The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-09-25
Three Members of the Marion
County Republican Delega-
ton, It Is Declared, Will
Make Flop to Democrats.
CONFERENCE HELD
BY PARTY LEADERS.
John Edwards, Caucus Chair
man HemenWay, and Rich
ard EIIiott's Plans to Pass
Bill Defeated.

indianapolis, Sept. 25.-This morn
ing the lower house of the legislature
passed the county local option bill
from engrossment to third reading
without amendment. Tomorrow at 10
O'Clock the bill comes up for passage.
There is general uneasiness among
the republican leaders as to their alb
ility Of showing the measure through.
On the other hand the democratic
leaders are confident that the bill will
be defeated by an extreemly close
vote. They make these predictions on
the belief that the Marion county dele
cation, Billingsly, Bowlus and Keller,
will vote against the measure. These
three men are the bone of contention.
Up to the present time they have not
stated how they intend to vote-con-
sequently the republican camp is in
gloom.
The session this morning was very
dull to the average spectator, but to
those who were wise" to sub-surface
conditions the session was not only
interesting but amusing as well.
Elliott In Conference.
Last evening several of the republi-
can house leaders, including Floor
Leader John Edwards. Caucus Chair
man Hemenway and Dick Elliott of
Wayne and Fayette counties met at
the Claypool hotel and fixed the pro-
gram of events for today. At this
me citing 1t was decided to permit any
house member to offer any amend
ment to the bill they SO desired and
to permit them to vote as they pleas
ed at today's session. This was a very
crafty move.
Should the bill have been amended
in a manner unsatisfactory to the
powers-to-be, 1t would have been re-
ferred back to the senate, which
would have promptly rejected the
measure in its amended form. The bill
would then have been referred to a
joint conference committee, the men,
bers of which would have been care
fully selected by Miller and Branch,
then when the opportunity presented
itself this committee would have re-
ported on the bill to the house and it
joint conference report can be passed
by just an ordinary majority.
This deep laid plot was, as has been
stated, unnecessary. Just one amend
ment was offered and it was showed
under by vote of SO to IL. This
amendment was offered by Bowlus Of
Marion county and provided that in
any county containing city of more
than 5000 population should be di-
vided into two units, the county at
large being one and the city the other.
For Dual Amendment.
It was decided this morning by the
republican leaders to encourage dual
amendment, providing both county
and ward township local option be in
troduced. This was bait for the
democratic members and it was ex-
pected that some democrat would in
troduce the amendment Consequent
~ when the session opened the repub-
lican members waited expectantly for
the amendment in question-but it was
not forthcoming.
Here is the way the democrats han
died the bait:
White was to have introduced it, but
at the last minute he thought Hotel
should have this responsibility. Hot
tel was skeptical. so he passed it
along to Sfcks. He was afraid he
couldn't get the speakers attention.
so he passed 1t along to Pierson. Now
Pierson has a pet prohibition resolu-
tion and he was afraid he would have
to sacrifice, II he offered the dual am
endment. so he handed it to Barney
who promptly handed 1t back to Pier
son with the advice that some republi-
can offer the amendment
All OF these transactions took sever
al minutes and in the meantime the
spsaker was impatiently waiting for