Jasper County Democrat, Volume 17, Number 87, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 February 1915 — PADLOCKING THE STABLE DOOR TOO LATE. [ARTICLE]

PADLOCKING THE STABLE DOOR TOO LATE.

In speaking of the new anti-lobby law in Indiana, the Cincinnati Enquirer's Indianapolis political correspondent says: # The haste displayed . in the final enactment of the Davis-Van Auken anti-lobbyist bill somehow brings to mind the old. saying regarding pie futility of closing the barn door after the horse has been stolen. While it may be conceded that the legislature acted wisely in following the leadership of Governor Ralston in this matter, yet the fact that the sam? forces could have barred lobbyists' two years ago, tyut did not, is not being denied. In the wild and freaky session of I &13 it was notorious that men who had fattened for years at the public

crib were enriching themselves by trading on their influence as party leaders. Some of them made little effort to conceal their purpose. It would have been an easy matter for the governor or any of the potent factors at the head of the democratic party to have learned what was going on, even if they 'didn’t know about, it. The violation of the ethics that should be observed around the legislative halls became so fragrant that che member denounced it from the floor of the house. Perhaps; there never was such a hurrah period in the history of Indiana general assemblies. It is being said that Governor Ralston has plenty of ground for demanding the passage of a law that would make ini possible the re-en-actment of the scenes and incidents that were such a blot on the record of the 19 1 3 legislature. It is believed that the Davis-Van Auken bill will have a wholesome effect on the earty bosses who have been in the habit of copping o-ut large bunches pl coig at every session of the legislature. As a matter of fact, the corporate interests that have paid but large sums to the political lobbyists have permitted themselves in a mamrity of instances to be bled, for the average so-called political leader never has been able to deliver anywhere near the amount of goods lie promised. However, it is admitted that if the new i aw robs this,class of its oldtime graft and keeps its representatives away from the capitol while the legislature is in session a great °f good will have been accomplished. The only thing that causes wonder is that the governor and his lieutenants didn't have their eyes opened at the beginning of the session of 1913, -If they had pushed through an anti-lobbyist bill, then it is regarded as likely that there would never have been a chance for the fraudulent enactment of the two salary grab measures which ■ caused the party so much embarrassment in the last campaign.. Probably the wallets of the party managers would have been thinner at the end of the session, but the record of the legislature would have been a help instead of a hindrance to the democratic tickets.

There is some doubt whether the Davis-Van Auken bill will work the wonder- anticipated. It does not reach the meddling state officials and their appointees who have “butted into” legislative policies at will for many years. In this connection it is said that the. main reasoij why Stephen B. Fleming of Ft. Wayne, resigned as a member of the senate was because the senate democrats would not >amend the bill so that it would cover the activities of all state hnd public officials, all of their appointees, heads of state institutions and boards of trustees. ■ It is not denied that gome of the persistent lobbyists come from the very class that Senator Fleming wanted included in the bill. During the present session a number of “higher-ups” in the democratic party who_ hold jobs under the Ralston administration have been busy around the legislature protecting themselves. T hey are charged with indulging in threats-where there was a disposition to oppose them. Yet there is nothing in the bill as it stands to reach that class of brethren. Two years ago the most insistent lobbyists around the capitol were those who fairly demanded that the salary of the judges of the .supreme court should be increased to $9,000 a year. The bill, as it stands, would not catch these men, and the only clieck on their operations atpresent is that the party leaders, bjg and little, real-, ize that the,people won’t stand for any more rough wqrk in the salarygrab line;. The new law will reach the professional lobbyists, and it has many of them as sore as boils. Some of these men profess a great deal of ‘Tighteous’’ indignation that they shall be compelled to register the nature of their business, which is an

open book Ho every one around the legislature. They seem to believe that they can bury their heads in the sand, ostrich-like, and keep the people from being wise> to what they are doing.

Representative Coon’s bill to make it optional with each ,<rdunty whether it makes an appropriation for the hire of county agricultural agents was voted down in the lower house Qf- the..legi.s]ature Tuesday after a .long, debate. Under the existing law each county is compelled -to appropriate a certain amount for the extensjon of this work. It was argued that to make the matter optional with county, councilmen would put it in politics. Speakers against the bill pointed out further that the Federal government is each year increasing its appropriation in paying one-half the cost of this work. This year the sum oi SIO,OOO will be given to Indiana by the government to push agricultural extension and in eight years the amount will increase to $1 40,000. On a final vote the bill received forty-one votes to fifty votes against Jt. ' ’ : ' Here is more proposed fool legist lation: As a means of determining the exact route taken by Abraham Lincoln and his father’s family when they emigrated from Indiana to Illinois, a commission is provided for in a bill offered Tuesday by Senator D. Frank Culbertson of Vincennes. It is set forth in the bill that Lincoln and his father’s family went from Gentryville in Spencer county, Indiana, in 1830, and took up residence in Macon county, Illinois. It is set -out. in the bill that tlm legislature of Illinois has named a commission to determine the route taken by Lincoln through that state. The Indiana bill provides for the appointment of a commission of two, to be named by the Governor for that purpose, and SSOO is appropriated for the expense of the commission.