The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-06
Pre-Legislature Programme Includes
Democratic Love Feast Tonight
and Caucus TO-MOrrOw Night.
HOW THE STATES ARE MADE UP
LEADERS OF MAJORITY AND MINOR
ITY HAVE BEEN SELECTED.
PIunder Committee of Three Will Dis
pense PatrOnage-Candida for
Places Actfve-LegislativeN Notes.

The members of the Sixty-third General
Assembly of Indiana descended on the cap
ital city in large numbers yesterday and
took possession of the hotels and clubs.
1t was estimated that fully half of the
senators and representatives were on the
ground last evening" and the hotel lobbies
presented livelier scenes than have been
witnessed since the last State convention.
Nearly all the prominent members of both
houses were here The holdovers were greet
men were meeting their colleagues and
attempting to get on the inside Of all that
was going on
There was, however, really little going
on of any consequence yesterday or last
night. There were no meetings of formal
or informal character, no rounding up of
forces for any organization fight, and, in
fact, about the only thing left for the
members to do was to mingle in social
way and do little button -holing and sour
rying to and fro for committee assign
ments and patronage.
The prelegslature programme for the
next two days includes the love feast and
dinner for the Democratic members at the
Grand Hotel tonight and the caucuses of
both minority and majority of both houses
tomorrow night. AT these caucuses the
party organizations for the session will be
effected and the principal officers chosen
THE STATES.
The House majority caucus will elect
speaker, who will be Representative Henry
w. Marshall, of Lafayette; will choose a
caucus chairman, who Will be Representa-
tive r. E. Kirkman, of Richmond and will
select a principal clerk, assistant clerk and
principal doorkeeper. Former Representa-
tive w. r. Reagan, of Indianapolis. is
slated for the principal clerkship, George
d. Hellman, of Evansville, for the assistant
clerkship. and George F. Ogden, of Wa
bash county, for the position of principal
that had a candidate for speaker will be
given recognition and in addition the First
district, which has not had anything in the
House for several sessions, comes in for a
good place.
A question as to the eligibility of Ogden
for the position doorkeeper has been
raised. as he Is postmaster of small town
in Wabash county, but In case he Is ruled
out the Eleventh district representatives
will get together on another man who will
be elected.
which is of some little Importance and
that is select plunder committee of three
members, who will distribute the patron
age Representative Marshall has insisted
on keeping his hands off in the patronage
scramble. and In order that the vexed uues-
ton may be settled expeditiously and to
the satisfaction of all the majority MEM
bers they will be asked TO name their com
mittee to look after the work. pIunder
committee in the House, composed of MEM
bers of the House, will be decided change
from last session. the unofficial plunder
committee of two years ago was COMPOSED
of the big four" Joseph B. Healing. Harry
c. Starr, James +. Goodrich and George
+. McCulloch, none of whom was a repre-
sentative.
Representative Kirkman. who will be the
caucus chairman, will by that fact have
some little prestige in establishing himself
as the floor leader on the Republican side
However, the floor leadership is decided
not by votes in caucus, but by the ability
| and activity displayed on the floor. and
Mr. Kirkman will have some lively opposi-
| ton for this honor. Representative Suites
man, of Peru, Representative Sayre of
| Wabash. and Representative Cantweli. of
| Hartford City, are looked on as formidab bic
| candidates for the floor leadership and N
| is a foregone conclusion that they will ali
| play a prominent part in the proceedings of
| the House
SENATE CAUCUS CANDIDATES.
| At the Senate majority caucus a caucus
! chairman, president pro tenn. principal Sec