Jasper County Democrat, Volume 21, Number 90, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 February 1919 — ATTEMPT TO MEND SPIRIT UNSUCCESSFUL. [ARTICLE]

ATTEMPT TO MEND SPIRIT UNSUCCESSFUL.

By Felix F. Bruner

Indianapolis, fceb. <- Administration centralization measures are Jieing discussed ill the legislature with the expected result. An open split has appeared in the Republican .ranks in the senate and at least seven members of the majority have repudiated their party platfoyms and are voting with the .Democrats on centralization measures designed to take governmental power away from the people and vest it in the office of governor. As the result of this division of ranks the Republican majority in the senate has become too small for comfort and hence many caucuses have been called and many delays have been engineered. From what has leaked out from the numerous caucuses it is evident that the Goodrich faction has not been having much success in making the insurgents see things their way. The objection has arisen to some of the centralization bills because

they seek to make offices, now elective, appointive. It is on this objection that the Republican split is ■based. It Is undoubtedly a fact that the Republican division would be much greater if it were not for the fagt that the amendments must lie voted on by the people before they become effective. For this latter reason the majority members of the legislature thus far have made no attempt to push the bills which make elective offices appointive, for the bills will not he voted on by the people. It : 8 evident that tim G. O. P. members intend to get the resolutions out of the way before they take, up the bills. A caucus on the conservation bill was set once but it was postponed, when the split on the resolutions appeared in order that the resolutions ffiight be put out of the way. Following the first split, consideration of the resolutions was stopped abruptly. Then a caucus was held. Following the caucus it was announced that consideration of the resolutions would be further postponed. As a result it may he taken for granted that the caucus was not successful. It is now generally agreed by both Republicans and Democrats that the tax bill can not he nxaAsed as it stands and some are even predicting that no tax bill will be passed at all. A series of public meetings have been held and with every meeting opposition to the bill has grown stronger. Members of the board of tax commissioners have traveled over the state explaining the bill. Gov. Goodrich himself also has dpne some explaining. . The strange thing about • the matter is that nearly every place where any explaining has been done those hearing-the explanations have passed resolutions opposing the bill. Land owners have refused to see why they should pay four times as much tax as the owners of intangibles. **

The highway commission bill also is a center of controversy. Senator Nejdl of Lake county is leading the Republican opposition to this measure. Everyone is agreed that Indiana desires a system of wellbuilt roads. But it also is contended that the people of Indiana do not want that system made a part of the Goodrich centralization scheme and used as a part of a gigantic political machine. It is contended that the new bill will enable the state to build roads without letting contracts, thus providing means of creating a political machine; that one man will be placed in a position to handle nearly $50,000,000 in road making funds, thus making possible a gigantic graft in the employment of those who will construct the roads, and that the funds collected for automobile licenses are due the counties and not the state alone. -