The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1915-01-04
Legislators Face Little Diff
Guilty Dodging Job-Hunt"
ers as Workers See APP
continents Decrease.
PARTY TO ECONOMIZE
Bedwell Leads Field in Race
for Speakership With Nib
lack and Brannaman in
Running.

XNO1Al<AIoLlS, a. y
leaders are clearing the decks for the
converting Of the siXty-ninth session
Of the Indiana General Assembly here
Thursday morning. The House and
the Senate will meet then to organize
and to hear Governor Ralston deliver
his biennial message. 1t has been the
custom to adjourn on the first Thurs
day to the following Monday, but it Is
probable that the legislature will meet
Friday morning and decide to go in
q body to Tomlinson Hall in the af
ternoon to listen to the address of
President Wilson.
Few Request Jobs.
The situation confronting the mem
bers Of the legislature is rather
unique Probably there never has
been another time in the history Of
this state when the job hunters were
not storming the Capitol for the pat
ronage which is a part Of the regu-
lar legislative grind. The Democra-
tic workers will get the positions be-
cause their party is in control, but
only a few have asked for the places.
IT appears that the Democratic solOns
are not going to have the usual diff
Guilty in lodging the patriots who
have invented all sorts Of reasons
why they should receive favors.
The Democratic House caucus will
be presided over by Representative
Jones of Plymouth. The candidates
for the speakership, besides Bedwell,
are John c. Branaman of BroWnstown,
Fred L. Feick Of Garrett, Mason J.
Niblack Of Vincennes and William
Habermel of Corydon. Unless there
IS a change in the situation all Of the
candidates will go before the caucus.
Parties Play Economy.
1t is believed that the charge made
by the Republicans Of wild extrav-
agance by the Democrats at the last
session and the recent indictments of
several men on the charge of present
ing false claims against the state has
caused most of the party workers to
decide that the jobs are not worth
as much as they were In former years.
With the Democratic leaders clamor-
ing for strict economy and the Re-
publcans ready to play the economy
role to the very limit the patronage
willnot be as heavy as in former SEES
sions and there is probability OF the
Job holders having to do some real
work or be divorced from the pay roll.
BedweI Seems Favorite.
The most peculiar feature Of the sit
uation is the almost entire lack OF In
terest in the race for the speaEersh1p.
This is the first time in recent years
that there has not been 4 red-hot race
Tor the speakership, either among the
Republicans or the Democrats. The
outlook is that Charles Fl. BedWell OF
Sullivan will be elected speaker. prob
ably on the first or second ballot. He
seems to be far ahead Of the other
candidates and there Is no issue in
volyed that would aid the field in max
Ing a combination against him.
Bedwell has the active support OF
Governor RalstOn and most of his ap
pointees. Most Of the state officials
favor him National Commit eemar
Taggart recently declared for Bedwel
but is not taking an active part In the
contest. Bedwell was member OF
the House two years ago and was
considered one Of the strong men or
the Democratic side. although he die
not make a practice Of taking part ir
the useless debates that helped tc
clog the machinery No m1chtne OF
anti-machine issue is involved in the
speakership race,
On the Senate Democratic side it Is
the understanding that Senator FREQ
Van Mugs Of Anderson will be elected
president pro tenn. which carries with
It the floor leadership. Representa-
tive jesse Eschbach Of Warsaw viii
receive the Republican compliment
tary vote for speaker. Arthur Robin
son Of Indianapolis is mentioned fol
the complimentary vote Of the Repub
licans for president pro tenn. Of the
Senate.