The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-01-12
FIRST DAY FOR BILLS
SEVERAL IMPoRTANT MEASURES
nEEoRE LEGISLATURE.
Mrs. Emma Davidson, OF Peru, Nomi-
mated for state Iibrarian-BilI to
Investigate Green Smith.

Inc nrSt bills OF the session were intro
duced in the Legislature, yesterday, and
referred TO committees. A State Librarian,
Mrs. Emma Davidson, was chosen in Re-
publican caucus. and steps taken to cut
down expenses several thousand dollars
less than those of the Democratic session
two years ago. These were the principal
features of the day. At half past 4 in the
afternoon the House adjourned to meet
Monday afternoon at 9 o'clock.
1t was shown that a Republican Legis-
lature will be prompt in honoring the debts
OF the State incurred in suppressing dis
order and riot. Representative Merritt in
troduced a bill appropriating $4S, 513. 90 to pay
the expenses of the militia during last
years strikes. The bill making an appro-
priation for a soldiers home at Lafayette
was presented to both houses.
The number of employees under the joint
bill prepared by a will be about
eighteen less than at the last session and
this will mean a saving to the State of al
most 5000. The House also abandoned the
old custom of buying copies of the Revised
Statutes for members. 1t developed that
there was 10 authorized revision of the
statutes since 1881, and the book containing
the revised acts. unauthorized, up to 1899,
costs SIS. If copies were bought for all the
members of the Legislature the cost would
be 81, 100 at the wholesale rate.
The Republican joint caucus in the after
noon furnished the most excitement of the
day, the race between Mrs. Emma L. Da-
wilson, of Peru, and Miss Nancy Baker, of
this city, for the State Librarian nomina-
ton being a very close one. More than a
majority of the seventy-two candidates for
this position failed to have sufficient
strength to get their names before the eau
ctyc md ~ xyo raalnv,H cooxx frA~ IT, Gc.4
ballot that Mrs. Davidson and Miss Baker
were the real contestants, the former OBJ
tanning the coveted place by a very small
majority on the fourth ballot. The vote on
this ballot was: Mrs. Davidson, So; Miss
Baker, 46. Had it not been that a Speaker
was chosen from the Marion county dele
cation, Miss Baker would probably have
been nominated. Geography was a factor
against her.
The joint caucus did not convene until an
hour after the time announced, and the
Democrats, who were waiting for a session
of the House were compelled to walk
around the corridors for several hours. 1t
was one of the few caucuses ever held
where outsiders were allowed to remain.
Mr.. Merritt very thoughtfully suggested
that the press be allowed to remain in the
room, az the caucus had nothing to con-
ceal. and a resolution to this effect met
unanimous approval Even a few Demo-
cratic members who had strolled into the
chamber were undisturbed, although Sena-
tor Boyd called attention to the fact that
the caucus was for Republicans. An hour
or two was wasted in discussing the man
ner of presenting candidates and the voting
of proxies. 1t was decided to have no speech
es, although Mr.. Thayer wanted to know
uhirb can6ilqtpS were sSOldtar'S wjdowc
and which graduates of seminaries." A
resolution of Mr.. Hamrick's that all candi-
dates receiving but one vote on a ballot
should be dropped, was carried, but it was
not observed TO any extent. Senator Boord
wanted the youngest member of the Senate
and the youngest of the House to act as
pages, but as no one seemed willing to con-
fide his age, the members went up to the
secretary's desk and deposited their bal
lots. Messrs. Merritt and Moore, of the
House, and Messrs. Shively and LaFoi-
lette, of the Senate, acting as tellers. Sena-
tor Wishard had two proxies which he had
been urged to vote, bEt he referred the
matter to the caucus, which decided to al
low only members present the privilege of
casting ballots. Then a motion to adjourn
was sprung, but it was lost by Il So to- 50
vote. Mr.. Ihayer said he had heard there
was a combination on foot which would not
hold over night. In presenting the names,
Mr.. Holloway, of Vanderburg, referred to
Miss Baker as 1.-The daughter of an Indiana
Governor and this brought a protest from
Mr.. Merritt, it having been decided that no
reference should be made to the candidates,
except to give their postoff1ce address:
When Mr.. Leedy, of Marion, nominated
Riss aiTz,e c1 iiyine in 1f that mar toMn said ' he
wanted it understood that Miss Carver was
not a candidate from his bailiwick. He an
nounced that he would suffer no fraud in
the caucus Miss Carver now lives in this
city, having removed here from Morgan
county. The following are the names OF the
candidates presented and their vote on the
first ballot: Emma NJ. Fitzgerald, of Jeffer-
son county, 9; Emma Hanna, of Plainfeld,
4; Ida May Davis, OF Huntingto 1 .; l.. r. =
Smith, of Elkhart county, s.; Dora K. Wag-
goner, OF Frankfort, 5; Sarah B. Afford. Of
Miami county, 1; B. B. John, of Spencer. 3;
Mrs. Elizabeth Cory, of Cass county, 2;
Prof. Charles Shaffer. of Harrison county,
s: Miss Nancy Baker, of Indianapolis, 20;
line Pearson, of Bloomington, 6; Lillian s.
Welton, of V~ineennes. 10; Mrs. Lizzie NJ.
Townsend, Of Angola, & Lazz'e Al X wa adsep'
of Miami county, Is; Mrs. Mary n. Stewart;
of Rushville, 8; total. lo3. On the second
ballot no one, except the two leaders, re-
ceived more than eight votes. Miss Baker
was credited with q and Mrs. Davidson,
81. Mrs. Davidson was, in fact, nominated
error in announcing the result. She received
40 and Miss Baker 81. only 81 votes being
cast. On the fourth ballot mrs. DaVfuson
had So and Miss Baker As, the others all
dropping out. There was much interest as
the tellers tailed the vote, first Miss Baker
being in the lead and then Mrs. Davidson
oveTtaking her, the result being in doubt
TN the last few ballots were taken from
the hat. A cheer followed the announce
ment of Mrs. Davidson's victory and that
lady appeared a few minutes afterward and
thanked the caucus and the good old Re-
publican party"
Mrs. Davidson is the widow of an old
soldier, who fought in the Thirty-ninth In
diana Regiment and suffered the tortures of
Andersonviiie. He died twenty years ago
and since that time she has taught school
al Peru, having trained youth in one build
ing Ali those years. She has raised two
sons in the Republican faith. In 1881 she
Was a candidate for the same office to
which she was chosen yesterday and was
defeated by Mrs. Windsor by two votes, on
the fourteenth ballot.