The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-02-27
The Immediate Removal of White and
GOar Recommended.
The Union Depot Bill Finally Passed-The
Woman's Suffrage Resolution Defeated
in the Senate Upon Close Vote.
THE GERRYMANDER.
The Infamous Legislative Apportionment
Bill Passed by the House.


joint ballot in the General Assembly, was taken
up in the House, out of the regular order, yester-
dry afternoon. The bill is probably the most
Infamous political swindle that was ever pro-
posed in legislative body, and the manner in
which it is being forced through to enactment is
consistent with its odious character. When the
bill reached the question Of passage
the Speaker stated that he had decided
to permit the minority to freely discuss
the bill. When the congressional gerrymander
was up for consideration on the third reading, on
Tuesday, the right of discussion was denied, and
the gag" rule was applied to the minority to
the extent of denying them unquestionabe par
iamentary privileges The free discussion
which was assured the minority yesterday ex-
tended only to allowing three of the Republican
members to speak upon the question of passing
the bill, while four Democratic members were
accorded the same privilege.
THE INFAMOUS CHARACTER OF THE BILL.
Mr.. Sayre, in speaking upon the bill, said:
''From actions on bills of this character for the
past few days, do not believe that remarks on
the bill now will do any good. do not intend
now to refer to this as nefarious damnable, nor
anything of that sort, for such words would be
complimentary to it. If this is to be the reform
that the Democracy promised the country, then
i say God pity the American people. The people
believe in equity and justice in politics well as
everything else I believe that if this bill could
be made more Infamous, the majority of the
House would make it so. 1t proposes to give
small Democratic counties chance to vote for
three or four representatives and larger counties
- that Republican, the privilege of voting for
6ersene. Every place where a Republican ma
An oocratlhe DISTINGUISHED it il done This
Of tb ~ maior;9gander, which lacks two of a
~ NJ future, and = SHOWS the Democratic fear
nascons:sUG 2ise said that mei e grounded gro
Oh eyflefy, enough uehocrats could be found
to oppose it, but, being political, their mouths
are closed. The Democratic party has no faith
in itself and takes this ground to saveits future
Mr.. Kellison, the Democratic representative
from Marshall county, said that after twelve
years of fidelity to the Democratic party. he now
found it necessary to leave the majority. Il
want to stamp this measure" he said, "as
infamous Looking upon my oath, I cannot
support it Why should I follow Democratic
caucus in this, when was taught from my in
fancy that the party was the friend of justice
and equity. l have been called an apostate If
to De consistent, to stand by my oath, and to
support justice is to be an apostate, then am
one, and / am proud of it. My object in sup
porting the Democratic party was to correct
abuses. If my position on this question takes
me out of the Democratic party, then l say
amen"
Mr. Smith of Tippecanoe-W When, by any sys-
TEN of this government, one man is counted
for more than others then our idea of equality is
destroyed. Since 1910 / have been a close
student of political science, and of all the gerry
manders have ever heard of this is the worst
do not except the "shoe-string district" of the
times of Gerry. defy any man to show me one
as bad as this 1t is unfair in every particular.
NJ T in favC y,nf he
his eternal hatred of the Republican party.
Mr.. Moody moved the previous question, and
the motion was carried by the majority.
REASONS FOR OPPOSING THE BILL
During the progress of the roll-call on the
question of the passage of the bill several of the
minority members, who had been deprived of
participating in the discussion by the demand
for the previous question, availed themselves
of the parliamentary privilege of speaking in ex-
PLANTATION of their votes
Mr. Deem said that he opposed the bill because
il was not fair and did not give his county the
proper representation.
Mr.. Adams-Because by this bill Perry county
with g. 708 voters Owen county with voting
population of 36l0, Upton county with
g. 200 voters and Hancock county with 4 100
voters-because each of these counties have by
this bill one representative because they are
Democratic; because Kosciusko with 6, 521 voters,
Randolph with 6, 10, Wabash with 6499 and
have but one representative; because these four
Democratic counties with 1918 voters have
four representatives, and these four Republican
counties with 26, 230 voters have but four repre-
sentatives and because find by this bill (born
in unjustness and infamy), in these four Repub-
Ecan counties ii, ll2 voters are absolutely dis
franchised, / vote mo"
Mr.. Copeland am opposed to this bill be-
cause belive it to pc unjust, uncalled for and a
revolutionary disfranchisment of over 55 900
Republicans in Indiana. / object to it's passage
because it attaches my county to the joint
representative district Of Jefferson, Clarke and
Floyd-a district ever eighty miles long-at the
instance of gentleman on this Moor, son of
jefferson county and ii resident of another coun-
ty of the district, who is. am reliably informed
DESTROYS of having the opportunity before he
dies of getting even dof with s jefferson
judge, as / understand, he says
by stufing the ballot-bo Believing that the
charges made by him against the home of Bright,
Marshall and Branham is slanderous and un
grateful and believing that her political associa
ton with the dark Democracy of the attached
counties would contaminate her political virtue,
and believing this bill to be conceived in iniqui-
ty, / therefore vote mo-"
Mr.. Helms-f am opposed to the disfranchise
ment of any part of the people. / believe that
this bill within itself is revolutionary, and ought
not to pass or be supported by any fair-minded
or honest man. am opposed to this bill for the
reason that it takes 4, GAG votes to send repre-
sentative to the Legislature.
Mr.. Haworth-The three counties of Union,
Franklin and Ripley are connected as a district
for representative. Ripley with 4,676 votes
county with 4,697 votes is given a
representatives Neither of these counties is
entitled to representative by nearly 300 votes.
The county of Union, with 1000 votes, being a
Republican county is placed with Ripley and
Franklin for third member. thus giving
member for 3,79l voters, l, l55 less than is re-
CURED by fair apportiOnment Another objec-
ticn to this bill is that the counties in the dis
tricts are not contiguous, as the Constitution
requires The north end Of my district COM
sIDences on the Ohio State line, about eight miles
south of the city of Richmond, running south
and west one hundred miles, requiring the travel