The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-02-06
1882 ELECTION
SHADOW CAST
ON ASSEMBLY
Half Way Mark Near But
important Tax Bills
Still Waiting.
TACTFUL ACTION RARE
McKeSson Billed to Use
Lash in Effort to Fulfill
Party Pledge.
TACTFUL ACTION RARE
BY BEN STERN.

With the outcome OF Ine 1891
election hanging in the balance, the
seventy-seventh general assembly
will pass the half way mark Mon
day.
The curtain rising on the second
half Of the biennial show will reveal
Representative DELPHI L. McKesSon
CMarshalD, Democratic floor leader,
in the most important role of his
political career-that Of Simon
Legree cracking the whip over the
backs of his colleagues in an ef-
Tort TO effect passage Of tax reform
measures.
This will be the first grand ges-
ture Of authority to be made by the
party floor leader, who has been
the subject of acrimonious criticism
for his alleged lack Of flnesse and
tact.
Upon McKesson's leadership next
week not only hangs his own poll
teal fate, but what is infinitely
more important, that OF his party,
which pledged itself in the 1880
platform to lift the tax burden from
real estate.
Those veterans who stand outside
the house rail and many who sit
within 1t are doubling whether any
important tax relief measures will
be passed this session.
DfIaEory Tactics Evident
They base their beliefs upon the
dilatory tactics pursued by the joint
committee on taxation which, 1t Is
said, is as lacking in knowledge To-
day of any real solution of the tax
problem as it was a month ago.
Even II McKesson succeeds in
obtaining house passage for those
measures to which the party is
pledged, namely: A levy on pri-
vate and corporation incomes and a
tax on tobacco and malt sales, 1t
is extremely doubtful if they would
pass the senate.
And there lies the joker in the
political deck. If such bills are
passed by the house, and there is
no reason to doubt that this will
occur, and if they die in the senate,
the Republican majority, which is
now largely myth, will be held
responsible in 1882.
Senate Leader Played
Bitter as is the criticism of Nc
Kesson's leadership, it is but mild
compared with the disgust of the
real leaders of the Republican par
ty with what they term the lack
OF political sagacity, diplomacy and
generalship displayed by Senator
Lee j. Hartzel Noble and Allen,
president pro tenn.
Upon Hartzell, acting as ventrilo-
quist's doll for Lieutenant Governor
Edgar d. Bush, can be placed the
blame for the needless slight put
upon Senator James j. Nejdl Rep.,
Lake. over the question Of passage
Of the old age pension bill.
This affront caused the Lake
county veteran to turn upon his
colleagues and in an unchecked flow
Of language, berate them for failing
to act as gentlemen in inviting him
TO a party caucus on the bill.
Declaring that he would from
now on vote with the minority,
Nejdl, like Achilles, is sulking in his
tent and Bush and Hartzel will be
forced, it is said, to call upon the
heads of the state committee to
exert their Establishments to soothe
the rufned feelings Of not only the
Lake county senator, but of his
friends.
Peace Making Necessary
The most politically sagacious
man in the state G.. o. P. councils
has predicted the committee will
have to step into the breach and
mend matters in order TO save the
party's face.
Hopes of the opponents Of the
direct primary TO push through a
repeal measure are ephemeral. Even
if the primary death bill would pass
in the senate, McKesson has openly
declared his intention of killing the
measure in the house.
THE men and women who are not
actively engaged in politics want
the primary law to remain on the
books so that the rank and file of
each party may indicate prefer
ences," declared McKesSon. 1T is
their voices which we must heed"
The house Democrats are expect
cd to pass the voters registration
law and the anti-injunction bill next
week. Leaders point out that the
first fulfills a pledge to the Indiana
League Of Women Voters and the
second should bind labor to the
party for several campaigns.
Greater Cut Urged
1t will be the house which will
also slash the biennial budget ap-
preparation bill when 1t comes down.
Although a cut of 100000 in the
budget has been made by members
of that committee, house leaders
are saying it is not enough; and
the best way to solve the tax prob
lem is to reduce expenditures.
The highway probe is bearing
fruit and bitter fight will be waged
by Senator Charles Strey CRep.,
KosciuSko and Wabash) to make
the commission full time, appointed
by the Governor with the ratifica-
ton Of the senate.
Attorney General James NJ. Og-
den's charges concerning the dis
position of a $1,000 check for pro
motional expenses in which he in
volved Calvin T. Mcintosh, public
service commissioner, have as yet
failed to bear fruit, and there ap-
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