South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-12-11
Liquor Question is Sure to
Play Prominent Part in the
State Legislature Meetings

/ follow that 10 be given on the first
Gay of the session by Samuel NJ
;alston. the retiring governor.
u is not known definitely whether
Gov Ralston will touch on state
wide prohibition. but il is good
guess that he will not. However.
he has publicly said ne Will demand
the enactment OF law, or the pas
sage Of a resolution providing for
the calling Of a constitutional con-
Nention In his innermost thoughts.
il is known. ne believes that the
only constitutional and proper way
10 solve both the liquor problem ana
the woman suffrage problem is by
stitutional convention.
VIII Be Burning Issues.
This set Of circumstances does not
necessarily mean that both woman
suffrage and the liquor problem viii
rot become burning issues in the
coming legislature. In fact it now is
apparent that each Of these issues
viii be the dominant ones before
this assembly. And particularly is
this true. just now, of the liquor
problem. The friends and the foes
Of the traffic have been marshaling
their forces since the curtain fell
en- the election booth that closed
last in Indiana on Nov. 4. Both
sides claim victory, whenever state
wide prohibition is mentioned. 1t
is believed that neither side is sure
Of victory now. The fight is to be
one of those that have characterized
Indiana legislatures heretofore and
that have threatened to disrupt
parties i'm the HOosier state time and
time again.
Democratic leaders in this city
and elsewhere throughout the state
are deliberately carrying out
campaign TO place the republicans
in such a position that it will be
necessary for them TO carry the
burden OF a statewide prohibition
enactment. other democratic lead
ers are planning 10 sidetrack these
more Jealous brethren.
Republicans Sidc-Stcp.
The republican leaders here are
s.de-stepping every time the liquor
question is mentioned. The anti
liquor forces are declaring that
statewide prohibition bills viii be
introduced i'm each branch of the
legislature and that enough mem
bers of both the big parties 10 more
than insure the passage of such
bills already have given their
pledges that they viii vote in sup
port of such legislation. Whether
this is true cannot be said with ac-
curacy at this time, although a week
or two ago. representatives of the
friends Of the present Proctor liquor
law in Indiana declared that even
if a statewide prohibition bill were
passed in the house, il never would
set through the senate. These men
coutendcd that at that time So SEN
ators would stand pat" behind the
present loca' option law.
Thus. the Indiana legislator, in his
own home town just now, is a per-
sonage of the utmost Importance.
and there are very, very few Of
them that have not received fire.
quent visits from ardent gentlemen
on both sides of the question, since
the election. In fact. it is report
ed on the highest authority here
that great many Of these same
legislators and many candidates,
who were not elected, spent much
OF the time prior TO the election in
lodging these same ardent gentle
men. who represent either side of
the question that now, it seems Will
oc2upy practically the bulk Of the
time OF the coming session.
Battles Are Certain.
1t is reported here from both
parties that few bills are TO be in
troduced at this session. Generally
speaking there is a comparatively
small amount of legislation that is
being considered. The republicans
are intent on forcing through their
| so-called platform measures as
/ early in the session as possible. The
democrats. on the other hand. are
/ determined TO prevent the passage
/ of any republican platform legisla-
/ ton that does not have the right
marks on it. With the assistance
/ of the equally divided senate, at
/ tempts TO pass anything over the
head of the democrats will be sights
worth going miles 10 see, it now
appears.
! 1t is known that certain informa-
ton. concerning large sums or
/ money. spent in Indiana during the