Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 84, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 January 1917 — LOBBYISTS PRESENT IN GREAT NUMBER [ARTICLE]

LOBBYISTS PRESENT IN GREAT NUMBER

To sete that the special interests will be carefully looked after in the present legis): . are, . lobbyists are present in great number according to the Indianapolis News, which, among other things, says; Those innocent souls who were expecting to see this legislature undisturbed by the allurements and beguilenients of a lobby must be very grievously disappointed. For the lobby is developing, as was shown in the News of yesterday, in very lusty fashion. At the present time the liquor interests hold the center of the stage, and they are exceedingly active, and well-equip-ped with the sinews of War. These men got a surprisingly early start, having controlled the appointment, of most of the committees that will have to deal with: the liquor question, woman suffrage and the constitutional convention. poubtless they will be reinforced by the public service crowd, which is quite as reactionary. The effort of these, men-—as al-ways—-is not to convince the legislators that- a certain course of action is right, and another course wrong, but to prevent any action that is distasteful to the lobby by any means that may come handy. Never was the political game played more boldly. There are rumors of all kinds of influences brought to hear for the; purpose of controlling the action of the legislature. And the question, even thus early in the session, is, not whether we shall or shall not have prohibition, woman suffrage or a constitutional convention, but whether the people shall rule, whether they shall, through their representatives, honestly Say whether they want these

things or not. s And no question can be more important If things go on as they have begun this will be one of the worst lobby-ridden legislatures for many years. It will not be the fault of the people if the line is once agAin. drawn between them and the Interests—for, if. it is drawn, it will not be by the people. This legislaturewill bear at least the usual amount of watching. L certainly is not getting away to a good Sart. We think, it is for the people to say what they want, and not for a' lot of self-constituted and richly endowed guardians to say. what they ought to have.

NOTE THE DIFFERENCE It is gratifying to the people of Indiana to know, that if will be possible for the state to do its full duty by all its institutions and still close the fiscal year 1917 with a state treasury‘balance of between ' $2,0600 0 and $2,500,000, 'says the Indianapolis’Times. < It is this wholesome .’treasury condition which Indiana Democrats proudly turn .over to the incoming Republican administration,? The contrast between 1917 and 1909 is so positive aS to be worth noting. When the Republicans turned over the state government to Democrats in 1909 there was no money in the treasury, there were’ warrants amounting to something like $1 00,000 unpaid, and the republicans unloaded on the Democrats obligations assumed amounting to more than $700,0 00. More than this, the Republicans had lacked the courage to set" the tax levy at a figureadequate to meet the demands and new obligations so. cheerfully taken on, and it was put up to the Democrats to

provide revenues with which- to carfy On new institutions and to - meet Republican " debts . and to replace -funds taken by the republii cans as "advance payments" of taxes. ' y In short, under Republican rule, the ’’state was Targdly "overdrawn,” th a System being to use revenues six months in advance, collecting the money from the counties long before it was due and using one year’s income to pay the bills of the year before. AIL this has been straightened out by the Democrats tinder an adequate tax levy and the state now is in a position to abolish the state debt sinking fund levy altogether, thus reducing the tax levy so as to relieve the people of a $300,000 annual burden at one move. ’ .

. Careful study of .the needs of /he state may reveal a condition under which still further tax levy reductions may be made, as the perennial deficit created by former Republican mismanagement now no longer exists. ' ”W. H- Blodgett, in his. legislative notes in the Indianapolis News, says: , "Kit Sills, Jr., lawyer at Monticello and Republican chairman of -the Tenth district, arrived in town Wednesday evening for the purpose of getting his friend Prices the appointment of warden of the •state prison at Michigan City. Mr. Sills had not been here long until he learned that there is no warden to be appointed. Edward Fogarty, the present warden, has made such a fine record in the management of the institution that Governor Goodrich has asked him to remain. Representative W. L.. Wood's bill prohibit the sale of intoxicating liquors on railroad trains has been unanimously reported favorably for passage by the house committee on public morals. Because of the high cost of paper there will be but 22,000 copies of the 1915 acts of the legislature published this year. This is a decrease of about 5,000 of the number printed two years ago.