The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-02-12
Editor Of Palladium

WHAT the newspapers say the lnul-
ANA Legislature is doing is one thing
and what it is really doing is another
and entirely different thing. The peo-
pie who depend on the newspaper &C
counts of the happenings here have
about as clear an idea Of their law
making department as we have of the
details of the building of the Pyramids.
wanted to know what it is really
like, SO I came to look on. What
have seen only confirms my belief that
the Democratic party Of Indiana is
making a desperate effort TO commit
suicide in a moment OF plenty and
prosperity.
The personnel of the House Of Rep
resentatives ia about what one might
expect when there is a landslide and
many accidents slip into office. The
Senate is slightly better in appear
ance.
One has only to sit through a SEES
sion of the House to understand why
Indiana is a hundred years behind the
times with it's laws.
Indiana's Lower House consists of
about % insurgents, one speaker. one
floor-walker, three or four assistant
agents Of Tom Taggart and about 70
figure-heads.
The insurgents are fighting, dis
gusted bunch of fellows who thought
they were sent down here to look af.
ter some of the peoples interests but
who later learned that they were mis-.
taken. The speaker Is fitting tool OF
the man who created him. He displays
honesty of a Boise Penrose and the
courage of jelly-flsh.
The seventy nonentities in the
House cit around with their feet or
the desks, smoke and dance to the f1d
ding Of q drted-up. bewhiskered, ole
tobacco-chewing lawyer of Indianapo
lis by the name of Spencer. This
Spencer acts as Tom Taggart's floor
walker. The more ambitious of the
sional flattery. They are cousined ane
courted. Sometimes one of them hal
his head swelled by being called t.
preside over the House during a few
unimportant moments. They are al
lowed to perform conspicuous, non
dangerous movements in the smooth
working Of the Taggart waltz, but ev
erything is directed from the Denise,
Hotel through the noor-walker will
the Cannon brush.
Don't get a notion into your hea,
that this legislature Is going to inten
tionally pass any meritorius legisla
ton Of Importance. 1t won't.
Today, Speaker Cook is holding
back the Jones Primary Bill, the onl
real meritorious measure that has sue
ceeded In getting out of committee
The indications are that he intends t
keep holding this bill away from tn
House until he kills 1t. When asked o.
Monday to hand the Jones bill down t.
the House, Cook remarked that sine
the author, John R. Jones, of Ply
no favors. The Speaker was again ash
ed today to hand this bill down, bu
refused point-blank to do so.
As a sample of the way the figure
heads of the assembly are handled,
noticed the vote on Monday on a mea:
ure to establish homes for inebriate
in certain cities of the state. One vel
dant young member from the nortt
ern part of the state voted nay" al
parently not having been fully advi:
ed as to the wishes of the bosses. In
mediately floor-walker Spencer was 8
his side and ordered him preemptoril
to change his vote. He did so, NJ
even waiting for the completion of tn
roll-call.
One of the most fitting appoin
ments made by Speaker Cook ha
been that of Representative Hollan
of French Lick to be chairman of tn
Committee on Public Morals. This
the chairman of the committee selec
ed to frame laws for the suppressio
of gambling and other vises in tf
State of Indiana.
One of the most important bills I
pass the House was one defining n
sotiable instruments and making ii
law thereto conform with the sta