Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 September 1908 — TEMPERANCE HOPE IS IN COUNTY OPTION [ARTICLE]

TEMPERANCE HOPE IS IN COUNTY OPTION

The Cox Bill is to Have the Support of Almost All Republican Legislators and Should Pass. 1

Indianapolis, Ind., Sept. 23. —The county loeal option battle opened in the Senate at 10 o’clock this morn* Lag, the measure having been declared a special order of business at that hour Just prior to adjournment yesterday afternoon. On one side will be marshaled the strong Republican . forces under Senate generals L. A. Cox, Every A. Mock, Fremont Goodwills, T. T. Moore and W. A. Kittinger. On the other will be the small Democratic army under the generalship of Senator Slack. Lieutenants he will have, also, no doubt, but the list has not been made up. This detail will be left until the real firing begins. A fourth recruit joined the Republican “insurgantS" yesterday, when Senator William Gonnermann, Gibson and Posey, made known that his vote will be cast against county local option. Other Republicans who will vote against it are Senator Durre of Vanderburg and Hugg of Indianapolis. Koehne ofJMarlon also against, is absent on sick leave and'is not expected to be present today. The situation in the House of Representatives, in regard to the “Insurgent” forces, remains practically unchanged. Representative Hottel, of • Monroe county, has given assurance that h e will vote for county local option If the bill is placed on its passage. Other Democrats counted for the bill are Representative Pierson, of Owen, and Representative Sicks, of Boone. The list of Republican “recalcitrants” has not varied during the last forty-eight hours. Representatives Schreeder and Geiss, of Vanderburg, Condo, of Grant, and Bowlus and Billingsley, of Marion, are considered against the bill. The passage of the Cox bill, with liberal amendments agreed upon in Republican caucus yesterday afternoon, is certain. The opinion is quite general the measure will be passed today, but as the arguments are not to be limited, it may be Thursday before a vote is taken. It was on motion of Senator C. O. Roemier, of Marlon? county, that the Senate late yesterday afternoon voted to make the local option bill a special order of business this morning. Among the Democrats who were visibly annoyed by the action of the Senate in ipaktng the Cox local option bill a special order of business for this morning was Senator Carl Wood, of Jackson county. Rising in his seat with exceeding dignity Mr. Wood remarked with some sarcasm:

“Might I be permitted to ask, Mr. President, what has' become of the Mattingly blllj” “Further the deponent sayeth not,” remarked the president with a slight chuckle and Senator Wood sank into the luxurious depths of his chair. The Republican senators at a final conference held behind closed doors, immediately after adjournment, determined upon the policy they would -pursue. The bill to be presented this morning is known as Senate Bill No. 648, introduced by Senator Linton A. Cox, of Marion county. It is the bill advocated by the Anti-Saloon League and indorsed by Governor Hanly. The bill, shorn of its objectionable features, principally the section that related to township local option, will be introduced this morning for third reading and will be put on its passage. . The Cox bill was selected by the Republican members of the Senate over the Mattingly bill after several long conferences. They decided it was the bill that would appeal more strongly to all the people of the state. It was known that Governor Hanly favored the Cox bill. He believed that it would be received more favorably by the voters. Members of the Senate, however, declared last night that they did not select this bill because Governor Hanly wanted it. Said one of the members of the conference: r “We selected the bill for two reasons. One was that the senators wanted to pay a compliment to Senator Cox, of Marion county, and the other was that the measure had a powerful organization behind It.” The most radical change made in the Cox bill was in changing the per cent of voters who may petition the commissioners of any county to call a special election for the purpose of declaring a county "dry.” The original bill declared that 200 voters in any county might ask the commlssiners to order an electon of the people to deciide whether the liquor traffic should be carried on in the county. ——— In its amended form the measure save 20 per cent of the voters of any county must ask for a special election. It was the question of the per cent of voters who might act that caused the Republican senators to debate so long over the bill. Some wanted It made 16 per cent and others advocated 26 per cent. Finally a happy medium was struck and the bill was made to read “20 per cent.”