The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-01-12
Senator'S and Representatives Take a
Turnin Adopting an Arbitrary Rule.
1t Will Effectually Prevent the Lieutenant
Governor from Presiding Over the Joint Con-
yention-Talk About Radical Legislation.
USING THEIR OLD TRICKS.
The Democratic Majority Comedies Nothing
to the Minority I'm Either House.


to the Minority In Either House.
The brute force of the Senate's Demo
cratic majority throttled the minority again
yesterday. 1t was quietly and effectually
done. A lobby well filled with Democratic
politicians. who give frequent remarks
about the Republicans: "They have TO take
their medicein," witnessed the proceedings
A gallery packed with lesser political
lights looked on complacently, any many
were disappointed because there was not
more excitement The Republicans recog-
nizing that they were at the mercy of
the majority made the best of the situation
by coolly submitting To whatever came.
Assistant DOor-keeper Bulger, who seems to
be delegated with the special duty of keep
ing Acknowledgements Robertson out of
the chamber, was at his post an hour before
the morning session opened. He had around
him a half dozen or more well-kndwn lndi-
annapolis specimens of muscular develop
ment, evidently fearing that the Republic
ans might, during the night, have plotted TO
capture the presiding officers chair. The
throng of curious people, who are always
on hand where there is even a slight posi-
bility of anything exciting occurring were
gathered in the corridor about the
| Senate entrance. They discussed matters
with greater spiritedness perhaps than the
situation deserved and the man who did not
wish he was Acknowledgements just for
| a few minutes Ito show tina. man Bulger
what he would do was hard to find among
| the crowd.
| About twenty minutes before the time for
the session to begin, Lieutenant governor
PT1.a fro oIax nit
| Senator DeMOtte. The two walked straight
to the main entrance of the Senate chamber.
| followed by the crowd who were forced TO
remain outside. The door was closed, with
1 all the doOr-keepers on the inside. Senator
| DeMOtte opened the door, and being recog-
nized by Bnlger was permitted To
enter The Lie%tenantgOveEOSTd started
| entrance before Bulger noticed him.
| immediately Bulger and three or four
| of his assistants arraigned themselves In
front of the Lieutenant-governor, who said:
| As presiding officer of the Senate, am L
not allowed to go inf"
| II still have orders not to admit you.'
| was Bulger's only reply, as he pushed
Colonel Robertson out of the entrance into
| the corridor. The door was then closed.
| Colonel Robertson waited around the en-
| trance for few minutes, but seeing no pos
| sibility of his gaining Abundance, left the
| corridor. The scene had become so common
| Senator's, who had nearly all reached their
seats on the inside, hardly noticed ii at all.
| The Democratic members Cmiled, but the
| Republican members did nothing moro
than quietly express their opinions of the
continued outrage.
| The features of the morning session were
| few. Senator Cox continued 10 show many
deficiencies as presiding officer Teach
| end Morgan counties has not given him
| all the necessary qualifications for the po
| sition he attempts to fill.
| His Democratic colleagues seem to have
plenty of sympathy for him on account of
| his Incapacity, and with their constant
| coaching he manages TO get over thorny
places. He made it embarrassing for the
| Rev. Peters, a German minister, who
opened the session with prayer After the
| minister had closed his supplication Sen
atOr Cox immedi ately called for the read
ing of the journal of the previous day. with
| out turning TO see what had become of the
| minister. Rev. Peters evidently expected
| to be invited TO "A seat beside the presiding
| officer, but as he was not recog-
| nized, and his standing position on the
| Presidents platform became embarrassing,
! he gently tapped Cox on the shoulder, and
| babe him goodbye. The well-meaning
| presiding officer later became tangled on
putting questions, but he always found
members on the floor ready to assist in
Both Democrats and Republicans objected
| to the record of the proceedings of the pre-
| vious day. Senator Dresser, of Tippecanoe,
objected because it attributed to him Ian
| guage he did not use; Senator johnson, of
| Wayne. because his resolution in regard to
| ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Robertson was omit
ted, and Senator Howard. of ST. Joseph,
because he was recorded as present and
| voting, when he was absent. The Jour-
nal was so manfestly incorrect that it was
| referred to a committee of three, which Is
to make all things straight Senator John
son is one of the committee. The remainder
<~G&
the consideration of various resolutions of
but little Importance Business dragged
because the reading clerk showed his in
efficiency. He made a half dozen attempts
to interpret the manuscript of Senator'S,
and then gave up the job. Green Smith
came to his rescue. and after that time
business moved rapidly. A resolution was
passed authorizing the Door.k keeper TO issue
n nppn the State printer Senator s
Johnson wanted it amended so as
to make it necessary for all requisitions
to be signed by the presiding officer. but
the amendment failed TO pass. A Demo-
cratic Senator who has constituents hunt
ing places offered resolution pruviding
that Will p. Smith be made principal com
mittee clerk of the Senate. The presiding
officer decided that as there was no such
an Office in existence, the resolution was
out of order. The question of how seats
should be assigned was discussed nearly
an hour. A resolution was introduced pro-
/
on the lottery plan, by drawing seats from
"a hat. After a dozen more speeches.
taking wide range, had meen made, tho
resolution was indefinitely postponed
TIE House was only in session a half-hour
in the forenoon. The Speaker was not
ready to announce his committees, and
| there seemed to be nothing of Importance
that the body could do. An attempt was
made TO introduce some bills. but it could
not be done without unanimous consent,
and that was refused. The question OF de-
votiOnal exercises each day was considered.
| A committee from the Y. NJ. Z. A. waiting IN
the lobby was instructed by resolution 10 ar
range through the Indianapolis Ministerial
| Association for minister to be present
each morning TO open the session with
prayer. An effort was made to have
| the seats redistributed by lot, but
il met the sane fate as the one of like char
| acter in the Senate. A resolution presented
| by Representative Davis, of Steuben, ex-
pressing proper feeling with reference 10
| the death of Gen. Phil. I'll. Sheridan was
passed, and the lower House then adjourned
until afternoon.
Realizing that the time for practicing
revolutionary proceedings against Lieuten-
ant-goyernor Robertson was about passed,
| the majority of the two houses had when the
afternoon session began, agreed upon "a plan
for showing discourtesy To the incoming
| Lieutenant-governor and presiding officer
of the Senate. Ira j. Chase While the law
| does not make II imperative that
! t1a pf- Shauld