The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-02-05
General Thought That Some
Measure Will Be Drafted
Which Will Be Satisfactory
To Every Faction.
SCHEME WAS LAID TO
OUTFLANK W. RATLlFF
Thought of Calling Up ReEsaI
Bill While Local Man Was
Home to Vote Kirkman
Gets Tangled Up.
Palladium Bureau.

indianapolis, Feb. S.
| Powerful influences are at work in
the effort to evolve liquor bill for the
regulation and control of the retail
liquor traffic, that will meet the de-
mands of all elements that are now
fighting for and against the local op-
ton proposition. Whether or not this
effort will succeed, of course. no one
can tell, but the influences are at work
and they are influences that usually do
| things.
| Nearly dozen bills have been intro
duced in the legislature for the control
OF the saloon. Some of them provide
one thing and some another Some pro-
pose the control by one method and
Others by some other method, but
all seem to have the same purpose in
mind-the control of the traffic in some
way.
Democrats Have Mission.
1t is noticeable that not one of these
bills has been introduced by a republi.
can member. The republicans hold that
their party have settled the LIQUOR
question by the enactment of the coun-
ty local option law, and that there is
nothing more for them to do along
this line. The democrats. however.
claim to have mission in this mat
ter and that mission is to repeal the
county option law. Thus politics has
entered into the matter until it has
come to be considered a purely parts
an question, with the democrats on the
one side and the republicans on the
other.
Conservative Spirit.
But this sentiment appears rapidly
to be giving away to more conserva-
tive spirit and there are strong indica-
tons that the two sides are trying to
get together on some middle ground,
each giving little and taking a little.
Some Of the bills represented only
what the brewers and the liquor peo-
pie wish to see enacted Others con-
tain nothing but the strictest kind of
temperance provisions, some SO strict
in fact that they would amount almost
to prohibition. Then there are some
others that take a freer view of the
question and seek to frame up some
really good legislation on the subject.
All seemed to be imbued however,
with the same thought. and that is to
get the liquor question out of politics.
Therefore it will not be surprising,
judging from what has been going on
within the last few days to see a new
move soon that will be long step in
that direction
Probably Get Together.
So it need not be surprising if with
in the next day or two we hear that
the various fighting elements of both
parties have come together on a plan
for a composite bill for the control of
the liquor traffic that will meet the de-
mands of all hands. 1t will. of course,
not be what one element wishes. but
1t will contain a portion of each of
the various bills that have been offer
ed. In other words, it will contain
what are considered the best and most
important features of all the bills.
This may not work out. but the in
dications are that it win. and that very
soon. If it does work out it is said
the bill will afford common ground on
which all the parties may stand. 1t is
said that it will repeal the county op-
ton law. but that it will repeal it in
such way that the need for county
option law will be removed entirely.
Just how this bit of necromancy is to
be worked out is not yet known. but
able hands have the matter in charge.
Planned to Outwit RatIiff,
The closeness of the vote on the bill
to repeal county local option. if such
vote comes up in the house, has caused
all eyes to focus on Representative
Ratliff of Wayne county. and Ratliff
has been keeping his own counsel as
to how he will vote on the question.
Last night quiet little scheme was
talked of by which Ratliff was to be
relieved of the unpleasant duty of COM
hitting himself on the question of re-
peal. For several days he has abso-
lutely refused to state his position
Last it was said that he would go
home to Richmond today to vote on
the county option election being held
in Wayne county and that while he is
absent an effort will be made by the
temperance forces to have the report |
on the repeal bill brought before the |,
house for vote. These forces claim |
to know positively that the favorable |
report can not be adopted without |
the vote of Ratliff. and this is the rea-
son why they propose to call it out TO- |
day during his absence. And it is said |
that Ratlin's part In this scheme is |
that he knows that If this program is |
followed and he is not forced to vote on |
the question he will not be discredited |
among his constituents. no matter |
which side he would vote with were |
he here at roll call. |
Those who talked about the scheme !
were giving Rtaliff credit with having |
a lot of political sense in getting away |
from the firing line just at the right |
time
Hammond Court Gill.