The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-27
BUSY DAY IN SENATE.


WluoN OF Whoever the right OF election was
Carty's bin for written contracts between
school teachers and boards was passed by
q ayes to t noes.
The State Board of Charities bill for the
regulation of the administration of the poor
was passed by Il ayes to j noes.
Mr.. Artmans bill providing for a new
method OF collecting judgments against rail-
road companies was passed unanimously,
ana % votes We're cast for it. 1t provides
that any agent conductor or any employee
of the road receiving any money belonging
to the road may be required by the court to
pay IN not to exceed one-half of the money
Deionglng 10 the company and received by
him to the clerk of the court of his county
to be applied on the Judgment.
The morning session of the House was
opened by prayer by Rev. w. d. Parr, of
the Wayne-street NJ. f. Church of Fort
Wayne. Mr.. Huff at once took up the bill
Tor the relief of Stewart Porter, a trustee
Of Reeves township. Daviess county, who
lost money in a bank failure, which was
reported by the committee on claims and
Indefinitely postponed on Wednesday. Mr.
hun stated that the rules of the House re-
qulre a member presenting a bill to notify
the committee if he desired to be heard on
1t, and when he introduced the bill he sent
with IT a written notice TO that effect Not
withstanding this, he had no notice from
the committee and did not know the bill
had been acted on until he saw it in the
newspapers. He asked for a reconsideration
or the vote concurring in the committee re-
port, and that the bill be recommitted to
the committee i'm order that he might be
heard. This was done.
THE MEMBERS LAUGHED.
Mr.. Eichhorn raised a hearty laugh by
presenting a petition from residents of
Bluffton, asking that the township bill be
so amended as to make change in the
provision for school enumeration. He asked
that the petition be referred to 1.-The sub
committee of the Republican caucus which
now has charge of the bill.''
The House then took up the passage of
bills and first took up Mr.. Shideler's bill
for the employment of convicts in the State
Prison. The bill provides that 400 of the
convicts shall be put to work, or one-half
OF all confned on contract labor. 1t further
provides for the piece price system and lin
It's the number TO be employed in any one
line to 100 A farm will Re leased near the
prison, where those not otherwise employed
snail do farm work by hand, and the sur
Plus or productions is to be sold to other
state institutions and then on the open mar
ket. No contract for labor shall he made
for longer than Oct. l. 1904. and these con-
tracts are TO be awarded TO the highest bid
DER All the work done shall be hand work,
as lar as practicable, or remuneratiVe to the
State. The bill carries with it an appro-
prlation Of $4,000 each year to a total not to
exceed $4,000 to start the system and to
purchase materials and machinery
Many members spoke in favor of the bill,
and flnally Mr.. Herrold, who has fought it
bitterly from the beginning, and who made
ugly charges against the management
which he did not sustain, rose to oppose it,
He did not consider the bill, but again start
ed on his favorite theme of ''maladministra-
ton in the prison. and said there has al
ready been some kind of Investigation there
by what committee?" demanded Mr.
Roots. Mr. Herrold looked at him bIanklv
and then slowly sat down without a word
of reply, while the members of the House
Jeered Mr.. Shideler then rose, and Mr.
Shideler was mad. Said he: Il desire right
here and now to enter protest against the
member from Laporte (Mr. Herrold) The
gentleman has never risen to his feet in
this House except to throw filth and dirt
and to make vague 1uSinuationS and inuen-
does. | insist that hereafter he shall be
kept on the question before the House, and
that his remarks be confined to that ques
ton and be kept within the bounds of de-
Speaker Littleton said the point of order
was we'll taken and he ordered Mr.. Herrold
to confine himself to the bill under discus
sion. Mr.. Eichhorn, as one of the Democrat
ic leaders, made a feeble and half-hearted
protest against such summary action re-
garding Mr.. Herrold, Mr.. Burkhart opposed
the bill on the grounds that it would cause
competition with honest labor and Mr..
Roberts opposed it because of the opposition
Of the saddle tree makers of his home town,
Madison. Mr.. Louttit declared that the OBJ
Ject of the bill is to abolish contract labor
and to establish the state account system.
Mr. Downey said the law as it is at present
Is a legallzed crime against taxpayers and
conVicts. Mr.. Williams inserted his knife
between Mr.. Herrolds ribs by declaring
that he had no patience with the sentiments
of such men as Mr.. Herrold when they de-
clare that they desire the State to a
boarding house at Michigan City where they
can sell their strawberries, or words to that
effect. Mr.. Barlow held that it is inhuman
to keep the convicts in idleness and the
previous question was demanded The bill
was passed by 81 ayes to 10 noes. Those
voting against the bill were Burkhart, Cat
ley Clements. Guilty, Dilley, Herrold,
Madden, Null and Roberts.
Mr.. Artman's bill, amending the law re-
garding change of venue, was next taken
up and caused most prolonged discussion.
The bill amends the causes for change of
venue so that in the third clause of the law
instead of making it mandatory on the
judge to order the change on the filing of
an affidavit that the opposite party has an
undue influence over the citizens of coun-
ty or that an odium attaches to the APP
plicant or to his cause of action or defense
on account of local prejudice, as the law
now provides, it is optional with the Judge
whether a change shall be ordered on these
grounds. The amendment provides that the
existence OF these grounds must be showed
to the satisfaction of the court. The bill is
aimed at promiscuous taking of changes of
venue and in particular in suits for injuries
or damages.
AN HOUR OF ARGUMENT
Mr.. Willoughby led the fight against the
bill and for an hour there were arguments
pro and con- Mr.. Clark also opposed the
bill while Mr. Canada, Mr. Noel, Mr.. Glenn
ents, Mr.. Roots and Mr.. Artman argued in
favor of it. The great cost of changes of
venues was pointed out, as was the fact that
this bill makes it impossible for railroad
companies to wear out one who is suing
them, both financially and physically, by
jumping from county to county. 1t was also
stated that this makes it impossible for cor
porations to get into a county where a
judge is friendly to them unless reasonable
grounds exist, whereas under the law as it
stands, this is a favorite procedure. Mr..
Canada charged that the opposition to the
bill was corporation opposition The oppo-
nents of the bill argued that the purity of
the bench precludes any such Juggling with
justice as was pointed out. The bill was
passed by Is ayes to 10 noes. Those voting
against the bill We're Burkhart, Clark Cat
ley Cotner, Downey, Hall, Heuring, Huff,
King, Krick, Manifold, Marshall Messick.
Willoughby and Littleton Those absent
were Beardsley Owen and Schaal. The
others are officially recorded as voting
for it.
Mr. Downey's bill to amend the gravel
road law so to extend the time of bonds
from ten to twenty years and providing
that outstanding bonds can be refunded at
412 per cent, was somewhat indefinite in
one section. The bill further provides that
the bonds are payable semi-annually and
that officers of towns may join with county
commissioners in the construction of roads
which run through the towns There was
some discussion of the indefinite section and
Mr. Huff suggested that it be sent to the
Senate and amended there. The bill was
finally referred back to the author to re-
write the one section and it was made a
special order for the afternoon, when it
was passed under suspension of the rules
by vote of Sc ayes to q noes.
Mr.. Herod's bill charging the rights of
married women in the real estate of their
husbands was passed without discussion. 1t
provides that in all cOnVeyances of real es-
tate made by married man, in which the
wife does not join the inchoate interest
of the wife shall thereupOn become abSO-