The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-02-11
Senator Fortune, I'm N Notable speech,
Urges Correction of Weak
nesses by Amendment.
BALLS FIERCE ARRAIGNMENT
SENATOR FROM DELAWARE LEADS
ONSLAUGHT AGAINST THE BILL.
Balance Of Power Held by Democrats,
Who Oppose Antitrust Leg
isIatfon-LegisIative News.

The Hendee antitrust bill was done 20
death in the Senate yesterday afternoon by
its open enemies and its professed friends
The battered corpse is cold and the breath
of life can never be breathed into ii again.
Pushed. hammered, kicked and pounded
from pillar TO post all day long. the luck
less legislative babe was ruthlessly strang-
led near the end OF the afternoon session.
After being glorified and excoriated al
ternately all through the long hours of the
morning and the afternoon the bill giving
the attorney general power TO haul corpora
tions into the Supreme Court for trial on
charges preferred in that high tribunal by
himself on his own relation was decisively
defeated by a favorable vote on a motion
that it be indefinitely postponed.
The final stage of the fight hummed with
interest. With the conclusion Of the last
speech in the pyrotechnical debate senators
sprang to their feet in all parts of the hall
frantically waving motions of one sort or
another. President Pro TEN. Matson was
in the chair in the absence of Lieutenant
Governor Gilbert, and 1t required a cool
head and steady nerve TO guide the Sen
ate with fairness and justice TO ALL He
was besieged with amendments friendly and
unfriendly TO the bill. The din was tre-
mendous. Senators forgot their dignity and
shouted madly. Spectators forgot there
such things as rules and pushed for
ward on the floor talking excitedly. some
making silent appeals to senators to vote
the one way or the other.
A TRYING MOMENT.
1t was evident that the contending sides
were evenly matched, and that IL any ad-
herents were to be gained on the pre-
liminary test of strength the amendment
to be offered must be cleverly worded and
popular. The president pro tenn. retained
his composure admirably in the most trying
scene presiding officer has yet had to take
part during this session of the Senate. His
rulings were fair and he quelied attempts
to hlibuster with an iron hand.
Out of the mass of excited senator's, most
of whom, TO gain an advantage, had pushed
to the front of the hall, President Matson
recognized Senator De Haven, of Howard.
The senator moved that wherever the
words mot conferred" be found i'm the bill
related to the powers of a corporation
and the law they should be stricken out and
the word forbidden substituted. The
amendment was for the purpose of narrow
ing the authority of the attorney general
to summon corporations into the Supreme
Court Senator DE Haven's motion was in
accurately worded, and il took time to
straighten ii out. In the meantime Presi-
dent Matson was the target for senators
who desired to play politics. Senator John
ston attempted to embarrass him. alluding
to a precedent alleged to have been set by
President Gilbert during the absence OF
Senator Matson on account of illness. The
senator from Crawfordsville was told firm
ly but politely that he was out OF order.
Persisting, he was simply ignored. Then
Mr.. De Haven got his amendment i'm shape.
but the senators were in no mood for COM
promises. They wanted fat action on the
bill either for or against, and the amend
ment of the senator from Howard was
killed by big majority.
BALL MOVED TO KILL THE BILL.
Senator Ball, leader of the Republican
members of the Senate who fought TO kill
the bill. sprang to his feet. He made the
motion that eventually settled the fate of
the bill.
II move" he said. "that consideration
of Senate bill No. 149 be indefinitely post
poned.'
Senator Gochenour, a warm ally of Hen
dee in the struggle of the day, caught the
eye of the chair. He realized the situation
TO be desperate. and the friends OF the bill
staked their chances on his throw OF the
dice.
II move" he said, that the motion to
indefinitely postpone be laid upon the ta-
ble-" The motion was Immediately sec
onded, and Senator Gochenour called for
the aye and nay vote. Senator Fleming
seconded the call. The first test OF strength
was made and IL was apparent that the bill
was doomed TO die. The motion to lay on
the table was voted down. The vote stood:
Ayes - Barcps, Conlogue. Crumbaker,
Dausman, Gard, Gibson. Gochenour. Good
wine. Hendee. Lindley. Matson. Parks. Pur-
viance, Smith, Thompson, Whitcomb, Wood
H.
Noes-Askren. Ball. Barlow. Bell. Coats.
Crumpacker. Darby, Davis. DE Haven.
Fleming. Fortune. Gray. Harrison, John
ston. Kittinger. Lawler. Layman. Lyons.
Matthews, Milburn. Newhouse. O'Brien,
Powell, Roche, Singer. Starr, Stricler.
Thralls, Ulrey, Wampler. Wolcott-3i.
HOW THE VOTE STOOD.
Senator Fleming moved the previous ques-
tion after several minutes spent in useless
wrangling. and then the vote was taken on
Senator Balls motion to Indefinitely post
pone consideration of the bill. The motion
prevailed and the bill was killed. II will be
seen that the Republican members were
almost exactly divided in their opinions
Sixteen Republican senators voted against
the bill and seventeen voted for a. The bal
ance of power was held by the Democratic
members who. while processing friendship
before the bill was considered. yesterday
used their power 10 kill it, OF the fifteen
Democratic members. all of whom were
present, eleven voted against the bin and
only four voted for it. IL Is pointed out
that while the Republicans may be charged
with blocking antitrust legislation in the
Senate, the Democrats really murdered the
Hendee bill since. IL they had cast four or
five of their votes the other way, the bill
would have been safely passed. The vote
stood:
To Indefinitely Postpone-BaI. Barlow.
Bell Crumbaker. Crumpacker, De Haven.
Fleming. Gray. Harrison. Johnston Xii.
finger, Lawler. Layman. Lyons. Matthew'S
Newhouse. OBrien. Ogborn. Powell Roche
Singer. Starr. Stricler. Thompson, Thralls'
Ulrey. Wampler-H.
ana mt AuI-.