The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-04-20
THE LATE LEGISLATURE.
Governor Gray's Estimate OF The Work
Performed.
The Legislature. in the Value Of It's
Laoors, Will Compare Favor
ably With Any o. It's Pre-
decesEors."

law-mskiDg body OF the State, and that he
had been close observer of men aud meas
urts for many years, Sentinel reporter
called upon him on Saturday and requested
tina. he would give his estimate OF the late
Legislature 90 compared with others with
which he was familiar. Re replied substan-
italy IS follows:
in my estimation no finer body of men
ever assembled In the legislative halls Of the
State tran that which composed the last Leg
ielatGre. Many of them were men Of expe-
Tience, and it way be said generally that
they all appeared to have high conception
OF their duty, and this was discharged honest
y and faithfully. 1 hardly think any legis-
latiye body ever assembled here under so
many pledges &c it's constituency to work
for the passage of local measures, and it
may be said with truth that more local bills
were passed than at any former session. 1t
was the pledges made to their constituency
10 pass certain local bills that, think, pre-
vented the consideration OF the General APP
Precipitation bill and necessitatsd a special
csssioD. The members were urgently re-
cuested by their constituency TO forward GER
tain measures which were regarded "a of
vest importance 10 the sections TO which
they applied, and the members pursued
very vie course in granting as far as posi-
bic the prayers OF the people whom they
were elected TO serve.
Prior to 1852 the Legislature met in an
uusl sessions but Under the constitution
adopted at that tine the sessions have been
bieDnislly held, except when emergencies
led TO the calling OF the body together in ex-
ira session. At the time of the adoption of
the prefent constitution sixty one days was
possibly enough in which to transact the bust
MSS OF the State, but In wealth and popule-
ton Indiana has outgrown her organic law
III this respect and sixty-one days biennially
Is now hardly sufficient in which to transsc
the legislative business which comes
before The body. The greater or more
diversified the interest OF the people the
more time will be found necessary TO har
moniZe the conflicting views Of the repre-
ssntativss who assemble together, to the end
that Jcst and equitable laws may be made,
laws that will provide alike for ali sections
ard all classes. In this connection, il may
be stated that Indiana has less legislation
than any other State OF its wealth and popu-
lation IN the Union. In my opinion, the
people will Judge the Legislature more by
its work than on account OF the time il con-
sumed in accomplishing the work. as for
my part ! was snziGus not TO have q special
session. bat ii was unavoidable and do not
think the State coald have gotten along
without it.
in one respect from many OF its predecessors.
1t wss diEtincfively a IaboIing mans Legisla-
tuTe. 1t appeared TO seek out and remedy
many laws regarding labor and lsboFing
men. The law making the vsge5 OF laborsrs
TO the amount of $50 preferred claims in
cafes CT suspension or assignment OF persons
or corporations is one that applies remedy
for many cases where great suffering is en-
tailed by business fsiluTes. The claims OF
such men are generally small and, owing to
the expense incident TO litigation, hardly
worth while going into the courts to collect
but in the aggregate they frequently
smcgnt to large sums The new law, MAX
ing such wages preferred claims, insures the
laboring man at least a few dollars with
which to support his family till be can find
ment OF the employer. The law requiring
that laboreTs shall be paid monthly is another
designed TO protect them from the conse-
queDees of business embarrassments for
which they are in no sense responsible.
"Still another law, which can not be too
highly praised, Is that requiring the polls to
be opened at o'clock in the morning In
stead OF o'clock, as heretofore. Under the
operations of this law the laboring men Of
the State can cast their ballots before going
TO their work In the morning. and will be
particularly free FROM those Influences which
have been brought to bear upon them when
they appear at later hour. Again, when
the polls have been opened at 8 late hour
and closed st 6 in the evening, the laborng
man really had but one, and that the noon
hour, in which TO cast his suffrage. When
his place OF labor was situated at any great
distance from his voting precinct, 1t often
became a physical impossioility for him
TO attend the polls and return to
his work without being 'docked" on account
of lost time Thus the old law worked q
hardship, and in so far as its operations de-
prived any BRING man from exercising his
rfCh nj crf MA 81 In ruI cir q
remedy for this defect the Legislature acted
very wisely. The argument made against
the MEASURE at first, that it would open the
door TO fraud, wss not based upon = popular
appreciation OF the average labcring mans
character. IN whose interest the bill was
drawn 1t is not from the outsider that the
election laws suffer, and especially not from
the laborer, who generally casts his suffrage
end leaves for the work that demands his at
tention.
necessary by the failure of the Appropria-
ton bill two years ago, the General Appro
pristion bill far the ensuing two years, and
The bills providing means for the COM
Tletion OF the State house and the new Hos
pstals for the Insane. were seYerally passed
sud have bscoms laws. / think very little,
il sDy. vicious legislation was enacted" and
the Governor concluded by mentioning,
among others, the following list of bills, q
careful study OF which. he said, wonld show
me Denf CT the Legislative mind and prove
that their assembling had not been in vain
An set providing that all cities OF towns having
apopnlstion OF less than 1900. msy provide for
the collection OF iuch municipal taxes through
the County Treasury.
An set limiting the amount OF taxes that may
he levied by County Commissioners. in cities OF
towns having voting population of over 800.
An act 70 protect the ballot box, prevent the
purchasing OF votes. and prescribing penalties.
An act giving laoorers and persons furnishing
materials IL the construction Of railroads a lien
on TIE read. bridges. ETC.. IN the county where
the labor was Performed and the materials
furnished.
An act Known IS the "Civil Rights BILL
An act making the laborcT preferred creditor
m certain cases
An act prohibiting telegraph and telephone
companies from discriminating between patrons
A N set nhihitino ernploHment Of chiid be- l.,