The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1920-07-23
GOODRICH FORCES
CONTROL SESSION
Watson and Mccray Assist Governor
In Forcing Through 'LegalIzatlon
ct Horizontal Tax Increases.
JOKER Is FOUND IN THE BILL

first week OF the special session of
the Indiana legislature dispelled all
doubts that Governor Goodrich had
lost control OF the Republican state
machine. From the time the law
makers took their seats Monday aft
ended. there was no time that the
hand OF Goodrichism was not evident
and one OF the anomalies presented
was the manner in which Republican
leaders from Senctor Watson on
down played the governors game In
stemming anything that indicated a
revolt against the "rubber.stamp"
program.
Governor Goodrich. in his message,
was obliged to confess that the best
legislature In fifty years had made
numerous mistakes and he made
tacit admission that he had sum
moned the extra session in order to
patch up the deficient administra-
tive record. He admitted that the
tax law, which he and the Republican
organization had praised. was fail
ure and he asked the assembly to
legalize the horizontal increases
that had been declared invalid by
the supreme court
Probably no other feature OF the
tax law had been as unpopular as the
arbitrary elevation OF assessments
by the state board Of tax commission
ers and 1t looked for time as II the
governor would have trouble In push
Ing through his measure. The In
diana Federation of Farmers took a
decided stand against 1t and things
looked dark, for many Of the legisla-
tors hailed from the agricultural dis,
tricts.
Powerful aid, however, came at the
beckon of Goodrich In the person OF
Warren T. McCray, Republican nomi-
nee for governor. McCray conceded
with the governors views and was
instrumental In lining up the law
makers for the measure. Two OF his
campaign managers, Lawrence Lyons
Of Brook and Fred B. Robinson Of In
dfanapclis, worked openly about the
state house In behalf Of the legaliza.
ton measure and many important
| conferences are said to have been
held In the candidates headquarters
in the Claypool hotel.
AS a result the bill went through
the House with a Republican ma
jority, the Democrats refusing to
sanction the all too apparent at
tempt to override the opinion OF the
high court.
Goodrich's economy plea, which he
uttered over the state during bis
campaign, was badly shattered by
the introduction Of administration
bills calling for appropriations Of
nearly 100000. In fact the session
Is being referred TO as the two-mil
lion assembly and It has become evi
dent that the finances demanded will
ell but deplete the treasury before
the year Is out.
The Democrats came to the rescue
of the session when It was struggling
with eight different administration
bills designed to amend the election
and registration laws in order TO pro
vide for women voting and a more
simplifed form OF registration. Evan
B. Stotsenburg, formerly Democratic
state attorney-general, revised the
various bills into one comprehensive
measure, and 1t was adopted.
Joint bills introduced by Senator
Edward P Elsner and ]. L. Axby
Democrats. designed to make women
voters eligible to public office and
Jury service, were killed without
mercy by the Republicans because
they lacked merit at this time"
An innocent-looking. clause IN the
administration tax bill provides thai
bonds held on sewage disposal plants
shall be non-taxable. 1t Is now re
called that the governor and some Of
his trusted lieutenants were stock
! holders OF a company which saddlec
disposal plant on the city OF Indi
annapolis for $4,000 shortly after one
OF the stockholders, Jet Norman
had testified that 1t was not worth
more than $4,000.
Persons familiar with that deal
rghich has been the subject OF much
..lverse comment here ever since Il
was contaminated. are charging now
that the proviso exempting those
bonds from taxation was inserted
for the benefit OF the administrator
| clique who are holding the securities
lnasmuch as the bill was one Of those
printed by the governor before the
session convened. II is thought thai
II was carefully planned and was In
serted among number OF Other
items in order to camoufage II from
tie eyes Of the legislators
The Democratic members OF the
committee that considered the bill
detected the ruse and refused 10 sigr
he report, but even after the Repub
licans had been warned they insisted
on reporting the measure out with
out modification
The outstanding development o.
the week shows all too clearly tha
l Governor Goodrich has manipulated
the session according 10 his owl
ideas and that the Republican lead
ers have been brought TO q realiza
ton that In the campaign this fal