The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-08-31
md Mr Bruke and one other senator voted

and Mr.. Bruke and one other senator voted
against IL.
ain 1891 Mr.. Burke was made chairman of
what Is known as the committee on judi
GARY, TO which most OF the important bills
coming before the Senate are referred
The chairman OF that committee-as any
one knows who understands the workings
of Legislature-can TO a great degree con-
troll the action of its members. Senator
Burke was absent when an amendment 10
the mechanics lien law passed the Senate
He was also absent when an additional
amendment TO the mechanics lien law. in
favor OF mechanics and laborers. was
passed. He evidently did not want 10 take
stand on these questions. The following
bill was referred TO the committee on the
judiciary. OF which Senator Burke was
chairman: a bill tor act for the pro-
lection and relief of railroad employees for
bidding cetain rules and regulations, con-
tracts and agreements, and declaring them
unlawful and declaring IL unlawful TO use
cars or locomotives which are defective or
defective machinery or attachments thereto
belonging, and declaring such corporations
liable in certain cases. for injuries re-
ceived by its servants and employees on
account of the carelessness or negligence
o. fellow-servant or employe. and declar-
ing an emergency This was bill which
the laboring men had before the Legisla-
ture In 1891. a bill requiring corporations
and especially railroad companies. which
operate large masses OF machinery, TO keep
that machinery in repair and make the lives
and limbs of men who operate IL reasonably
safe-a bill TO which no reasonable man
could object. and yet that bill was referred
to the committee OF which Senator Burke
was chairman and that was the last that
was ever heard OF II. He did not call to-
gether his committee and have IL report the
bill back for the action or the Senate.
When he got his clutches on IL. that was
| the end of it. And yet Mr.. Burke is going
around asking the workingmen 10 give
him their suffrage and send him down 10
washington to take the place of a man
like Jesse Overstreet
ANOTHER BILL DISAPPEARS.
1.-THE following bill was referred to the
committee on judiciary--Mr. Burke, chair
man-and was never reported back by the
committee: a bill for an act defining what
defense can be made TO an action hereafter
brought alleging personal injuries or death
as the result of negligence of the defend
ant or defendants or his or their employe
or employees, and creating a liability for
| the negligence OF employees on the part OF
employers in certain cases.
THAT bill was also in favor OF men who
risk their lives around dangerous macnin-
cry, and Outlines leave helpless widows
mittee of which Mr.. Burke was chairman,
| and was never heard of again. When he
got his clutches on 1t he knew that ne
could fix IL, and nobody would ever near OF
| Ii afterwards.
1.-The committee on judiciary. of which Mr..
Burke was chairman recommended the IN
| definite postponement OF bill Tor an act
| to provide for the adjustment OF grew
ances and disputes which may arise be-
| tween individuals, companies or corpora
tons and their employees, and authorizing
| the creation of a State Court or Arbitra-
| ton and Mediation and defining the powers
| OF such court. Senator Burke did report
| that bill back, but with the recommends
| ton that it be indefinitely postponed,
which, under the rules of the Senate, meant
| that IL was killed. Since then We have Sc
cured such a tribunal was proposed by
| that bill, and now labor troubles are arDi-
| trated amicably. Strikes all over the state
OF Indiana have been settled during the
| last two or three years through the work
| of Governor Mount and the State Board
OF Labor Arbitration, brought into exist
ence to help him. Not a great while ago
| a big coal miners strike was settled. How?
BY getting the people on both sides TO sub
NIT their grievances to arbitrators. Gov
ernor Mount did not send the militia down
there to quiet that strike, after the manner
| of Governor Matthews, but. as was stated
in a paper conducted by State Senator Jo-
| siah Gwin, an honorable Democrat, Cover
| nor Mount sent the coal miners bread IN
stead of bayonets. Yet law away back
| there in 1891, which would have allowed
| just such a state of affairs 10 have been
| brought about years ago, was sent 10 MI.
| Burke's judiciary committee and was
brought back with the recommendation
| that il be indefinitely postponed.
Senator Burke also voted against the
enactment of the following Dill: "A Dill Tor
an act to declare unlawful all trusts, pools,
| contracts arrangements and combinations
| in restraint of trade. production, manufac-
/ ture SALE to fix the liability or ana 10
| punish persons and corporations concerned
therein That again. in 1891, was the anti
| trust bill a bill declaring IL illegal TO enter
| into combinations in restraint of trade. yet
Mr.. Burke voted against Ii, and so popular
was that bill that-those were both Demo-
| cratic bodies. remember-so popular was
| that bill that thirty-eight senators voted
/ for IL and only six-Mr. Burke among the
| number-voted against IL. Mr.. Burke voted
against trust measures in both sessions
4 that he was a member, and those measures
could not have been so unreasonable be-
| cause. IL they had been. there would have
been closer division in the vote. Forty
| two senators would not have voted for the
| bill in 1889 and thirty-eight in 1891 Mr..
Burke was evidently moved by the con-
| sderation that he was opposed 10 every
thing that tended to in any way interest
| or elevate the condition of men who earn
| their bread by the sweat OF their brow
| ALLOWED MEASURE TO BE KILLED.
The following bill was referred to the
committee on judiciary. Of which Mr..
| Burke was still chairman: A bill for an
| act to extend and regulate the liability OF
| employers to make compensation for per-
| sonal injuries suffered by workmen In their
| service and declaring all contracts waving
( the provisions OF this act void There was
| another bill in favor of the laboring man
| who works for corporations and handles
| dangerous machinery which got into Mr..
| Burkes clutches and that was the end OF
| IT, There were at that time corporations
which compelled men who entered their
employ 10 sign contracts waving the right
| TO bring damage suits for injuries received
during the period of their employment.
That act was aimed at such unjust prac-
| tees and yet Mr.. Burke allowed II 10 be
| killed Mr.. Burke voted against bill for
| an act 10 provide for the amicable adjust
ment of grievances and disputes that may
arise between employers and employees.
and TO authorize the creation of a state
| court Of arbitration and mediation and de-
hning the powers OF such court. This bill
was similar TO the one L have previously
mentioned as having been indefinitely post
poned on Senator Burke's recommendation.
| It was again introduced with some slight
| changes and referred 10 the committee on
| judiciary and then reported back 10 the Sen
/ ate without any recommendation whatever.
| That bill was indorsed by the following
bodies of organized labor. who petftioned
for MASSAGE. Carpenters' ITni0n-