The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-02-12
{, PROSECUTORS LOST INTEREST.

dead "Requiscat in pace were the clos
ing words of Sherman's speech
PROSECUTORS LOST INTEREST.
After Their Bill Was Amended They
Made No Further Effort to Push 1t.
The aggressive lobby of prosecuting at
torneys that was on hand when the bill
increasing their salaries was considered on
second reading in the House was conspicu-
Gus by its absence yesterday forenoon,
when the bill was placed on its passage.
The sudden loss of interest on the part of
the prosecutors is attributed to the amend
ment adopted by the House providing that
the increase of salary carried by the bill
should not apply to present incumbents, but
be that as it may there was no one in the
lobby yesterday morning to weep over the
death of the bill-for it is dead. Mr.. Sayre,
of Wabash, killed it with his little Ratchet
No one even put in an APPEARANCE to claim
the remains of the deceased and it has been
suggested that the body be turned over to
| the medical colleges for dissecting pur-
poses.
Immediately after the fate of the bill was
known Mr.. Sayre sank back in his seat
with satisfied smile on his face and solil-
| oquized: "Well, there's $4,000 more per
year that has been saved for the taxpayers
The assessors are next; they want $3.50, 600
more a year."
The opponents to the bills increasing SAL
aries have at last discovered the most eff
| fective means of killing them, which is to
amend the bills second reading SO that
they will not apply to present incumbents
has been made no one appears to have any
| further, interest in the bills of this charac-
| ter and they are easily defeated when
placed on their passage. When the prose-
] cutting attorneys bill was on second read
| ing 1t had a majority of the votes with 1t.
When it came up for final action yesterday
| there were but thirty -One votes for IL and
| sixty-four against 1T.
| Mr. Sayre led the fight with a vigorous
| speech against the bill. He argued that it
was not the sense of the people of the
| State that the prosecutors are underpaid
| and that their salaries should be increased.
| In refutation of the argument that larger
salaries would attract better men to the
| office he said that the salary did not get
| the man and that the average man sought
office more for glory and honor than for
| any other reason. The office of prosecutor
carried with Ii, he declared, both honor and
prestige, and term in the office was valu-
| able to any man. In his own county the
office yielded an income of $l,5O0 per year,
| and he believed that the average all over
| the State was at least that high.
| SAYRE ON LAWYERS.
al believe" added the member from Wa
| bash, that in the State of Indiana there
are more lawyers who make less than s.. 900
per year in their profession than there
are who make more than $1,000, and do
not except Marion county. This bill will
| cost the taxpayers of the State from $4,000
to So, 900 per year. 1t should be defeated"
Mr.. Boulder, of Clinton, championed the
bill He also charged Sayre with incon-
| sistency in opposing this bill when he voted
levy from II TO 10 cents. Mr.. Sayre asked
| permission to inform the member from
| Clinton why he had voted for the school
| bill, but Boulder peremptorily declined to
| be interrupted. Sayre voted for the school
| bill in order that he might later move to re-
| consider the vote, which he has done, and
his motion is now pending In the House and
may be called up at any time.
| Later Boulder got a dose of his own medi-
| cine when he attempted to interrupt
Stookey to ask him question. Stookey
declined to yield. and then turned on Boul-
| den and said: ''The member from Clinton
has converted himself into talking ma
| chine in this House until 1t is hard for any
| body else to get a word in edgewise. In
| the course of his speech Stookey said that
he would like to know of lawyer In In
| diana who made $500 year out of his GRIM
| inal practice.
"Well, | can show you one right here"
broke in Boulder. referring to himself.
| I'm have to ask better evidence than
| that statement" rejoined StOokey, and
went on with his speech in which he
| showed that the incomes of prosecutors
| were not limited to their salaries and fees
| regular civil practice at the same time
they look after the business of their Of
fees.
ADAIR SPEAKS FOR THE BAR
This is my day to represent the'bar of
Jay county" began Mr.. Adair, thereby add
| ing to the diversity of the interests he
represents, having declared for the COM
| mercial interests and the farmer interests
on previous occasions. Adar made Wig
| orous speech against the bill and wound
up by sounding a note of warning to the
! Republicans.
BILLS to increase salaries and bills to
create new boards and bills TO do nothing
| but spend the public money have been pour
ing in on this House until they have actu-
ally made me sick. and say to you. gen.
| tleInen Of the majority. that IL you con-
| tinue to vote to increase the salaries of all
officials who come here with their hands
out. If you continue to vote to increase
the expenses of this State. if you continue
TO vote TO pile additional burdens on the
taxpayers whom you are supposed to rep
resent, when the next legislature meets
there will not be enough Republican men,
bers to hold a caucus"
l. Mr. sherman again favored the bill The
gist of his argument was that II is use-
less for the Legislature TO enact laws un~
less there are competent officials to en-
force them and that the present salaries of
the prosecutors would not attract compe-
tent men TO the Office.
After the bill had been defeated by the
vote of 81 to "a Mr.. Sayre moved TO re-
consider and table. which motion prevailed
and no further action can be taken by the
House on the BILL
A few unimportant bills were passed
during the morning and three new bills
were introduced. About half an hour before
adjournment the word reached the House
that the Sunday baseball bill was up ia