Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 79, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 March 1909 — ROSE EQUAL TO THE OCCASION [ARTICLE]

ROSE EQUAL TO THE OCCASION

Governor Marshall Proves a Strong Leader.

WAS MIGHTY IN COUNSEL

At Critical Juncture In the Affaire ol the Late Legislature the Governor'! Calm Advice and Firm Stand Proved Him a Very Real Leader of Hie Pan ty and Staunch Defender of the Peo> pie Legislature Adjourne With a Much Better Record Than For a Time Seemed Possible.

Indianapolis, March 9. —The legislature has adjourned and the result 1* not as bad as it might have been. On the contrary, it is a good deal bettei thgn it looked for a time like It would be. A divided legislative responsibility is not conducive to satisfactory action as a rule, and the session just closed furnished no exception. Thera are many persons in the state who think that because the Democrats had a majority on joint ballot in the legislature and could elect a United States senator they could enact laws over the heads of the Republicans Of course this is an error, and it is one that no thoughtful or intelligent person should he guilty of. In the matter of passing bills the twenty-seven Republicans In the senate were just as powerful as the sixty Democrats in the house. There is no joint voting on bills, each house being supreme in its own chain her.

The Democrats had some strong men in both branches of the legislature who were alert all the time to the Interests of the public and to the promises made by their party. But above them all was Governor Mar shall. To him credit is due for much of the good that has been done and for much of the harm that has been prevented. He adhered to his resolo tioji not to invade the province of the legislature, but he did not fail to ex erclse his constitutional right to ad vise it and to veto objectionable bills By his messages calling earnest atten tion to the bad condition of the state's finances and demanding that expenditures be kept within the Governor Marshall undoubtedly saved the state from the necessity for issuing bonds to meet obligations before an other legislature meets. By another message he headed off an increase in the tax levy.

The chief danger point was reached in the general appropriation bill. This bill as reported to the house by the chairman of the Democratic ways and means committee was the joint product of that committee and of the Republican finance committee of the senate. It carried a total of appropria tlons which exceeded the state’s income by more than a half million dollars. The senate finance committee had insisted on big appropriations and the Democrats of the house allowed these to go into their bill in the belief that they could trim them down to proper proportions when the bill was considered. Some trimming was done, but not enough, and the bill went to the senate a documentary monument to the tactical blunder of trusting the Greeks who bore gifts. Then Governor Marshall spoke up. “You will pardon me,” he said, "If I again sharply call your attention to the condition of our state finances. I do it for the reason that I do not choose to be held responsible for the appropriations of this year, and have •It afterward said that the governor did not advise the legislature as to the true condition of affairs.” With these words still ringing in their ears the Republican senators proceeded to add many thousands of dollars to the bill as It came from the house, although they knew from the figures given by the governor that the state would not have enough revenue to meet the appropriations. The appropriations as finally agreed eta in conference by the two houses are not satisfactory, but nothing better could be got under the circumstances. The government will be able to get along without borrowing money, but it can do it only by continuing to use the sinking fund for general expenses and by anticipating its revenues through, the (fid practice of ad*

vances from the county treasurers. It has been stated before and should be repeated, that the Democrats are not responsible for existing financial conditions. These conditions are the culmination of years of faat living on the part of the state under Republican management. Governor Marshall and the Democratic leaders In both house and senate have done what they could to mend matters, hut a politically adverse and obstinate senate has been a practically Insurmountable obstacle. It has worked throughout the session to put the Democrats “In a hole,” and while it did not succeed Id doing that, it did succeed in its efforts to block much good legislation that the Democrats had promised to tnaci if they had the power.

The Republican senate prevented the Democrats from carrying out most of their nlatform pledges. The repeal of the metropolitan police law whereby the appointment of boards ol police commissioners was taken from the governor and given hack to the thirteen cities effected was allowed to go through by the Republicans chiefly because they saw a distinct partisan advantage in the charge. A large ma Jority of the cities concerned have ,Republican officials and they will now have charge of their own police boards instead of having them chosen by a Democratic governor. In continuing their efforts to get the law changed the Democrats as matters now stand made a sacrifice of offices and power hut they were true to their principle of local self government. The house Democrats passed bills fulfilling their platform pledges on tha following subjects: To guarantee bank deposits; to change the metropolitan police law; to pay wages weekly; for general primary elections; for publicity of sampalgn contributions; a coemployes liability bill; for the appointment of the mine inspector by the governor Instead of by the state geologist; to abolish the office of natural gas Inspector. Excepting the police bill none of these got through the senate. They also stood for and passed through the house an Inheritance tax measure, and a bill making for changes in the cities and towns law whereby public expenses are greatly reduced. Among the other things that the Democratic house strongly supported and forced to passage Is the bill providing for a uniform system of public accounts and state Inspection controlled by a board composed of the governor, state auditor and chief examiner, to be appointed by the governor. This has worked well elsewhere, resulting in greater official efficiency and in much saving of money.

Governor Marshall found it necessary to veto several bills that were sent to him for his approval. The senate passed tour or five of these bills over his veto, but the senate’s action did not avail anything because the Democrats of the house refused to make any effort to override the governor. On the contrary, they accepted his vetoes as final, and the result was that when a bill was vetoed it was killed. There was a partial exception. A Sunday baseball bill was vetoed, but * new one in different form was passed. The governor neither signed nor disapproved the latter, but allowed It 4? become a taw without his signature, feeling that the question as to the validity of the law should be settled finally by the courts. Taking it all in all, Governor Marshall comes through the trying ordeal of a first legislative session, in which there was a divided party responsibility, with flying colors. He kept himself all the tme in close touch with what was going on and was ready to act with knowledge and promptness in every emergency. That he has increased his hold upon the public favor is beyond question.

Early In the session the Democrats became satisfied that no ward and township option law as declared for in their platform could get through the Republican senate There were some Democrats, too, who. felt that conditions had changed and that perhaps it would be better to let the people try out the county option law and see how they like It. The Tomlinson bill that was passed by the house carried amendments that were not acceptable to anybody. It was changed in the senate and made into a really radical temperance measure, but as it carried a section repealing the county option law It was defated.

There is much speculation as to what will ‘happen to the liquor business during the next two years. That practically all of the state will be voted “dry” is conceded by the liquor people themselves. A leading representative of the brewery interests gives it as his deliberate judgment that not more than seven of the ninetytwo counties will go wet. No one has made a larger estimate of wet territory. So far Wayne county stands alone among all of the counties that have voted. Most persons think that Marion, Vanderburg, Vigo, Allen and perhaps St. Joseph and Lake will not vote out the saloons. But there’s no telling. The unexpected frequently happens, and while the present ,4 wave" is moving almost anything is likely to occur. So there is a good deal of quiet talk about “storm cellars” and 'lifesaving stations,” whatever they may mean.

The Democratic state candidates who abandoned their contests in the hope that the Republican senate would join with the Democratic house In passing a law making such frauds as were perpetrated in Lake county impossible, made their sacrifice in vain. Early in the session the house passed

and sent over to the senate a pure elections bill. It was much talked about, and was approved and praised by good citizens regardless of party. The Republicans of the senate received the bill, spoke of Its handsome features, patted It affectionately on due back—all in full view of the public. And then the Republicana of the senate took that confiding bill back Into a closet, away from its guardians and the public, and deliberately strangled it to death. Where are its remains? Just as well try to find out who struck Billy Patterson. The Republican politicians In the senate doubtless acted for their party organization. And the Republican organization in Indiana has always opposed election reforms. The peculiar manner of conducting elections in Lake county and In some other counties under Republican control is not to be Interfered with.

MILLARD F. COX.