Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1883-05-09
Defeat of the Amendment.

In our issue OF week before iasI, III
speaking Of the defeat of the Prohlo.
itory Constitutional Amendment bill
in the House at Harrisburg, we stated
that "Mr. Ziegler, one of our members
seems not to have voted" This was
on the vote on the motion of Crawford,
. Philadelphia member, who made
motion to reconsider the vote by which
the bill had just been defeated, because
Of the compensation rider" Craw-
ford, when be made the motion to re-
consider, stated that he did SO 'for the
purpose Of trying to kill the bill, so as
to get it out of the way" So that this
matter may be understood; when a
motion Is made to reconsider vote
lust taken, and that motion is voted
do,cn, then, under the parliamentary
rule. the measure is. killed entirely, and
cannot be brought up again. Craw-
ford, who was an enemy of the Amend
ment bill, plainly stated that this was
his object, to-wit to get the bill "out
of the way" entirely. And he, there
fore, voted against hie own motion
himself, and called upon others to do
likewise, which they did, and thus the
House refused to reconsider and bring
the question again before them. Had
they reconsidered and thus kept the
bill alive. or before the House, then
there was yet hope and room for further
effort in it's behalf. There was bill
in the Senate, and by conference com.
mittees or otherwise, the will of the
people might not have been tramped
down and frustrated as it has been
More than half q million Of the bes
citizens OF the State petitioned the
Legislature to merely submit the ques
ton Of the Amendment to them to'
their votes. The people ardently de
sired to have vote on it and no great
er outrage could have been committed
by any Legislature than this one b.
denying them that privilege. Mr.
Donly voted with the friends of tn
bill to reconsider the vote by which
the bill had been defeated. Mr.. Ziegler
we end from the Record, did not uot
upon that motion. 1t was, therefore
correct as we first stated, week befor
last, and not strictly correct as W
stated last week, to-wit: that "Thei
votes (Messrs. DoDly and Ziegler
were all favorable to the Amendment.
Because, Mr.. Ziegler's failure to vote t
reconsider would not be fayorable t
the Amendment. And we make thi
correction of our remarks last weel
and do 80 in order that the exact trut
may be known and no misunderstant
ing be had in the matter. What W
stated last week was with reference
the votes Of our members on the bi
with the compensation rider attached
on which Mr. Ziegler voted with M
Donly, and, as we then stated, ws
favorable $50 far as we know at pre-
ent." Since then we have seen IL
Legislotiye Record and find that M
Ziegler, in order to be favorable to Il
bill, should have voted for the motto
to reconsider the vote by which it W
lost.
As there Is much regret at the 10
this bill, and at the manner in which
was, done and as our attention has be-
called to the matter by some Of o
readers, we make the above statemel
simply that the action Of our membt
in the House may be placed right
fore their constituents on this questit
We gave last week the position Of
bill that is pending in the SeDa
What may yet be done with it thu
remains to be seen.