The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-03-23
THE LATE LEGISLATURE.

THE LATE LEGISLATURE.
THE PLEDGE OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND
HOW THEY WERE REDEEMED UNDER pIFFI-
CULTIEs.
To the Editor OF the Sentinel
SIR-Much has been i'd and written
about the late legislature, and, as matter of
justice, L desire to lay before your readers
lew and impartial statements, in order that
the people may know hereafter who TO trust
with power. The democrats in the cam
paign of last fall pledged the people that If
they would place them in power that thew
would bring practical reform, rstrenchment
ana economy into every branch of the
public service within the state The peonje
relying upon the promises of the semocIatis
party, placed them in power All the relief
expected must come from and through the
legislature. The legislature met-has had
Its say snd do. and its action has become a
matter OF history. Did the democratic
party redeem its pledges? 1t is well known
That the legislature adjourned after using mp
all the time allowed by law
without accomplishing anything practical
towards redeeming the promises made
TO the people. The question arises, whose
fault is 1t? Was the democratic or republi-
can party responsible for the failuref I'm
questionably the republicans of the Senate
were wholly responsible There was 81
democrats in the House, being a clear ma
Jority OF six on the passage of che BILL The
Senate had % democrats, "a republicans.
and three independents who acted all the
time with the republicans. This gave the
republicans the absolute control of the Sem
ate. The fact is that when the regular ses-
sion was compelled to adjourn sine die on
account OF the time of the session having
expired, every measure of great importance
to the people in the way of lessening their
burdens had passed the House and was
IN POSSESSION OF THU SENATE.
The fee and salary bill, the license bill, the
bill reducing the pay of the state officers
and members of the general assembly, and
the revenue bill and the general and specific,
appropriation bills were all in the Senate
when the hour of adjournment came. This
fully establishes the tact that the democratic
House had made good their pledges 20 the
people so far as was in their power. The
Senate had each and every one of
the measures before them long enough
TO have acted upon them. Some of
these measures had been before the Senate.
for weeks without the least heed being taken
of them by that body. Had the Senate 6cted
upon these measures there would have been
no occasion for a special session. But re-
publicans were afraid TO allow these meas
ures to pass because they knew that the dem
ocratic party would have the honor and
credit, before the people, of having secured
the passage of these measures. The meas
ures OF relief to the people having failed in
the Senate, there was nothing left Tor the
House to do but to defeat the revenue and
appropriation bills. The Senate having de-
feated the bills whereby the peoples money
would be saved by hundreds of thousands of
dollars, the House determined that there
should be no taxation of the people until
these measures of relief and saving of the
public money should pass. The democrats
OF the House defeated the revenue and ap-
preparation bills upon no other grounds
There was nothing lett then for Gov. Hen
bricks to do but call special session OF the
legislature. This he did promptly, to the
GREAT DIsooNFITURE OF THE REPUBLICANS.
The governor stated tersely and sharply
what he called the special session for, and
what was expected of them by the people.
The republicans saw there was no escape for
them for having made special session nec-
essary, and if they still refused to act upon
the measures before them at the adjourn
ment, that far greater possibility would
attach TO them as party. They then with
drew their secret attempts and combinations
to defeat further legislation. Every measure
the democratic party had promised to carry
out was made good in the sbaps of q good
and wholesome law. The advantages to
accrue to the people by the passage of the
laws OF the special session, that had been de-
feated by the republicans of the Senate at
the regular session, can hardly be estima-
ted. The following is statement made
dIbtI c1ItIUl ana investigation.
The people will be sa ged even more than tho
figures below show, instead of less, saved by
of state officers:
directors salaries and ex-
penses, annually 5000
Saved by school SUPPLEMENTARY, an
nually ...... 5000
saved by grand jury-peiit jury and
court expense reduction, annually I75,OOo
saved by reduction of fees and ssla-
ries annually ..... ...... ........ $4,000
Collected from license law, annually. 20O,CO9
saved to litigantS by fee and salary
law, an nuaIIy ......... ...... 10000
Total saving TO the people annually
by the democratic party 81 10000
The difference between republicans and
democrats is that the republicans have al
ways promised but never fulfilled, while
democrats fulfill their pledges when they