Jasper County Democrat, Volume 23, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 July 1920 — CAUCUS RULE FORCED ON G. O. P. [ARTICLE]

CAUCUS RULE FORCED ON G. O. P.

Machine Refuses to Allow Solons to Debate Important Questions in Public Hearing. Indianapolis, July 22. —Legislation caucus with a weather eye out for the party’s chances in November seems to be the accepted practice of the Republican machine in the special legislative session. From the time the g. o. p. state candidates O. K.’d Gov. Goodrich’s program until the present the majority members of both houses have been carefully held in check and few important measures have been allowed to come up for discussion on the floor. Everything has been done in caucus. There the friends of the administration, including the emissaries of Senator Watson and Warren T. McCray, the gubernatorial nominee, have been enabled to enforce their demands. The tangled tax situation has been the chief subject of discussion, and while the legislators are by no means in accord on the .matter, the administration forces have allowed them little discretion. Reports from the many caucuses held afe to the effect that the chief subject discussed was how to approach the voters in such a way as to insure success in November and not how to best remedy the taxation evil. The following record shows the readiness with which the Republicans lapsed into caucuses: Monday, July 13—Republicans caucus on administration “rubber stamp” program. Thursday—Two house caucuses on Tuthill bill legalizing the horizontal increases held invalid by the state supreme court. Friday—House again caucuses on Tuthill bill. Administration forces reinforced by the supporters of Watson and McCray force agreement and measure is passed by house by a vote of 63 to 30. Speaker Eschbach applies gag rule, giving each member only one minute to discuss bill in public. Senate holds three caucuses on legalization measure, final one lasting until after midnight. U. S. Lesh, Republican candidate for attorneygeneral, who was supported by the Watson forces in the primary, appeals for the enactment of the Tuthill measure. Senate names caucus committee to harmonize various suggestions into new bill. Saturday—House and senate both caucus on memorial bills. Sunday—Senate caucus committee considers Tuthill measure. Announces it favors compromies for the sake of political expediency. Monday —Senate caucus again considers -taxation bills. Tuesday—Senate caucus brings forth Kiper bill, which would “validate” the horizontal increases made by the state board of tax commissioners. Little different from Tuthill measure; Wednesday—Senate again caucuses on Kiper bill. Favor Bond Exemption

It has become known that McCray and Watson are bringing all the pressure they can exert in favor of the enactment of the Johnson bill, which would exempt the bondholders of the Indianapolis reduction plant from taxation. The fact that Gov. Goodrich, Senator Miles J. Furniss and Jet Moorman were stockholders in the Indianapolis reduction plant when it was sold to the city of Indianapolis in return for $170,000 in sanitary district bonds was exposed last week. Moorman had testified prior to the sale that the plant was not worth more than SIO,OOO. The minority report of the ways and means committee favoring passage of the bill was adopted by the house and immediately afterward the newspapers exposed the deal by which the administration financiers would be exempted from taxation. The bill then mysteriously disappeared and was missing until Tuesday, when Fred B. Robinson, one ot McCray’s managers, had the senate appoint a committee of three to inquire of the house relative to the missing measure. On going to the house the committee found the bill lying on the clerk’s desk. It is the common belief that following the expose one of the administration leaders pocketed it until the storm had blown over. The insistence of the McCray manager that the bill be brought out, however, has stirred the ire of many legislators who are opposed to passing special financial legislation for the benefit of Governor Goodrich and his friends. ’ '