The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-01-04

|
fined in one vessel, but they will not mingle.
THE FIFTYTHIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY,
The General Assembly of Indiana meets
to-day. The caucuses last night arranged
| for the officers to be elected and as
the Democrats have a working majority in
both branches there will be no delay in the
organization of either house. The Govern
or's biennial message will probably be deliv-
cred to Joint session this afternoon, and the
| Legislature put into possession of the facts
and recommendations upon which they can
at once proceed to the work before them.
| The constitution of the State limits the regu-
lar session to sixty days, and we think we
can announce decisively that there will be no
extra session this year. Therefore, all the
work to be done must be done within the pc
Rod of sixty days. The Democratic party
has the full responsibility of the Legislature,
and upon it will be cast the entire burden it
was so anxious to assume throughout the last
campaign. Already there are unpleasant in
dications of the spirit in which the legis
lation OF the session will be under
taken, and that it will be character
stcaly Democratic there can be little
doubt. While the mouths of Democratic
| campaign orators were filled with profess
sions OF reform, and the columns of their
| party papers teemed with fine sentiments
the real organized appetite" has early and
strongly manifested itself, and the motto of
the present session is likely to be to go for
everything in sight The Republican mem
bers OF the Legislature can only do what
fearless and honest minority should do, and
having exhausted that power and influence,
must leave to the ma iority the responsibility
of whatever partisan measures they may be
rash and impetuous enough to force through.
1t is apparent that the benevolent institu-
tons will suffer. There will be indecent
haste to repeal the law, enacted by a Demo-
cratic General Assembly and approved by
Democratic Governor, simply and solely to
retain partisan control of few offices, and
thereby the management of these great
trusts. A metropolitan police bill for In
| dianapois, a measure conceived in par
| tisan malignity, and which, false in
| principle and ruinuous in admi nistration
wherever tried, has made local city govern
ment byword and reproach, may pres
emily be passed, and there will be no limit to
the greed with which the party managers
will proceed to parcel out whatever they can
lay their hands upon to feed party cormor-
ants or to aid in an arroganty-assumed vic
| tory in 1884. The Developments of the
weeks since the election in November, and
| particularly of the last few days make it
reasonably certain that the people OF 1ndi-
| ana can expect little consideration of the
| public welfare by the present General AS
sembly where 1t may be presumed to come
into conflict with supposed party necessity.
| In all this the Republican members have
plain, straightforward duty. They will work
to it conscientiously and with all the force
and influence minority can command 1t
may be in their power to prevent some
things and to modify Others but when the
majority have made up their minds
to disregard everything but the
compelling impulse OF party
the Republicans must and will allow the
Democracy to shoulder the full response
bility of all questionable legislation.
| The matter in which there will be the
greatest general interest is the disposition to
be made of the pending constitutional
amendments, particularly of the prohibitory
and woman suffrage propositions In the
last campaign the Democratic party valiantly
assumed the initiative upon this question,
and the Republican party will aid them in
the derivation of all the pleasure and profit
there may be in its determination. With a
cowardce strangely in contrast with the
Haunting assurance of last spring the effort
will now be made TO e7ade the entire ques-
ton by securing a report from the Judiciary
Committee, made up under Democratic
auspices, that the technical fault discovered
| by Mr.. Rice renders the several amend
ments null and void as though they had
never passed the last Legislature at ALL
1t is possible some Republicans can be
secured to unite in such a report or to
vote for its adoption; but if such there be,
they will not represent the Republican party
in that action, but stand alone for themselves
The Republican party of Indiana did not
make a dishonest campaign before the PEG.
pie. The Republican senators and represent
atves will vote to agree to the pending
amendments. and then will vote for their
| submission at special election. The Demo-
Gratis, if defeated in the first part of their