The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-02-12
REPEAL BILL PASSED
By THE VOTE 52-44
Wayne County Representative
Only Republican to Vote for
The Democratic Platform
Liquor Bill. e.. .,.
Palladium Bureau,
Indianapolis, Feb. IL.


The democrats were split from
stem to stern, yesterday on the ques-
tion of repeating the county option
law, and if it had not been for four
republicans voting with them they
never would have pushed the Tomlin-
son repeal bill through the house.
Kliver, of Lake county, Ratliff, of
Wayne county. and Schroeder and
Hewig of Vanderburg county, were
the life savers of the Tomlinson bill.
They voted fog it.
Ratliff voted for the bill because
he has wanted to vote that way all
along. He wanted to vote with the
liquorites two years ago on the thous-
and dollar license bill He wanted to
vote with them at the special session
of the legislature when the county
option bill was passed but did not be-
cause the party whip was applied. He
wanted to vote with them this time
but said he would hold off until after
Wayne county had held her county
option election. When Wayne county
voted wet he Immediately announced
that he would vote to repeal the coun-
ty option law.
River Didn't Care.
Kliver didn't care much whether
the county option law is repealed or
not, but he does care about having a
court established at Gary. The court
proposition is nearest to his heart and
the general understanding is that he
hn rn
peal bill for votes for the Gary court
bill when it comes uD for passage in
the house. Wickey, also a republican
from Lake county, voted against the
Tomlinson bill, although he is as
much interested in the Gary court
bill as Kliver.
Schroeder and ,Hewig voted to re-
peal the county option law because
they were elected last fall with that
understanding and for that purpose.
The people of Vanderburg county. a
brewery ridden county. are opposed to
county option, regardless Of party,
and these two representatives were
merely representing what their county
wished.
Not Much Fireworks.
That tells the real story of the pas
sage of the Tomlinson bill. There
was not much in the way of fireworks
in oratory when the bill came up for
passage. although a few speeches were
made. Maish. Madigan and Chrisney,
temperance democrats, spoke against
the bill and called on their democra-
tic colleagues to vote against it.
Chrisney made hit when he asked
the democrats the pointed question:
WHO is behind this bill?"
But Chrisney did not get an answer.
Representative Babcock. of La
grange and Steuben counties. made
strong speech against the bill. but the
fact that he was private secretary to
Governor Hanly during the last few
months of that administration weak
ened the force of it and called forth
from some of the other speakers vio-
lent denunciation of Hanly and Han
lyism.
Eleven Against 1t.
Eleven democrats voted against the
Tomlinson bill This was not as
many as had been expected. The
Temperance men counted on sixteen or
seventeen and if they had been able
to, make good with that number the
bill would have been buried.
Charge Of Republicans
While the Tomlinson bill was un-
der discussion and while it was being
voted on the republicans were charg-
ing the democrats with violating their
platform pledge on the liquor ques-
tion. They charged that the demo-
Gratis promised the people ward and
township oltion and they asked the
democrats why they were trying to
enact law that was entirely differ
ent. The democrats told them in an
swer that they would soon offer them
bill that would be in strict accord
ance with the democratic platform,
and as soon as the Tomlinson bill was
out of the way the speaker handed
down the Kleckner bill for passage.
This bill is straight out repeal of
the county option law and substitutes
the township. and ward units. This
bill was put to vote without discus
sion, and it failed to pass. Ratliff was
the only republican that voted for
it. and the result was IS for the bill
and 46 against it. It requires a con-
stitutional majority OF 81 votes to pass
q bill In the house. so the bill failed
to pass. It may be called up again.
however. inasmuch as bill is not
killed so long rs the majority of the
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