The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-04-22
THE LATE LEGISLATURE.
Governor Gray's Estimate OF the Work
Performed.
e Tie Legislature, IN the Value of It's
Labors, Will Compare Favor
ably With Any of It's Pre-
decessors.

SlCeTaole experience IN one 0-ancn o. the
law-makiDg body of the State, and that he
had been a close observer Of men and meas
nres for many years, 8 Sentinel replr,er
called upon him on Saturday and requested
that he would give his estimate OF the late
Legislature as compared with others with
which he was familiar. He replied subs'an-
tally IS follows:
SIN my estimation no finer body of men
sver assembled in tins legislative halls Of the
State than that which composed the last Lsg-
islature. Msny of them were men of expe-
risnce, and it Why be said generally that
they al appeared 10 have a high conception
Of their duty, and this was discharged honest
II and faithfully. l hardly think any legis-
lative body ever assembled here under so
many pledges to its constituency to work
for TIE passage OF local measures and it
rnay be said with truth that more local bills
were passed than at any former session. It
was the pledges made to their constituency
TO pass certain local bills that think, pre-
vented the consideration of the General APP
preparation bill and necessitated special
cession. TSe members were urgently re-
Cuested by their constituency to forward GER
tain measures which were regarded of
vsst Importance to the sections TO which
they applied, and the members pursued
very wise course in granting far posi-
Die the prayers OF the people whom they
were elected to serve.
Prior to 1852 the Legislature met in an
nusl sessions, but Under the constitution
adopted at that time the sessions have been
biennislly held, except when emergencies
led 10 The calling Of the hody together ia ex.
ira session. At the tiHe OF the adoption OF
the present constitution sixty one days WAS
possibly enough in which to transact the bust
ness OF the Slate, bat IN wealth and Popala-
ton Indiana has outgr0wn her organic law
in this respect. and sixty-one days biennially
is now hardly suff cient in which to ira lsact
the legislative business which c)mes
before The body. The greater or mora
diversified the interest of the people the
more time will be found necessary to har-
monte the conflicting views Of the repre-.
sentstives Who assemble together, to the end
that Just and equitable laws may be &c,
laws that viii provide alike for all sections
and sll classes. In this connection, it may
be stated that Indiana has less legislation
than any other Stale of its wealth and popu-
lstion in tbs Union. In my opinion, the
people will Judge the Legislature more by
its work than on sccount of the time il con-
sumed in accomplishing the work. AS for
my part was anxious not to have special
session. but 1t was unavoidable and do not
think the State could have gotten along
Without it.
The last Legislature differed materially
in one respect from many Of its predecessors.
1t wss distinctively laboIing mans Legisla-
tuYe Ii sppeSred to seek out and remedy
many laws regarding labor and laboring
men, The law making the wages of laborers
to the amount OF $50 preferred claims in
cases Of suspension or assignment Of persons
or corporations is one that applies remedy
for many cases where great suffering is en-
tailed by business failures. The claims Of
sUoh men are generally small and, owing to
The expense incident to litigation, hardly
worth while going into the courts to collect,
but N the aggregate they frequently
smOunt ID large sums The new law, max
ing such wages preferred claims, insures the
laborirg man at least q few dollars with
which 10 support his family till he eau fnd
employment elsewhere in case of the assign
ment or the employer. The law requiring
that laboreTs shall be paid monthly is another
designed TO protect them from the conse-
queDces of business embarrassments for
which they are in DO sense responsible.
"Etill another Law, which can not be too
highly Praised, is that requiring the polls to
be open ed ct 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 a late hour
and closed at in the evening, the laboring
man really had but one, and that the noon
uUuli III nuIOu W CAST us euuIdB6s M0eu
his place Of labor was situated at any great
distance from his voting precinct, 1T often
became 8 physical impossioility for him
20 attend the polls and return to
his work without being ''docked" on account
of lost time. Thus the old law worked a
hardship, ard in 90 far as its operations de-
pIived any lab Jring man from exercising his
night OF suffrage, was IN just. In applying q
remedy Tor this defect the Legislature ac,ei
very wisely The argument made against
a me- o. ehar a -,
door to fraud, wss not based upon popular
appft cistion of the average laboring mans
character in whose interest the bill was
drawn. 1t is not from the outsider that the
election laws suffer, aud especially not from
the lsDorer. who generally casts his 81 ffsge
and leaves for the work that demands his at.
tentIOn.
The Deficiency appropriation bill, made
necessary by the failure of the ADpropris
ton bill two years ago, the Genera Appro.
priatlon bill fer the ensuing two gears, and
the bills providing means for the CON-
Pleton OF the State house and the new Hos.
pitfalls for the Insane were severally passed
2 and have become laws. / think very little,
If any, vicious legislation was enacted" and
the Governor concluded by mentioning,
among others, the following list of bills, 3
careful study of which, he said, would show
the bent Of the legislative mind and prove
that their Assem- bling had not been iu vain:
An act providing tn at all cities towns having
the collection of such municipal taxes through
the County Treasury.
An act limiting the amount OF taxes that may
be levied BY County Commissioners. in cities or
towns having voting population of over $500.
An act to protect the ballot box, prevent the
purchasing Of votes, and prescribing penalties.
an act giving laborers and persons furnishing
materials IN me construction of railroads lien
on the road. bridges. etc. in the county where
the labor was performed and the materials
furnished.
An act Known as the ''Ciyn Rights Bill"
An act making the laborer preferred creditor
in certain cases
An act prohibiting telegraph aud telephone
companies from discnmin ating between patrons.
An act prohibiting employment of child labor
in manufacturing or other establishments.
An act requiring pats of new additions to towns
and cities to be approved by the Boards OF Trustees
OF towns or Common Council OF cities, so that
streets and alleys shall oe cotermnus.
An set 10 abolish the Office OF City Assessor and
City Treasurer Of cities containing certain popula
ton.
An act requiring corporations and companies to
pay their employees monthly.
An act fixing the term OF Office Of County Com
anissioneTs that one snail 60 out OF Office each
year.
An act to prohibit forced contributions from
rQiIroad QnnnlpVpe