The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-02-20
THEY CONTROL LAW-MAKING
Leaders of the "Third House" Who
Make or Mar Legislation at Their Will.
Lamb. Murdoch. Taggart. Bailey. It AL. and
What They Are There For-PersOnal Re.
marks About the Solons.

It Is the history or all Legislatures that,
as the session grows older. the lobby grows
holder and larger. 1t is always more or
less difficult to tell just what the lobby
ist is there for, nor is 1t possible always to
tell how many irons each member OF the
third house" has in the fire. Most con-
spIcuous and most successful among the
Lobbyists, this session has been ex- Congress
man John E. Lamb. of Terre Haute. who
came before the session convened. and has
found plenty to keep him here ever
since, so much, in fact that
within q week after the session
opened he had to send for young Mr. Mo
Mutt. of Terre Haute. to assist In some OF
the less important details.
Mason j. Niblack. ex-Speaker OF the
House, has been prominent figure
in the Hobbies of the House. but If he Is
lobbying for or against anything or I'M
portance none of the members seem to know
1t. He, himself. declares that he has not
received cent for lobbying and does not
expect to. The only matter he has been
particularly interested IN, he declares. Is
the appropriation for Vincennes Univer-
slty. which Is a jast claim and, were it
against an individual. would be collectable
in any court.
NJ. ID. Yontz. ex-presldent Of the City
Council. has not missed Q day since the
session began. He has q good excuse for
being there as the agent of State Printer
Burford, but his duties as such
are not so heavy but that
he has had time to do some very effective
work for the township trustees and county
officers He was of much assistance to the
trustees, road-scraper men and school
supply men In helping to kill the Wray bill
SO quickly and effectively when 1t reached
the House.
Leon Bailey has also been omnIpresent
and has probably drawn up more bills than
any other mau about the two houses.
among them being the McHugh race bill
for the benefit of Robey, the bill TO wipe
out the Board of Agriculture for the
Bailey, and the administrative amend.
ments to the tax law, said TO be
drawn with en- eye single to bringing
more fees to the Attorney generals office.
has been o frequent visitor, though he does
not spend all his time in the Legislature.
Primarily he has been looking after the in
terests OF the county officers and hos been
doing 1t very effectively. According to his
wishes every effort to so amend the fee and
salary law as to make it constitutional has
been choked of at the start and the con-
stitutlonal amendments making four years
terms for county officers, which was so
framed that it would shorten the terms or
present incumbents. has been killed.
Within the past week James Murdoch,
John Il. Frenzel, John K. Pearson and c.
Is. Stuart have been very numerous In the
lobby. All four are deeply interested In
gas legislation. They succeeded in killing
Farlow's bill to repeal the anti-ilambeaux
law. and, though they had to let 60 of the
meter clause of the Smith Haggard bill,
there is still enough left of 1t to make IL
worth their while to lobby for it. Ali of
these but Pearson are also interested In
banks, and are bustling more or less for
the Erwin amendment to the tax law.
khn 20
tive Alder has stood the test of tIme this
session. better than any of the others. He
has had comparatively little to say since
the first couple of weeks of the ses-
sion and what he has said has car
RED more weight than the harangues
of those who have been on the floor con-
tinually. This is Ader's third term in the
House, and he has grown conservative
with experience. He has a particular
two years ago. when there was q
rather warm fight on this question.
A county seat bill was up, and Ader's
mind was not made MP on 1t until he re-
for it, That settled its fate, so far as he
was concerned. and he devoted his time for
q week to working against 1t.
There is something about Representative
Lindemuth. the leader of the Republican
minority. that gives the impression of in
tense earnestness to every thing he says,
and the impression is by no means mis-
taken one. He speaks very little, aud
himself talk. but puts his points
that carries conviction. Mr.. Lindemuth is
city attorney of Richmond. and the Nc
Hugh bill would extend his term Of Office
nearly two years. But Notwithstanding
this. be opposed the bill vigorously, and
made the strongest speech that was heard
against it. 1t is that sort of q man that
people can afford to tie to.
though new member. has proven one Of
the most valuable and influential on the
minority side. He keeps close track of leg.
acted upon at any stage without hts know
ing all about 1t. and ho usually has some
thing to say for or against it.
he MAKES no pretense as an
meat of the su bJect and presents a keen,
logical argument. He Is even more valu-
able IN committee work than on the floor,
and is one of the few members who pay
close attention TO this branch of their
duties.
Senator Cranor is one of the best rough
and tumble" men in the Senate, often do
ing and saying things impromptu which
engage the good humor and enthusiasm of
the body at the most unexpected times,
Mr. Cranor was talking To q question of
old fogyism last week, when il was peril
nent for Senator Newly to ask if there
was any law In force to prevent man
from driving horse with piece OF
clothes-line to this day If he wanted to.
Mr. Cranor replied: "Yes sir; the law of
common sense. which is evidently not in
force In Henry county"
Senator Morgan. of Allen county. is con-
sidered the handsomest man in the Senate,
but does not exercise his prerogative in
this respect on all occasions. Senator Nor
gan is Tennesseean by birth and a ply si-
clan by practice. Whenever anything of q
serious nature happens to members of the
majority Senator Morgan's pills are at once
prescribed. While Mr.. Morgan Is Demo.
crat of the carnivorous species he melts
down behind @ stack of whites, and play 9
his hand close to his waistooat.
Senator Beck comes from q wet county,
and combs his side hair over his bald head
but is O good shot and hunter of some
local renown. Some days ago q beautiful
white heron was placed upon President
Nye's pulpit. The bird had been handled
artIully by the taxidermist. and stood with
ward Senator Fulk. Senator Beck shot
the bird among his marshes and brought il
down 10 the Senate. as a plea for better
drainage legislation.
While Senator Seller ia n man of gigantic