The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-02-11

Supreme Court. he said. and would tend TO
remove the confidence of the people in the
Supreme Court the court of appeal.
The bill gives the attorney general TOO
much power, he contended. He pointed TO
Attorney General Miller. sitting near by,
and said: I'm the hands of the present dis
tinguished attorney general / have no fear
but that the provisions OF the bill. IL made
into law, would be ably and honestly car
ried out. for the attorney general Is an
honest man, but who knows of the futureg
Who knows or can guess with absolute GER
tainty what kind OF men VIII be attorney
generals of Indiana in the future? TO give
man the right TO bring corporation into i,
court on the fimsiest kind of pretext Will
| be to sow the seeds of corruption and In
justice"
Senator Ball declared that the bill. if en-
acted into law, would be a constant temp
tation to prosecuting attorneys to hale cor
porations into court by information to the
attorney general for the fees that might be
involved in the case. More than that, ne
said. it might tend to corrupt the honesty
of young and struggling lawyers serving as
prosecutors and anxious TO make all the
money possible They might be tempted to
blackmail or to deal dishonesty with cor
porationS and the people who elected them.
He went into the bill at length, and made
arguments each section showing where.
| In his opinion, the bill was unwise and dam
gerous.
DAUSMAN'S POLISHED SPEECH.
He was followed by Senator Dausman,
who made a polished, scholarly address.
The senator from Goshen spoke quietly and
briefly, but he did good work in behalf of
the bill. To the argument advanced by
Senator Ball that the Supreme Court would
be lowered by being made a court of orig
inal jurisdiction Senator Dausman answered
that every lawyer in the country recognized
the Supreme Court of Massachusetts the
ablest tribunal in the United States. 1t is
court OF original jurisdiction In these
cases, said Senator Dausman, and its stand
ard has not been vitiated The bill was not
unWlse or unjust in any particular, he
maintained, and should pass il the people
are to be given the protection to which
they are entitled against unjust and grasp
ing corporations. Corporations that are
ganized and are operated within the law
need nave nothing to fear from this bill,
he said; only those that know they are
evil and detrimental to the good Of the
people.
Senator Davis, of Greene, answered for
the opposition, although Senator Davis like
Senator Fortune, voted for the bill when it
came to the final test He argued against
the provision that gives the attorney gen.
eral power to bring usurping public officers
into the Supreme Court for trial. and
against the suspension in such cases of the
right of citizens of trial by jury. The SEN
ator spoke briefly without indulging in loud
invective.
Senator Wood, of Lafayette for the bill.
and Senator Milburn, of Dubois, against,
| closed the debate. Each supplemented ar
guments made previously, although Sena-
Tor Milburn urged earnestly that his amend
ment striking out the clause relating to
usurping public officers should be adopted.
The amendment was lost
Inc democrats took the position that they
would have voted for the Hendee measure
nao the Republicans consented to eliminate
the section giving the attorney general the
right to sue usurping officers in the SUI
preme Court. Their ultimate stand how
ever Indicated that they would not have
m in