Jasper County Democrat, Volume 13, Number 85, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 February 1911 — SALOON TAKEN OUT OF POLITICS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

SALOON TAKEN OUT OF POLITICS

This Is the Effect of Present Liquor Legislation. OPTION QUESTION SETTLED Local Government, the Theory of True Democracy, Prevails, the General Assembly Having Justified the Faith •f the Silent Voter —Even Republicans Confess They Are Glad to See the Hanly Law Put Out of Business. Indianapolis special: The Democratic party, in full charge of the general assembly, is about to accomplish what It has been held for years could not be done by any party in the state take the liquor question out of politics In spite of all the denunciation which comes from doing away with the county as the option unit, and in- spite of

all the derogatory statements which have come from the effort to obtain a proper liquor regulatory measure, which is now well under way, the faot stands out prominently that before this week closes It will see the saloon more nearly out of politics In Indiana than it has ever been since the general assembly sought to restrict the business through regulatory laws. A Republican Confession. Despite the show of protest made when the bill for doing away with county option was up, a majority of the Republicans who are here, either in the assembly or for other purposes, confess that they are more pleased to see the Hanly law put out of business than they would have been to see it continued. Of course protests are coming in, and threats of party annihilation for the Democrats in 1912, but the wise politicians know that it is not the protestor who controls things in party affairs, but the silent voters, who have twice silently and at the polls repudiated the Hanly measure. With the smaller option now the law, both Democrats and Republicans believe that the option question has been settled, except for what agitation the few remaining adherents of the AntiSaloon League may keep up, with the little that the state-wide prohibition element adds to the agitation. The legislature has not created additional saloons, nor has it taken from the people the right to say that they shall not have the licensed saloon unless they want it. The Democratic theory that every community ought to say what its residents should er should not do has prevailed in the option measure, and thus far the people themselves have not sounded any outcry against the new law, which went on the statute list last Friday by the affixing of the governor’s signature.

Surmounted Difficult Obstacle. As the Proctor regulation measure has been prepared for passage in the senate, it provides that county councils shall have no power over the fixing of city licenses. In this the Democrats have surmounted one of the most difficult obstacles to liquor regulation. In the past, city councilmanic campaigns have had the saloon keeper and the liquor interests to deal with very largely because the councils had the power either to raise or lower the city liquor license. In a city like Indianapolis, for instance, where there are more than 7QO saloons, an assessment of SIOO for councilmanic purposes would mean a fund of $70,0Q0 for the campaign, and it could readily be seen by the saloon keepers that it was better to pay such an assessment than to have thfe city license fee increased |3OO or more by the council. In amending the bill, the majority fought hard for the provision, which would take the license fixing power from the councils, and won out. The result has. been particularly gratifying to the Democratic leaders, who are in earnest about getting some sort of saloon regulation, and to the Republicans.

who are sick and tired of the entire liquor question, bobbing up every two years. The licenses, according to the bill, are still to be granted by county commissioners. but the measure places such restrictions about the Issuance of the licenses, and about the licenses when issued that the leaders believe that politics will not be able to influence the commissioners to any considerable extent. The majority is very much In earnest about giving the state a proper regulatory measure, and in this it is being Joined by a number from the minority, who look at the situation as one offering an opportunity to set the liquor question at rest for years to come. Of course there are some radicals on each side who are opposing the measure, some from sentimentality and some because it will rob them of certain political possibilities back home, but these are in no position to defeat the ultimate passage of a wellframed measure, such as now appear* to be about to come from the senate. Progress of Platform Measures. So great has been the Interest tn ths liquor legislation during the past week that little else has been accomplished except to prepare the way for action on the platform measures this week. , Suchir.casws ss are scheduled for immediate action are the child labor bill, the workmen’s compensation bill, the employers* liability bill, various bills regulating labor, etc. The weekly wage bill has passed the hotise and is ready for the senate. Various bills pertaining to the actions of the state board of health have also passed on that side, and no difficulty is expected for them when they reach the senate The appropriation bills, embodying the doctrines of economy advocated by the Democrats in their platform and campaign speeches have been introduced, and if passed as introduced, which they bld fair to do, will place the state in excellent financial condition two years hence. ’ Much building on the part of state Institutions will be impossible under the terms of the measures, and only buildings which are absolutely necessary (with the possible exception of a residence for the superintendent of the state school for the deaf) will be provided for. After conference with the committees in charge, the beads of the state institutions have withdrawn their requests for large appropriations and will not seek by lobbying to have any additions to the measure. The majority in the bouse has given / the sign to the lobbyists pulling for the salary grabbers that they might as well pack their grips and leave for home. There is lo be no salary boosting by this general assembly, it has been given out, except in two or three minor Instances, and there is to be no increases of fees in the offices where the fee system prevails. By the adoption of a concurrent resolution by the house, that body went on record as wishing to put off the question.of fees and salaries for two years, and in the meantime to have the state board of accounts collect the data on which there may be based in 1913 an intelligent revision of the fee and salary statutes of the state. There are more than forty bills in the house to increase or add salaries or fees, and all are scheduled to be killed by the fees and salaries' committee this week, in view of the language of the resolution adopted. The majority leaders have explained that they are not opposed to granting salary increases where the officials ought to have more money, but declare that they have not now sufficient data on which to base any intelligent measure concerning such increases.

Editers Express Approval.

Democratic editors who were guests of the house and senate for a short time one day last week, assured the majorities that they were with them tn the reforms started thus far, and that they would uphold them in the things the majority has attempted. It was not mere sentiment that prompted the editors to make the assurances they made, but they had had time to look over the situation carefully, and were convinced that the house and senate were making honest efforts to carry out the party platforms, and that the Democratic campaign pledges were in excellent bands. The economy plan advocated by the majorities in the expense of the general assembly itself is being admirably carried out. The cost of printing and supplies thus far is approximately onefourth what it was at this time two years ago, and it is predicted by those in charge of the fund that less than; half as much will have been spent when the business is closed up as was spent in 1909. No knives, fountain pens, postage stamps, etc., etc., are being give.n away, and even the clerks who wish fountain pens instead of the old-style pen and inkwell, are compelled to. buy them themselves! , Not only did the assembly get through the first half of ,the session, which closed Friday evening, with less printing expense than two years ago, but the pay-roll has been cut by more than one-third what it was two years ago. Not only has the number of employes been reduced, but the compen-

sation was cut also, where it was not fixed by law. There is every cause to believe that the majority will have cause to point with pride to the financial showing it will have made when the session closes The reapportionment of the state for congressional purposes will probably be taken up this week, according to Senator Carleton and Representative Lieb, chairmen of the committees having that in charge. It is now established that the state will have hereafter only twelve congressmen instead of thirteen, and the First (or Evansville) district bids fair to be the one to be crowded out of existence Congressman Boehne of that district has signified his willingness to be crowded out of congress, and will probably be taken at his word. This will mean that the First district, normally Republican, will be closed in on and the “pocket” made Democratic.

CONGRESSMAN BOEHNE