The Indianapolis journal., 1899-01-18
SPECIAL ORDER FOR FRIDAY
SENATE DISCUSSES THE SPANISH
TREATY RESOLUTION.
Ratification IndOrsed-Highway Com
mission BiII-NeVv Measure to
stop Lynching.

The bill was all but killed when q compro-
mise measure was presented by Mr.. Will
loughby, making this bill a special order of
business for Friday morning at o'clock,
when the final battle will be waged. The
bill was presented by the committee on
county and township affairs, and with it
came two reports. The majority report rec
ommended the passage of the bill and the
minority that it be indefinitely postponed.
The minority report was signed by Mr..
Reser of Tippecanoe and by Mr.. Green of
Ohio and Switzerland counties. Mr.. Reser
at once moved the adoption of the minority
report, and in support of his motion made
speech which embodied an attack on the
gentlemen who framed the bill. He be-
gan by saying that the bill is too radical,
and that a change is not always a reform.
He claimed that the tendency of the bill is
to run townships into debt so that some one
may loan them money. He said he opposed
the bill for the further reason that it creates
new offices. He referred to the pledges in
the party platforms, and said that measures
had been introduced by members already
which provided sufficient changes and re-
forms to carry out those pledges. lie said
the party platforms pledged reforms. but
did not adopt this particular bill or plan.
Mr.. Reser then commenced an attack on
the members Of the commission which be-
came bitterly personal. Mr. Huff at once
jumped to his feet and protested against
such an attack, and claimed that it was the
merits of the bill which should be considered
and not the men who framed it. Speaker
Littleton ruled that the discussion was in
order, as the history of the bill had been
brought up and it could be discussed. Mr..
Reser then continued his attacks and took
up another member of the commission,
making charges against him. Mr.. Huff was
thoroughly aroused and again protested
against "such slanders against leading citi-
zens of Indianapolis and other parts of the
State" Speaker Littleton held that the re-
marks were in order in the light of infor-
nation regarding the bill, and Mr.. Reser
turned his batteries on Mr. Huff. He said
that he understood Mr.. Huff had said he
was going after him [Reser1, and he was not
surprised at these actions. Mr.. Reser then
continued his personal attacks and charged
that the present indebtedness of the School
Board of this city was due to the efforts of
one of the men who framed this bill He
said he was willing to support any good
measure, but, in reform measure framed
by these men, he was of the opinion that
the reform should begin at home and he
expressed himself as unalterably opposed to
the bill.
WHAT THE SPEECH CONTAINED
Mr.. Artman, of Boone, was on his feet as
soon as Mr.. Reser had finished. Said he:
1--WE have learned much from this speech
We have learned that Mr.. Harris is corpo-
ration lawyer, that Mr.. Fortune received
some money, that Mr. Reser went to college
and that Mr.. Mason was at one time pres
ident of a street railway company. But
that is ali. We have not heard a word as
to the contents of the bill, and I move to
lay the minority report on the table,
Mr.. Huff demanded the ayes and noes on
the motion, and the roll was called. Mr..
Murphy, of White, attempted to make a
speech on the bill in assumed explanation
of his vote, but was ruled out of order by
the Speaker. Mr.. Ross, chairman of the
committee, and who had signed the bill ex-
planned that he did in order to get it
before the House. and that he was opposed
to the feature by which offices are created.
The motion was lost by an announced vote
of 40 ayes to 46 noes The motion to adopt
the minority report followed, and Mr..
Blankenship spoke in favor of the bill at
length. He was constantly interrupted by
such questions as IF the members of the
commission are to draw up the laws, why
are they not members of the House?" why
We're no farmers on this commission?" Mr..
Blankenship contended that this bill is de-
SH6Q DY DOIn the business men and the
FARMERS, and at length paid his respects to
those favoring the present plan. Before
Mr.. Blankenship had concluded 1t was found
that there had been mistakes in taking the
vote, and he concluded his remarks by NOV
ing that the vote be verified. Mr.. Eichhorn,
OF Wells, raised the point of order that the
vote could not be verified after it had been
announced but Speaker Littleton held that
1t could be done as an honest method of
transacting business. Mr.. Willoughby at
this point moved that further consideration
of the bill be postponed until Friday morn
ing at O'Clock, when it should be made
special order of business This motion
was ruled out of order by Speaker Littleton,
who held that the vote must be verified be-
fore anything further would be considered.
The vote was therefore verified and a num-
Der OF mistakes We're found The test vote,
on which those for and against the present
bill made known their preference, was
therefore the corrected vote on the motion
to table the minority report and the
friends of the bill lost by vote Of Al ayes
to 40 noes. The detailed vote was as fol-
lows:
Ayes-Aiken Artman, Barlow. Beardsley.
Blankenship, Bonham, Canada, Caraway,
Compton, Clements, Fuller. Furness, Giants,
Heurlng. HUH Kerwood, King, kirkpatrick,
Knots. Louttit, Manifold Murphy of Mar
ion, Morrison Null, Neal Noel Osborn,
Powers. Patterson. Reifenburg, Roberts,
Roose, Scott of Montgomery, Scott of Law
renee, Shideler. Stevens, Strong, Vogel
Whitcomb of Vigo, Whitcomb Of Marion
and Williams.
Nays-Baker of Whitley, Baker of Mar
tin, Burrier. Brown, Burkhart, Clark Cat
ley, ClaycOmb Cravens of Washington
Cravens of Monroe. Cotner, Cunningham,
Guilty, Dilley. Durham, Downey, Eichhorn
Geisel, Graham, Green, Hall, Hayes OF St.
Joseph. Hays Of Greene, Holcomb Hedge
cock, Herod, Herrold, James, Larr Law
renee, Marshall, Messick Miller McCarty,
Madden. Marsh May, Murphy of White
Myler. Owen. O 'Bannon, Reece. Reser Ross
Schrader Schaal Shirley. Sullivan and
Wise. Absent or not voting-Glossbren-
ner, Krick, Lief, McGary, Roots, Titus and
Wiiloughby.
The friends of the bill saw that it was
if further proceedings were permitted and
Mr.. Willoughby renewed his motion that it
go over until Friday morning Mr. HUFF
was full of fighting blood and protested.
He said that dishonest men might vote
against this measure because they listen
only to SANDER. He said if the Republicans
vote against the bill they viii be held to
strict account and then he flayed those Re
publcans who had voted against il. He
urged action at once. and said that the
Republicans would not dare to have the bNl
indefinitely postponed. and he was against
a surrender of any kind. He charged that
opposition to reform was to he expected
from the minority side of the chamber.
and his anger was so great that he failed to
pay his respects to that side of the House,
voting against It. Mr.. Eichhorn protested
against the charges against the Democrats
and said they favor a reform but they have
not had the opportunity to examine this bill.
He asked that it be postponed until Friday,
In order that the members may become fa-
miliar with its provisions. Mr.. HUFF would
hear of nothing but to fight IL out on the