The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-02-24
Caucus Held Thursday Night
and Another to Be Held
Friday Night to Decide on
Some Action.
DISCUSS CONSTITUTION
Caucus Thursday Night Only
Made One Change in Pro-
posed Amendments Draft
ed by the Governor.
sPalladium Specially

Indianapolis, Feb. 24.-The big
house and bring fear and trembling to
Governor Marshall did not materialize
at the Democratic caucus of both
house and senate Thursday night. In
fact, it looked for a time as though
the caucus itself would not material
ize but a working majority of the
ninety Democrats who sit in the leg
islature finally showed up and remain
ed long enough to enable the caucus
to come to order and declare a quor-
um Then number began to leave.
until at the close of the deliberation
there was not more than one-third OF
the total Democratic membership OF
the legislature present The caucus
was alleged to have been called for
the purpose of finding fault with the
tom Marshall Constitution" and its
revamping before it is submitted for
passage to the legislature as a party
measure. What the caucus did was to
find fault with the legislature COM
posed of itself, bewail the fact that it
had done nothing. lambast itself be-
cause of its inactivities and appoint
No. Sc of the 81 varieties of steering
committees that have been appointed
since November of last year. ito get
the platform measures in shape"
The poor things have been gotten
in shape SO often that they have ut
terly lost their original figures.
Sixty Days Too Short.
Taking it's own record as criterion
the caucus decided sixty days was not
long enough to do nothing and the
only important change it made in the
proposed new constitution was to
strike out Marshall's plan OF a dual
session and substitute a continuous
session of 100 days.
After accomplishing this. the caucus
was exhausted and adjourned to meet
again Friday evening, to talk some
more about what it intends to do, and
probably appoint another steering
committee.
President Tafs has nothing over
Governor Marshall when 1t comes to
being the dispirited possessor OF a
legislative log jam. The one at the
state house looks like nothing could
break it. Only one week left and not
single platform measure has passed
the legislature and been presented to
the governor for his signature. Owing
to the fluke in the first repeal bill
passed, the county local option law re-
mains so that even the paramount is
sue of city and township option is
not yet enacted. 1t has not passed
the house.
Not labor bill has passed the legis-
lature and the pressure OF corpora
tions against them increases every
day. All of the enthusiasm about the
| interests of labor which was display
ed by Democratic orators last fall
seems to have petered out, or none Of
the orators reached the legislature.
The Child Labor Bill.
| The child labor bill is held up in
| the senate and Democratic politicians
from many parts Of the state are urg-
| ing it be amended SO that il will have
| to go back to the house where they az
| firm its enemies will forever bury It.
railway employees representatives the
| first week of the session remains hung
| lip in the house. The miners shot-6r-
| ers bill was killed in the senate. The
promise to organize department Of
labor has reached the stage of being
| introduced, but it gives labor nothing
except the name, as 1t provides for
the dismissal of labor men who now
head departments to be consolidated
| in this department. A score OF other
| labor bills have been killed or are ex-
piring at this very moment by suffoca-
ton in the committees. Instead Of
curbing the corporations by passing
such bills as senate bill No. los. the
| legislature is overrun with corpora
ton lobbyists and eats out of their
hands. No registration bill has yet
PASSED or even been agreed upon, al
though 1t was promised in the plat
form.
| A line of good roads legislation has
been passed up, owing to the opposi-
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