The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-03-09
The Policy OF Each Party.


The members of both political parties
held caucusses yesterday to consider the
policy to be adopted during the special
session. The action OF each caucus showed
plainly where the responsibility for the
break down in legislation lay, if there could
have been any previous doubt upon the
subject. The democrats came to
the conclusion that the special
session was designed simply to
enable the legislature to complete the i'm
portant work which it had left undone, and
not to afford an opportunity to put in forty
more days of tedious debate at the rate OF
eight dollars per day, to the utter weariness
and disgust of the whole state. They therefore
determined TO confine action entirely to the
six great measures, from the consideration of
which the Senate ran away on Saturday
night, namely, the two appropriation bills,
the revenue bill, the temperance bill, the
fee and salary bin, and the per diem bill. a
committee of conference was appointed
caucus and notify that body OF
the policy adopted. In a short time that
committee returned with the following reso-
luton, which had been adopted by the re-
publicans in answer to the overtures for
compromise:
Resolved, That we are not convinced of the
propriety of b nd1ng ourselves in advance, 10
hold ourselves in readiness TO legislate for the
best interests of the state.
1t is very fortunate that both parties are
thus put upon the record. 1t is now more
clear than ever that the majority in the
Senate blocked legislation purposely, in or
der to force the calling of special session.
1t is also plain that the members
of that majority do not intend to
make any haste in the performance
of the public work. They have no
idea of taking up necessary business, trans
acting it-and going home as speedily as pos
sible. Their plan is to consume the forty
days allotted to the session in the discussion
OF every variety of questions, leaving the es-
sential measures to fall still-born at the last
moment, as they did in the regular session
Their zeal for delay and the Gre
alton of public expense is so great
that they have actually adopted a scheme
for trying to waste the first week of the ses
sion in perfecting new organization. 1t is
then their design to effect an adjournment
for eight or ten days to get an opportunity
to prepare new bills with which
to return and swamp the democratic
majority of the House. This is a
curious game to play-what can they WIN at
il? In the first place they will each one of
them win eight dollars day of the peoples
money for period of forty days, so that
To-, n ne m nf
of 1920 in the matter. In the
next place the republicans hope, and
the foolish course of their organ in
this city helps to mislead them on the sub
ject, that every failure to legislate viii
charged upon the democracy, and that the
increased expenses of the state government
made necessary by this special session, will
add to the tax levy which the democracy |
will have to impose and cause the ruin OF
that party's popularity. Thus they will be,
as it were, feeding upon spoil which their en-
emies will have to provide by tax. In one
word the republicans are confessedly trying |
to turn the antagonism between the House
and Senate into partisan advantage. Thus
far they have made miserable failure in |
the attempt, and the caucus resolu-
ton quoted above stamps their course
irrevocably with dishonor. They now
appeal to the state, acknowledging
their purpose to create public expense and
continue public discord. In doing SO they 1
make aserious blunder, and it becomes the
duty OF the democracy, and the House,
which that party controls, to keep their
opponents in the false position in
which they have placed themselves. Let
the organization for the special session be |
completed instantly, and let the considera- }