The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1909-02-10
TINES BUREAU
AT THE STATE CAPITAL.
Especial to THE TIMEs.)

Especial to THE TIMEs.)
Indianapolis. Ind, Feb. 10. When
the house adjourned last evening 1t
was being freely charged around the
state house that Senator Steve Flem-
ing of Fort Wayne held the whip hand
in the local option fight. and that no
repeal bill would be passed without his
consent. And the fact is that the
Tomlinson bill did not come to a show
down in the house yesterday afternoon.
as had been announced. 1t was gem
orally understood that the amended
Tomlinson bill would be up for sec
ond reading and for the adoption of
either the majority report of the COM
mittee favoring the passage Of the
bill or the minority report to kill the
bill. This was announced at the fore
noon session when the reports were
handed in, that the reports would be
voted on at the afternoon session.
But they did not come to a vote and
a good many persons were wondering
why. 1t Is said now that 1t was be-
cause OF the attitude of the Allen coun-
ty senator.
Would Protect Country Districts.
On Monday when it was proposed to
amended the Tomlinson bill so as to
eliminate saloons from the country and
confne them to cities and incorporated
towns, Representative Shirley of Al
len county that he was
against this change. because It would
put out of business the saloons in his
home town Of WOODBURY., which is not
incorporated. Several other represent
atives from country districts tool the
same view of the matter, and it was
learned that there were twelve rep
resentatives who would vote against
the Tomlinson bill for the same rea-
son. Take these twelve and add them
to the twelve or sixteen temperance
democrats, who will vote against any
bill to amend or change the county
local option bill, and 1t makes a force
that would prevent the Tomlinson bill
from going through.
Fleming Has the Whip.
Senator Fleming is considered by
everybody here to be in the most fortu-
nate position of any one connected with
the fight. He has a brewery in Fort
Wayne and any of the saloons in
Fort Wayne and Allen county sell the
product of that brewery. In fact, it is
said that the larger part of the beer
produced by this brewery is sold in
Allen county and in other places thai
are not any more likely to be voted
dry under a local option law than is
Allen county.
1t is the general belief here thai
Allen county would vote to remain
wet and that the saloons could not
be put out in a hundred years. There
fore the lucky part of it for Fleming
is that he owns a brewery in a we
county and a county that will remain
wet instead Of in a county that Nigh.
possibly go dry.
So it is pointed out here that i
would make but little difference II
Fleming whether the county local op
ton law was repealed or not. Hi
business would go on just the same.
Method in His Madness.
There are many saloons In Allel
county outside of Fort Wayne n tn
incorporated towns, just how man.
| no one here seems to know. The Tom
; linson bill would put them out OF bust
ness, for it proposes to confine then
to the cities and incorporated town.
And this is what Fleming does no
wish to have happen, for it woul
ISOuCS the Sale VI Tie pIOuuSt VI III
brewery to Just that extent, Therefore
! it is argued here, why should he no
oppose the passage of the Tomlinsol
bill in its present form? 1t is sal
' here that the attitude of Representa-
tive Shirley and the other representa-
tives from Allen county is due to tn
! fact that Fleming is opposed to tn
bill. though this could not be learne
{ definitely last night.
Il Allen Co. safe Under County Option
SO far as Fleming is concerned h
9 would be almost as well off under tn