The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-07
AN EXTRA SESSION.

AN EXTRA SESSION.
All the excuses urged for the present con-
dition of things in the Legislature, and par
ticularly i'll the House Of Representatives, are
paltry and without any good basis to stand on
There is not member of the House, who
cares to be honest with himself and with the
public, but must concede that a deliberate and
intentional scheme was formed, and is being
carried out under various pleas, to keep back
the necessary public business and force the
calling of special session. To say that sixty
days is not sufficient time in which to trans
act the needed business is irrelevant and foolish
in view Of the record Of the present General
Assembly. Up to this time scarcely one
needful important public act has been ma
tured and passed. About the only one which
could rise to that dignity, the militia bill, has
been vetoed by the Governor as demagogic
sop to the labor element which is presumed,
by cheap Democratic politicians to DO in IA
vor of riots and public disorder. During the
first half of the session fully one third of the
days were voted away in vacations, while
all the working time has been de-
voted to the consummation of infamous parti-
san legislation, which is a blistering, burning
shame and disgrace to all who engaged in it,
For aoEeek now, nearly, the precious time re-
naming has been persistently and deliberately
occupied in the consideration of lot of
private matters in which only certain local.
ties or individuals can possibly be interested,
the failure of everyone of which would not
amount to the price of a fig in Importance.
We desire to be understood plainly:
This scheme to defeat the appro-
priation bills, and to force an extra
session, if the Governor is found to be suff-
GENTLY pliable, seems to be deliberate and pur-
poseful, as the record plainly shows. There
was ample time-and there is yet for that
matter-to transact all the imperative public
business that has been thrust aside, and kept
back of trifiing, nonsensical private measures.
The Congress of the United States passed all
the appropriation bills necessary to carry
on the government Of nation of
sixty millions Of people within the
time wasted by the Indiana Legislature this
week. There is yet ample time, if the spirit
to do the work shall be present when the two
houses meet to-day, to avoid the necessity of
a special session. The duty Of the Republic
an minority seems to us to be plain. They
have sat through the session and seen their
party disfranchised, and have observed an
utter indisposition ON the part of the Demo-
cratic majority to do anything in the interests
Of the people. Having done this, and
being acquainted with the spirit of
the majority, they should take the
first opportunity to unite with such of the
majority, if any there be, who prefer the pub
lie good to private and personal matters, and
pass the appropriation bills, so as to avoid in
hicting the further presence Of this imbecile
and infamous Legislature upon the people of
the State:~ Unless they do this, and compel
the majority to become solely responsible for
the calamity and expense of an extra session,
we are certain they will not worthily repre-
sent the best sentiment of the Republican
party, and will be held justly accountable by
their constituents for grave neglect of public
duty.