The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1917-02-27
TIMES BUREAU,
aT STATE CAPITAL.


AT STATE CAPITAL.
INDIANAP0LIS. IND Feb @f--
There was just as much uneeFtal''S
over the situation regarding the rate on
the excise tax bill today as on any pre-
cedfnr day. for nobody was able To tel'
what was going To happen 20 II. ING
bin was a special order Of business lh
the senate yesterday afternoon put Az
was postponed until this afternoon p5
the close vote OF IS TO "a. When lhF
vote was taken on the motion TO posi-
pone consideration of the bill 70 tni5
afternoon. ali eff the Democratic soma
tors voted against it except summons
and Pracken. and Senator Nejdl - LAKE
county. The insurgent Republican, voted
with them This made twentS-iouF
votes against the postpon ement. Buu
all OF the pubicans except NeJat Not-
cd for the postponement, and these. with
simmons and Bracken. Democrats made
twenty-six in favor of the postpone
mcnt.
some Of the supporters Of the bin err
pressed the belief that this vote was
a fairly good test of the real situation
in the senate on this bill. They said
they believed that the final vote on the
passage Of the bill would be Is to "a
But others were of the opinion that II
did not represent the real situation
They called attention 70 the fact that
Senator Wolfson. Of Indianapolis. al-
ready had said he was opposed to the
bill and would vote against it, although
he voted yesterday to postpone consid-
Grafton until today. Whether he has
changed his mind and VIII vote 10 pass
the bill remains TO be seen.
Senator McConaha of Richmond. is
another Republican about whom there
appeared to be some doubt. II was said
last Saturday that r would vote 20
pass the bill, but wheh@he came back to
this city Monday morning. after spend
ing Sunday al home, il was said he had
changed Ii is known that ne was sub
iected 70 a bombardment by manufac-
turers and corporation men at Rich
mond on Sunday. but he made no am
nouncement Of his frame of mind yes
terday. y large delegation of Rich
mond manufacturers and business men
came over yesterday to see the finish of
the excise tax bill fight, and to make
their presence and their influence felt
on McConaha When the bill went over
till today these men said they would be
here again
There is a great possibility that the
vote on the passage of the excise tax
bill this afternoon may be a tie. % 10 25-
In that event it would be up to Lieu
tenant Governor Bush to carry out his
intention. announced at the opening of
the present session. TO cast the deciding
vote i'm u tie on the passage Of the bill.
It is believed that the Lieutenant Gov
ernor viii vote aye. if the occasion
arises. and this would pass the bin with
a vote Of 20 to %.
Although many corporation men and
manufacturers from over the state were
stiI seeking TO influence senators to
vote against the bin. today. it was
fact that a great many of the leading
corporation men who were opposed to
the bill in the first place had changed
their position after the bill had been
explained to them. and that they had
withdrawn their opposition. Among
them were some of the largest concerns
in the state-those who would be tho
hardest hit by the excise tax levy. 1t
was evident that when any reasonable
and fair minded man had listened to the
explanation of the real purpose and
workings of the bin he would be con-
WINGED that ii was correct i'm principle
and that 1T ought to be- passed. This
was strong point I'm favor of the pass
age Of the bin by the senate, and sup
porters Of the bill were using it in a
strong effort to convince some of the
senators that they ought to withdraw
their opposition and support the meas
ure
Senate Democrats. however. have am
nounced their intention to slaughter all
of the legislation that has been propos-
of the bills against which they have di-
rected their fire. They have been I'M
able. however to get Senators Simmons
and Bracken to fall in line with this
Nejdl Republican. to help them.