South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-01-18
Rep. John Jones of Plymouth
viii Present Measure Likely
to PreCipitate Warm Debate
in Legislature.
LONG HERALDED ROWS"
FAIL TO MATERIALIZE
Prediction of DemoCTaCy'S En-
emieS Are Not Borne Out by
First Weeks of Session.
No Friction Mars Working.

INDIANAPOLIS. Ind. Jan. Is
LEGISLATORS returning 10 indianapolis
this morning from their over-Sun-
day visits at home. faced the pros
pects. al a good battle which was
/ scheduled To begin with the opening
/ sessiat Of the house at = o'clock this
/ afteruoon.h Rep. John r. Jones or
I Plymouth vas ready 10 introduce his
\ primary election bill. and a hot fight
( over the measure was anticipated to-
\ day.
Provisions for the proposed pri-
mary law was made in the state dem
! ocrauc platform, but the admins
I trauon forces in both houses Of the
/ legislature are not expected TO sup
\ port the measure. Rep. Jones called
\ or Gov. Ralston in regard TO the
measure, and he says the executive
informed him that he would not
I fight against the proposed law and
I that he would sign ii III 90 reached his
/ desk. but according 20 Jones Gov.
Ralston promised him no support for
| his bill
1t is known that the democratic
national administration faVors the
{ enactment of "a primary l8w i'm In
/ dlanapOlis and IL is possible that
United States sen John Kern may
come here 10 take hand i'm the
fight Sen. Kern acting for the ma
tional administration. was here when ,
! the primary plank was Inserted i'm
the state platform, and that he in
huenced the convention 10 adopt the
plank.
To Introduce Race dill.
A bin to permit gambling at race
/ tracks in Indiana by the use OF pari-
mutuel machines viii probably be
/ introduced tomorrow or Wednesday.
Ii viii provide for betting through
the parl-muteul SYSTEM but viii pro
vide for the creation OF a state racing
commission To have supervision OF an
I Indiana race meets.
Two years ago an attempt was
made to puC through a state racing
commission law, but Gov. Ralston
and others prominent i'm state affairs
thought that the plan was merely for
the benefit of the promoters OF the
mineral springs track in Porter
county. which attempted to give two
meetings that were stopped by the
governor because gambling was per-
mitted
Cataclysms promised by the repub-
lican press a week ago between war
ring factions OF the democrats in the
two houses have not materialized
There seems 10 be a decided tendency
on the part Of all concerned TO get
together on legislation that is OF a
type that Will fulhl the public de-
ana for years, and the old politicians
see in the situation real reflex on the
politics of the state from the public
conscience and public demands of the
states people, not the states politi-
clans
a few slight skirmishes have mark
ed the progress of the session thus
far. These apparently have been
! brushed aside without leaving bloody
finger marks. This week probably
viii mark the real index OF the ses-
sion, but there seems no way OF tell
ing what that index is now.
several Drastic Measures
There are several drastic bits of
legislation before the assem- bly,. some
of them having caused endless news
paper discussion. But they do not
approach IN magnitude in the public
mind questions that have been
handled by former legislatures Nearly
all the important legislation that now
is i'm sight is directed at clearing up
methods Of legislative operation. and,
generally speaking. such laws do not
interest the general Indiana public.
except to "A degree. The state seems
I either to be extremely tired OF pOlif-
ical issues or the issues themselves
seem 10 have been covered with blan-
ket of JnimpOrtance.
This condition is hardly true Of the
primary election law situation. al
though the DOluclauS are making
more Ip-capitaf out Of even that
question than the dear people care a
thing about. ON the primary situa-
tion and how the legislature handles it
may hinge % Il great extent the fu-
ture OF the democratic party in the
state, but the republicans are not car
ing particularly how the question is
manipulated. except that they desire.
OF course. TO put the democrats lin "a
hole" on that or any other question
il they can.
Kern Wants Made Law.
John Worth Kern the Junior SEN
at0r from Indiana e-il he a candidate
for reelection. He is insisting strong
IS on a statewide primary iaw being
passed by this legislature. such q law
ne and his friends believe. would be-
the easier road 10 denomination Tor
him Meanwhile Gov RalstOn. whom
many democrats have and ere men
tioning as a possible successor TO
Kern. has "shied or" appreciably from
the statewide primary law plank I'm
the democratic state platform and it
now seems probable that this session
Of the legislature. unless additional
furore is raised over the question, viii
touch lightly II at an on the primary
question Raiston still favors the con-
ventiOn system Of state nominations
as do his friends. With him in this
stand are such men as William II
O'Brien. alleged candidate for g0yCr-
nor in 1915. who. likewise. would tara