The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-03-05
I-ND1ANAPoLIs, March ]

4 80
time vet remains, and into that week
must be damned an amount of labor
which, in justice, ought to consume
three weeks. Why so much remains
nndoue at this late hour, so much of
iudicious legislation that cannot by
any possibility be reached in the next
six days, may be accounted for in diff
ferent ways. One is, that much time
is consumed in discussing points Of
order. because the Speaker of the
House had no legislative experience
when he assumed his responsible
duties as such. Yet the Senate is as
far behind 10 legislative work as the
House, with all the advantages of an
experienced presiding officer, and
several very able parliamentarians to
keep the raw hands" in the bounds
of order aud propriety.
But aside from the Senatorial con
test. which consumed so much time
in the early part of the session, per-
haps one of the chief causes of delay,
Is the disposition on the Democratic
side to fllibuster whenever a meas
nre is proposed which they dislike.
AS an example of this we may men
ton a matter which Immediately CON
Germs your city, as enacted IN the
House last week. The last General
Assembly amended your city charter,
so as to require the payment of the
city tax for the current year before
Offering to vote at any municipal
election, of which fact the T~reasurer's
receipt was the evidence, or a certif-
cate from the Auditor showing that
no taxes we're charged on the tax
duplicate against the person offering
to vote. This, as the result showed,
opened the door for immense frauds
in the matter of elections, both by
preventing honest poor men from
voting, and In allowing any scamp to
vote who was certified to as owing no
city taxes. Thus much of explana-
ton for the general reader, for the
citizens. of Evansvi lie understand the
matter thoroughly.
That law is plainly unconstitu-
t%iOnal, because 1t makes indebted
ness TO disqualify a man from vot-
ing, though he should be a white
male citizen of the United States of
the age of twenty one years and up
wards, and a resident of the township
or precinct. QUIZ ii u law is upon
the statute books, it must be regarded
until repealed or set aside by the
courts. All good sober minded men
who arc concerned, certainly desire
its repeal, for the reasons just stated,
and for that purpose Mr.. Kercheval
introduced a bill into the House some
weeks ago. which was prepared by
Ex-Mayor Baker. Mr.. Welborn first
agreed and then very politely refused,
TO give it his support, and when 1T
was referred to the Committee on
Elections, he advised them to report
it back for indefinite postponement,
which a majority of them did. Mr..
Kercheval, however, represented the
facts to the other members of the COM
mittee who were not present when the
bill was considered by the Committee,
and they very promptly presented a
minority report, recommending It's
passage. Mr.. Welborn being absent
when the reports were taken up, Mr..
X. waived the consideration of the
matter until that gentleman should be
in his seat. Then began the dis
graceful scene which has been already
alluded TO.
Mr.. Kercheval briefly stated the
facts Gas we have referred to them
already requiring the passage of the
bill, to answer the ends of justice.
Mr.. Welborn replied In invective
and abuse, without so much as deny
ing a single proposition named. His
speech was exceedingly vindlctlve and
bitterly partisan throughout.
When he closed, Mr.. COtfroth, the
Democratic lion of the House, took
up the war cry, and closed by making
q motion to table the motion already
before the House, on which motion
he demanded the ayes and noes. Be-
fore, however, the vote began, he
raised a point of order, which, being
decided against him by the Chair, he
appealed from the decision, and on
that again demanded the ayes and
noes, and on that question he asked
to be excused from voting, and on
that he again demanded the ayes and
noes, and then on the question of ex-
cusing Mr.. y. frem voting, Mr.. Well
born asked to be excused from voting,
and on that he demand the ayes and
noes, which the Speaker decided to
be out of order, and from that decis-
ion MIR. Coffroth again appealed, and
on that again demanded the yes and
noes. Thus was consumed about an
hour and a half of precious time, and
the ARRAY was only ended by a motion
to table the whole matter-appeal,
bill, and motions, all together.
Again, on Saturday morning, Mr..
Kercheval wisely moved to take from
the table only the bill and reports,
leaving the appeal aud pending mo-
tons all behind, which prevailed.
Then Mr.. Welborn again began his
fusilade, by submitting points of
order, making dilatory motions, call
ing the ayes and noes. &c, which
failed to serve any purpose, except to
consume the time OF the House. He
also asked to be excused from voting
on the main question, and thereupon
demanded the ayes and noes, but he
was not excused. The morning hour
was thus frittered away, and nothing
done; but the matter must come up
again in a day or two, and Mr.. w.
will dodge 1t if he can. How he and
his colleague, Mr.. Calvert, can justify
themselves before their constituents
in this matter, is not very easy to see,
even in the light of political partisan
ship. The whole matter was doubt
less pr%econcerted among the Demo-
crats, for they worked in harmony.
but already this rambling squib is
too long. so farawon