The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1922-05-29
MAY SEEK
WET PLANK
IN PLATFORM
Big Fight On Also For AboI-
ItlOn of Public Service
Commission.
HINES BUREAU AT srA1E cAprrAlI

democratic state convention. which
will hold the center Of the politi-
cal stage this week, does not hold
out much hope of being a very
spirited affair Like the republi-
can convention las. week the dem
ocratic session will be featured by
the adoption of a platform. From
all indications the nominations
Will be made by acclamation-the
candidates in some instances being
drafted by the leaders of the party
organization.
| The big fight in the democratic
| convention Will come Wednesday
night when the resolutions COM
mittee drafts the platform. Demo
Gratis eager to obtain a plank for
the abolition Of the public service
| commission are anxious to get on
the resolutions committee which
| will insist upon such a stand Like
wise the wet element in the party
will move heaven and earth to get
liberal plank in the platform.
From the preliminary announce
ments of the democratic leaders
tit appears that some of them are
likely to run hog wild in their de-
sires to denounce boards and
commissions" They want to see
the party take a blanket stand
| against all boards. The real think
ers of the party realize such a
stand would be demagogic and are
not inclined to favor the abolition
of any board or commission.
At present there Is no faction in
the democratic party strong enough
to give battle to the controlling
group led by Thomas Taggart.
Samuel NJ Ralston, Frederick Van
| Nuys and Walter S. Chambers,
state chairman. It is, therefore,
| certain that the policies already
determined upon by these men viii
go into the platform. In rough
way these policies are:
Repeal of the present state tax
law and the building of new
| statute based on the original law
of 1891 and featuring the home
rule" idea.
A plank severely criticising the
expenditure Of the s,ate highway
commission for maintenance.
A blanket Endorsement of the
| w lSOn
| specific reference to the League OF
| Nations,
Promise of lower taxes and econ
| omy in state government
No mention. directly or Indirectly
of the wet and dry question:
| Complete sileDce relative to the
repeal of the statewide direct pri-
| mary.
The party leaders are still look
! ing for some bright persons who
will be able to devise a good plank
relative to the public service COM
| mission. The republican plank de-
claring for the repeal of the utilities
law or the amending of it to make
it responsive to the peoples well
fare took the democrats og their
feet. This was the last thing. the
democrats dreamed the republicans
would put in their platforms.
Prior TO the adoption of the re-
publican plank the democrats had
been looking forward to the cam
paign thunder of bitter denuncia-
ton of the public service commission
the tax commission. and the admin
istration of the highway commits
sion. Just how they can take fall
out Of the utilities commission,
which will be more forceful than
the republican plank. without get
ting their feet too wet is the su-
preme task before the democrats.
They are particularly bitter in
their denunciation of the trainers
of the republican public service COM
mission plank. They declare 1t steals
the democratic thunder and yet does
not say anything after all. But 1t
was this exact thing the democrats
had hoped to do. They realized they
could not go before people in good
grace and advocate the repeal of the
service commission because IL is
their baby They did not like the
idea of jumping all over the admin
istration of the public service COM
mission constantly and have in near
ly and have in nearly every in
stance agreed with the majority
members on all orders passed.
But the plain fact is. leaders on
both sides of the political fence
agree. that all the ranting about the
commission is largely bunk and that
made solely for the purpose of cap
italizing popular displeasure against
the commission. They point out that
the commission will not be abolish
ed by either party because there is
no other better way known of hand
ling these big businesses which are
monopolistic in their very nature.
More than that there are 100000.
600 of capital invested in them in
Indiana and there are something like
40 900 men and women of Indiana
stockholders in these institutions.
With all this at stake. they declare.
majority Of $50 sane legislators vo-
ting to throw all this wealth in
which the entire public is vitality
concerned into a state Of chaos.
The candidates for democratic
so far made known are
Robert Bracken. of Frankfort. for
secretary of State; George DeHority
of Elwood, treasurer OF state: Dan
iel Mcintosh, of Worthington, state
Superintendent of public instruction,
joseph II. SHEA, of Indianapolis.
judge of the supreme court, and the
following men for the four nomina-
court, Joseph Collier. of Indianapolis,
Claude Ball of Muncie. Edward Me-
Cabe. of Williamsport. Valentine e
of Covington.
The leaders are trying to get Mr.
Bracken to run for auditor of state
for some reason or other but he has