The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-05-29

by paid agents who stay here and help to
plan measures of obstruction. Vast sums of
money have been spent in one way and an
other, and many people believe corruption
has reached some of the members. Taken
altogether it is a spectacle which no good
citizen can desire TO see repeated in the
State.
Just now the low-license wing of the Dem
oerats are attempting to throw discredit on
the measure by a subterfuge like this: On
the second reading of the BILL Mr.. Gregg of
Saline county, highlicense Democrat offer
ed an amendment to the bill in order to make
the penalties now attaching to violation of
the dram-shop act applicable in cases of vio
lation of the high-license act He drew up
his amendment, and on the evening preced-
ing the morning on which he offered it, he
gave the copy to a reporter, and it was
printed the next morning. Mr.. Gregg
clipped it from the paper and offered it in
the House For an entire day
the opposi ton fought it, but it was finally
adopted. When the clerks came to engross
the bill for the third reading they found that
in quoting the title of the dram-shop act the
word resulting" had been used, either by
Mr., Gregg or by the printers, instead of the
word arising (from the sale OF intoxicating
liquors, etc., and the chief clerk of the
House corrected the error by having the ex-
act word in the title substituted. The oppo-
sition found out that this difference of word,
tHoasu Vic EAAdnHe CONiu HOb dueCb tue Dill
in the slightest degree, existed and they got
an opinion that it would nullify the law.
Accordingly, they ceased opposition, and de-
termined to let it pass. AT last they thought
to examine the engrossed bill, and there they
found the title to the dram-shop act correctly
quoted. Then they demanded an investiga-
ton, alleging a Justification of the record.
The friends of the bill instantly ordered the
inquiry, and will show in a few min
uteS all there is in the case.
This will obtain the approval of the House.
and thus the little flaw they had expected to
work into the bill will be cured The best
lawyers in the Legislature say it could not
have affected the validity of the act to retain
the former word, and neither could it by
changing it to the other, the dram shop act
being fully designated in the amendment
without any part of its title being quoted.
This is a sample of the desperate means
employed to defeat a measure for which
there is a stronger popular demand in this
state to-day than for any other that has
been proposed in the last ten years. Men
have stood on the floor of the House and OPP
posed the bill in face of the demands of
their constituents, and one member (from
Christian county, declared the almost unani-
nous sentiment of his people was opposed
to it, That very evening the city council of
his own city (raylorville) having a large
majority of his own political faith, fixed sa-
loon licenses at 81 900, while this bill only
makes them $500 as the maximum So, too,
In Green county, Democratic county. The
city council of Carrallton, the county seat
of that county, also q Democratic body, a
few nights ago, put the rate for licenses up
to 81, 200, and the Democratic member from
that county acts in opposition to this bill.
such contradictions are numerous, and con-
stitute one of the puzzles, not to say suspi-
cious facts, connected with it.