The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1913-02-24
TIMES BUREAU.
At STATE CAPITAL.


At STATE CAPITAL.
Indianapolis, Ind, Feb. 24.-Wheth-
er there will be democratic senate
caucus tonight on the public utilities
bill is still a question. Governor Raj
ston has practically demanded that no
caucus be held. He says that the
utilities bill should be brought out on
the floor of the senate and put through
In the open. where the people can see
just what is going on. who is for the
bill and who is against 1T.
Fleming to support Governor.
Senator stephen b. Fleming. who has
been one of the leaders in the fight to
amend the bill, now has come out with
a public statement in which he says he
is for the kind of bill the governor
wants and that he will be pleased to
vote, for the bill amended as the gov
ernor wishes 1T amended He says that
he, too, is in favor of taking the bill on
the floor of the senate and putting it
through that way. Whether this means
that Fleming had laid down" in his
fight for amendments to the bill is not
known, but good many persons are
of the opinion that he has not been in
favor of as many vicious amendments
as was indicated by some of the re-
ports and rumors that have been going
round. Fleming's friends are insisting
| that he has all along been in favor of
| good bill and that he has never had
any serious disagreement with the gov
| ernor on what should constitute a good
| bill.
| Tagxart Still Has Grip.
| But now that the governor and
Fleming both are against the caucus
| method of framing up the bill there is
l
either not be held that it will not
| take any action on the utilities BILL
There is one important feature in
this utilities fight that stands out
above anything else. and that is that
| Thomas Taggart still has his hold on
/ the legislature. A few days ago, when
the utilities bill fight was at its height
there was a suspicion that Taggart had
lost his grip and that the legislature
was slipping away from him. 1t was
limited that the traction companies had
captured the legislature and that the
utilities bill would be made to suit
them, regardless of everybody else.
This would have meant the overthrow
of Taggart. for Taggart has all along
realized that the people of the state
want a good utilities bill and that they
would not be satisfied with anything
else.
| Is Looking Ahead.
| Everybody knows that Taggart is an
aspirant for a seat in the United States
senate. and that he could not afford
under these circumstances, to ignore
the wish of the public. Therefore
whether he felt so at heart or not, he
has all along been standing for a
strong public utilities bill. and in do
ing so he has incurred the enmity OF
the traction interests, which for sc
many years have been his friends. But
Taggart and Governor Ralston are ir
full accord on the utilities proposition
and they are working together.
Tagsart Wants the Credit.
1t has been general knowledge, also
that when the session of the Legislature
opened Taggart was in complete com.
mand He was to be held responsi biz
for the record of the Legislatures. If 8
is bad he will be to blame for it. IL i
is good he will get the credit. Thi.
has been a strong incentive for his enc
mics to undertake to upset him ant
break his control. But there is ever,
indication today that he,is as strong il
the legislature as ever. and that tn,
Legislature will do what he tells it t,
do. That is the real foundation 70
the prediction that the utilities bill
will be. framed and passed according t,
the views of the governor. and tn
traction companies are not well please,
| with these views.
1t is strange sight to look upon
| Taggart as a progressive. He has beef
a rank reactionary for so many year
in politics that ne had come to be re
garded as the special representative o
| all of the special interests. Even h
himself cannot quite understand wha
has come over him to make such
schange. But when a man has his ey