The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1910-04-16

Governor Marshall Seeks to
Avoid Responsibility of
Placing a Declaration Into
State Platform This
Year.

SSSSso0 = 4eVu4O4 LII = LILO
Year.
TIMES BUREAU,
AT THE STATE CAPITAL.
Indianapolis, Ind. April 15.--Gover-
nor Marshall is seeking to avoid the
responsibility of having anything to do
with placing any declaration of the
liquor question in the Democratic state
platform, in spite of the fact that
strenuous efforts are being made to
drag him into fight over the kind of
declaration which shall be made. The
Governor says he has not been able
to make UP his mind on just what the
platform ought to say on this subject,
or whether anything at all should be
said.
An Awkward Position.
1t has been learned that some of the
leading Democrats of the state have
been imploring the Governor to accept
place on the resolutions committee
at the conventions. but he has declin-
ed to serve, The plan was to put him
on the committee as the representative
of the Seventh district, the Seventh be-
ing the district in which Indianapolis is
located. This would put the governor
in rather an awkward position, in case
he should decide to accept the place
on the committee. because he was
elected from Whitley county, and he
has never announced his remuneration
of his residence in the Twelfth district
So far as is known he is still a citizen
of the Twelfth and not of the Seventh.
VIII Not Serve.
Anyway. the governor will not serve
as a member of the committee and has
let the Democrats know 1t who have
called on him and asked him to serve
The fact is that he does not propose
to be dragged into the fight over the
liquor question, which promises to be
the big fight over the convention.
HIS Views Are Asked.
| Since it has become known that he
will not serve on the resolutions COM
mittee Democrats representing all
shades Of opinion on the liquor cues
ton have called on him and asked for
his views on the kind of plank which
should be placed in the platform, but
to all of them he has given the same
ahswer-that he has no opinion to ex-
press on that subject. at least, not at
| this time
Us Uncertain
| Governor Marshall does not know vet
whether the subject of temperance leg
| islation ought to be mentioned in the
platform. 1t is the belief of many who
| know him that he would a little rather
nothing at all would be said on that
subject This would leave the mem
bers of the legislature free to take
any action they might prefer and none
of them would then be bound by an
platform pledges. The governor is not
much for binding legislators to auy
certain policy any such question.
He regards the liquor question as a
moral question Father than a political
question.
| Bir Difference Of Opinion.
There ISL such a wide diversity OF
opinion among the Democrats on the
temperance proposition that 1t seems
an impossibility for them to get to-
gether and agree on a plank for their
platform that will satisfy all of them
Some of those who have called on the
governor to seek his views have favor
| ed new law that would repeal the
/ present county option law and leave
the Moore law in force to govern the
| saloon business. Others think there
should be an open declaration in the
PA VI III III IdFOI Oh repeating the
/ county option law and substituting q
| ward, township and city option law
Still others believe there should be a
ward. township and city law but that
it should be supplemented with pro-
visions for strict regulation of the ga
/ loon business. Those who believe the
latter way seem to be becoming more
| numerous, too. They take the ground
that in addition to the local option
| feature of their proposed law there
should be provision which would re-
strict the number OF saloons according
TO the population OF the city, ward OF
township. However they say that the
! law should be so drawn as to not in
! terfere with saloons in existence at the
time of It's passage, but that whenever
q saloon quits business for any reason
no new license should be issued to q
new saloon until the number in the
district affected is reduced TO the mum
Der allowed under the law. based or
the population
4 Brewers Would Let 1t Sleeps
/ 1t is understood that this is the plar
which the brewers will favor, If the,
go into the fight at all. But the re.
port is that the brewers prefer nc
declaration in the platform of any
kind. They want little said a.
possible, for they fear that agitation
of the liquor question again this yea
may do them much harm.
Fl Leaders of the party on all sides O.
the liquor fence agree that whateye
Governor Marshall says on the subjec
will have great weight and that is VIII,
they are trying to drag him into tn,
fight over the platform declaration
1t is believed. however. that the Gov
ernor is just foxy enough to keep GU
! of 1T.
The governor has already starte
work on his keynote speech which h
will make at the state convention H
took his pen in hand" yesterday at
| fRrn0arI the first L.