Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1897-1902, 1899-02-24
REFORM BILL PA SSES.
The Township Measure Gets Through
the House.

to make 1t law.
The democrats who voted for the bill
were MesSrs. Clements, Guilty, Null,
Geisel and Titus. All of the other
democrats voted against it.
Messrs. Strong and Murphy of Mari
on county and MessrS. Baker Of Martin,
Dilley, Durham, Holcomb, Miller, Reece,
Reser and Schrader were the republi-
cans who voted against the bill.
The absentees were Cotner and Gun
ningham, democrats; Ross and Will
oughbY, republicans.
The surprises were the votes of Mes
sick and Vogel, republicans, for the bill
and Miller, republican, against it. The
two first mentioned who come from Ev-
ansville, had been classed as boilers and
no one had thought Miller would vote
against the bill.
At 2:l5 o'clock the speaker handed
down the bill on third reading The
democrats had held conference during
the noon hour.
Mr.. Downey presided and stated at
the beginning that the purpose was to
determine what course the minority
should pursue in view of the fact that
the republicans had made tie bills eau
Gus measures. Messrs. Guilty, Null,
Geisel and Clements indicated that they
would not be bound by caucus action
and with this the conference broke up,
having accomplished nothing.
Baker of Martin, republican, was the
first man to vote against the bill The
first man to explain his vote was Mr..
Brown, democrat, who voted "no." He
said that inasmuch as the republicans
had not given the democrats a chance
to offer amendments and inasmuch as
the previous question was being applied
he did not feel under obligations to
vote for the bill.
Mr.. Galley, democrat, in explaining
his vote, said that unless the townships
were filled with "phllanthropic million
aires" willing to devote their services
for nothing the bill would prove fail
ure.
Mr.. Downey. democrat, said that he
was in favor of reform, but was only
committed "to reform that reforms
Better reform, he said, would come from
systematic reform of present laws.
The fallscy of appointing agents to
guard the officers of the people was sp-
parent, be declared.
Mr.. Eichhorn, in explaining his vote,
said that on this bill it was important
that speeches be of some length. The
bill, be said, was drawn by man who
thought he knew all about township
business, but was really ignorant of the
most common laws governing town.
ships.
Because" said he, I'VE are excluded
from any and all participation in franz
ing this bill and offering amendments.
l can but conclude that our votes are
not wanted and l vote no."
Mr.. James, democrat, said that the
bill would not reform. "If you have got
bad trustees prosecute them," be said.
Il predict that when the next legisla-
ture meets there will be louder de-
mand for the repeal of this bill than
there is now for its enactment"
Mr.. LAIR, democrat, said that exper-
fence had shown that the more complex
a government is the worse government
it is. The legislature he said, ought to
devote its attention to simplify the sys-
tenn rather than passing laws to make
it more complex"
Mr.. Louttitt, democrat, said that the
bill should not be supported because
the republicans had enforced the gag
rule, "The bill is an Indianapolis
scheme" he said, "and L vote no.
Mr.. May, democrat, who halls from
the county of Shelby, said that design
ing and unworthy men would accept
the positions on the township advisory
UOoIuc. IlO ootu nC WOulu loNOI q COuI-
plete and systematic revision of the the
present system, but no such reform as
proposed.
Mr.. Murphy, of White, democrat, said
that the same system had not worked
we'll in illinois.
Mr.. Wyler, democrat, said that be-
lieving that the reform bill would not
reform he would vote no.
Mr.. O'Bannon, democrat, said that he
believed there are counties where re-
form is badly needed and he stood as
an advocate of reform measures. He
had mailed large numbers of township
reform bills to his constituents and they
had uniformly written back denOunc-
ing the bill as creating too msnv offices.
He could stand the effort to cram the
bill down the throats of the democrats,
he declared, if it only carried with it re-
form. "You will see the day." he shout
ed, "when your conscience will smite you
for passing such an infamous measure"