The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1911-03-03
DEMOCRATS HOLD
CAUCUS TONIGHT
Proposed New Constitution viii
Be Main Topic.
MANY CHANGES PROPOSED
Section Giving Legislature the Power
to Enact Initiative, Referendum
and Recall Laws Arouses
Much Disfavor.


cratic joint caucus OF the house and
senate tonight viii have a number OF
Important matters for consideration
One OF the main topics will be the
proposed new constitution. which has
already been made a caucus meas.
ure. but which will be thrown omen
Tor amendment and revision at 10.
nights caucus. When the Democratic
members OF the legislature had time
TO study over the various sections Of
the new constitution they evolved
good many new ideas and several
asked that another party caucus be
held so that they could present their
! views. So II was decided TO give
them all chance al the caucus TO
night
One Of the things that will be
changed is the section relating to the
method OF apportioning the members
Of the house OF representatives among
the counties. The original plan con
templated giving each county in the
state. regardless of size one repre-
sentative and dividing the rest of
the 100 members among the counties
according 10 population This will be
changed so as 10 leave the size OF
the body the same as it is now and
provide for selections TO be made as
now. Some Of the Democrats believe
that the small counties should not be
entitled 10 the same representation
as the populous counties.
Many Changes Are Proposed.
An effort also will be made 10 strike
out the section which would give the
general assembly the right 10 enact
laws on the referendum, the recall
and the initiative Some OF the
Democratic members are not IN favor
OF this section. Another section which \
will be stricken out is the one which
would give the general assembly pow.
er 10 enact laws 10 fix the compensa.
ton OF workmen AS the section Is
drawn II is construed as giving the
legislature power TO determine by
law the amount OF wages which work
men should receive. The purpose was
to provide a means for fixing the
amount OF compensation to be re
ceived by a workman who has been
injured or by his family after his
death. II was found, however. that
the section would go much farther
than that.
In fact there are many changes
proposed and the caucus tonight
promises TO be warm one. The bill
Will pass. however. according TO pres
ent indications. although many OF the
members OF the legislature are re.
ceiving letters from lawyers all over
the state protesting that this plan OF
making a new constitution IS wrong.
II IS believed also that the caucus
will agree on the legislative and con-
gressional reapportionment bills so
that these matters can be pushed
through No effort will be made to
bind the Democrats on the liquor reg
ulation bill
House Members Ancered
Up to this time the senate has
passed only three bills that original.
I'd in the house One was the bill to
money for the expenses
II the session: another was the one
% appropriate 100000 10 pay the
state fair live stock pavilion bonds.
md the other was the weekly wage
Ill. This failure OF the senate to
,ass any house bills has made some
II the members OF the house angry
md they threaten now to have the ,
louise retaliate by refusing to pass
my more senate bills. ,
There have been 1887 bills intro
Iuced. $40 in the house and 427 In
he senate. The house has passed 11s
nd the senate 1876. And yet only
eventeen bills have been passed by ,
9th houses and signed by the COVER
or There Is some talk to the effect
hat there Is quiet understanding
mong the leaders in both houses to
ASS as few bills as possible. They
hink more good can be accomplished /,
y killing bills than by passing so 4,
many Of. them. SO that the remain. r
ng two weeks OF the session are :
kelly TO witness general slaughter
I measures and the passage OF only !.
few bills-those demanded by the :,
democratic state platform being
bout the only ones OF which there
ppears TO be much hope.
The senate has passed the house .
III providing for the appointment Of !
NO additional judges for the superior n
ourt at Hammond. one OF the Judges .
, divide his time between Hammond :
nd Crown Point
IL has been announced that no ;,
iore senate bills will be handed down
'r passage in the house until the
anate passes some house bills. The
ouse members propose TO retaliate =
n the delay OF the senate in this :.
after. y