South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-12-18
Appointment of Lee Puts
Spike in Plans Goodrich
Had Dream of Spnnging

I ing republicans have been men,
toned recently and as each was
mentioned. the man named ngura-
lively wiped his lips in preparation
/ for the piece Of pie ne was 10 get
Some asked what Goodrich would
do IL the democratic majority OF
/ the commission did not resign To
/ these answer was made that Chair
man Thomas Duncan's term expires
Nav /. 1917. and that at the worst
the new governor would swing into
control Of the commission at that
I date and would be able 10 distri-
/ butte the patronage.
others talked of "legislating" the
I entire commission out OF office with
I the aid Of the republican legislature.
/ But these saw the election returns
/ come in with mucn misgiving. And
I when they were told that the re-
publican lieutenant governor-elect.
Edgar y. Bush. Of Salem. under the
/ constitution, would not be allowed
/ 10 east his vote on an enactment
/ into law. but merely on questions
pertaining 10 the rules OF the sen
/ ate. the faces of these men fell ap-
3 preciably and they fell back on the
supposition that the pie in the pub
I lie service commission would be
| forthcoming May OF next year,
I anyway.
jig Il Up Again.
And then-this week Gov Raj
! ston announced that ne had ap-
pointed Edwin NJ. Lee 20 member
ship on the commission and the Jig
was up again, although many did
not realize it at the time and it is
/ just beginning TO soak in now.
For Ed Lee will not play the
! game that Gov.-elect James p
| Goodrich wants him 20 play-not
| for one minute. ON organization
matters, relating 70 the patronage
and other similar questions before
{ the commission, Lee will be found
/ voting with the democrats every
! time-at least under the present po-
/ litical situation in Indiana.
I At present there are three demo-
cratic members of the commission.
/ one republican and one progress
/ sive The term of Chairman Dun
/ can expires May 1. but none of the
/ other democrats go out Of office
| then. Thus, two ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
/ a. Edwards and Edwin COrr-will
be left on the commission - and
/ the redoubtable Lee. This makes
( three and the best Goodrich can do
will be TO get the remaining two
/ republican votes on such organiza-
! tiOnal matters as he may desire.
Can Hold I'm PatrOnaOp
! The Indiana utility law prescribes
( that the commission itself shall
! handle all patronage matters and
/ similar organization work. Edwin
/ Corr, Charles A Edwards and Ed
win NJ Lee, voting together, can
prevent the entire Goodrich admin
/ istration from having any of the
4 patronage OF the public service com
mission for as long as their own
terms continue, which is several
+ years from now
( But the republicans again imme-
/ diately said that the way, under
such conditions. would be easy for
I the republican legislature to wipe
/ out the entire present personnel of
/ the commission and leave Goodrich
/ free 10 reappoint the entire COM
mission and reorganize it. And then
H., somebody called attention 20 the
| fact that the Indiana senate would
] be evenly divided between the re-
/ publcans and democrats. with one
former bull mooser making the to-
tai 20 votes for the republicans. And
/ then il finally dawned on the gen
! tlemen, who were licking their lips.
/ that Gov. Samuel NJ RalstOn may
have slipped one over on the in
/ coming administration about as
/ cleverly as could be done For il
is not visible at this moment that
Mr.. GOodrich's republican legisla-
ture' can wipe out the commission
not while il takes a majority vote
of the senate TO pass bill into law.
And that is the reason the demo-
Gratis in Indiana today are wearing
rather broad smiles. when you speak
| OF the Lee appointment.