The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-12-24
Republican Conference Yes
terday Shows House Dele
cation in Fighting Trim for
The Approaching Dash.
SEVEN ABSENTEES WERE
TOO BUSY" TO COME
Stated That Wickey-Simon
Contest in Lake County
Will Be Cause of First Clash
In House.
Palladium Bureau,
indianapolis, Dec. -.


indianapolis, Dec. "a.
Only seven of the republican rep
resentatiyes in the coming legislature
were absent from the meeting held
here yesterday to talk over plans for
the coming session. This was a much
better attendance than was expected
and those present showed that they
are in good fighting trim for the
trouble that is brewing
The seven absentees were Represen-
tatives Miller, of Starke. ST. Joseph
and Pulaski; Kliver, of Lake and New
ton; Ulrich. of. Henry, FaFnas. of,
Randolph: Banta. of Daviess and
Schroeder and Hewis. of Eandefburg. !
Some Were Too Busy.
Kliver sent word that ne is too
busy to take time to attend a meet
ing. Hewig is jeweler at Evansville
and was too busy with the Christmas
trade to leave his store. Schroeder.
who is opposed to all temperance leg
islation. sent word that he would re-
main away for two reasons One was
that he could not come, and the Sec
ond was that there was no use In
coming The rest OF the absentees
were not heard from.
Two subiecrs occupied most of the
time OF the representatives. although
II was expected that they would thre sh
out several others while here. But
local option and the wickey-Simon
contest in Lake county seemed to ov-
Ia
after the meeting last night that no
effort was made to bind the republi-
can members TO any action on the
county option law. but II was believed
by those who were willing to express
any opinion that nearly all OF the re-
publicans in the house will stand for
the keepin& of the law on the statute
books. There are two or three II Ia
said, who will be in favor of repeal
Ing 1t, but most of them will not.
Are Feminist Law.
There is no question about where
Schroeder and Hewig stand. They are
feminist the law ard will vote to re-
peal 1t because, IL Is pointed out, their
county wishtI 1t repealed. Represen-
tatfve W. s. Haggard. of Tippecanoe
county, former lieutenant governor.
was one of the members present who
refused TO commit himself on the pro-
position. He did not say that he
would or would not vote TO repeal the
county option law Some of the men,
bers who declared in favor of keep
ing law placed their position on the
ground that the republican party plat
form In the last campaign declared for
IL and that the party ought to keep
Its platform pledges. Haggard. how
ever. said there were times when the
party platform did not express the
wish or the will Of the people But
he declined TO saw that this remark
applied to this case. II is known that
Hagsard and Senator Wood. Of La
fayeete. are close friends. and this is
taken by some as an indication that
he will favor the repeal of the option
law.
Effort At Party Caucus.
1t is understood that an effort will
be made at the party caucus. Just be-
fore the session opens to bind all the
members to oppose the repeal, but IL
10 not believed that this will be possi-
BILE Among those who spoke In the
meeting in favor of retaining the law
were Brown. of Jasper and White:
Switzer, of Benton and Warren and
Simison OF Montgomery and Tippeca-
noe. White. of Parke county. also
will favor the law.
As long as / live In the community
where ] now live | shall vote to sus-
! tain the local option law" said Switz-
er- Il should certainly have to move
/ If | voted against it,
Gus Grieger. of Laporte county, has
not declared himself on the question
and no one seems able to figure out
just where he stands All of the rep
resentatives from the Teuth district
except Greiger and Haggard are pro-
nounced in favor OF the law
Wickey-simon Contest.
The question of the Wickey-Simon
contest in Lake county. in which Ed
ward Simon, the democratic candidate
for representative. is contesting the
election of Representative Edward W.
Wickes. who was declared elected by
plurality of more than 100. was
widely discussed among the represen-
tatives.
7 Representative wickey comes from
the Tenth district and all the Tenth
district representatives except Kliver
were here. At meeting at fhe Clay
pool hotel yesterday. Mr. Wickey was
elected chairman of the Tenth district
4