given authority to supervise all apiaries and to take such steps as may be necessary to prevent the spread of disease among the bees. Any beekeeper who interferes with the beneficent activities of the official bee doctor will do so at his peril, as such Interference is declared to be a misdemeanor calling for the infliction of severe pains and penalties, The act puts 81,200 a year In the hand 3 of the entomologist for Hhe pay of such assistant bee doctors and hospital nurses as he may need. • • *

The McGinnis bill to prevent the pollution of the streams of the state toy persons, corporations or cities is on its way toward passage, It gives the state board of health rather broad authority, but as appeals may be taken from the board’s orders, it seems that the rights of all persons concerned are fully protected.

MILLARD F. COX