The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-02-03
ON BRINK OF DEFEAT.
CONCLUDED FROM FIRST PAGE


payment of his honest debts. Those who
through misfortune or other mitigating cir
cumstances run behind In their affairs are
excluded from the bills application.
IL happened that when Mr.. Wood called
the bill up a sort of lethargy had fallen
on the Senate. Matters had been SO unin-
teresting that few senator's were paying
much attention to what was going on.
Consequently when the Lieutenant Cover
nor put the usual question in the usual
way there was not single objection raised.
shall the bill pass TO engrossment?' he
asked. Not voice was raised In opposi-
ton. IF there is no objection" contin-
dered." Sui the sleepers might have
caused trouble. but for all the activity they
displayed Senator Wood might have waved
the wand Of Gree over them and might
have changed them into dumb animals.
There was not even grunt, growl or
grumble to show that anyone cared
rap what became of the bill. Then the final
order was made by the Lieutenant Cover
nor. 1T is done.'' he declared and the
bill was disposed OF.
FORTUNE WAS wARLIKE.
Then there was a buzz of surprise that
swelled into murmur. The opponents OF
the measure seemed TO recover slowly
from the remarkable hypnotism under
which they had sat with impassive faces
and they began to twist in their seats I'M
easily. asking what had happened to them
There was an element OF humor in the sit
uation. Sharp, shrewd masters Of the art
OF filibustering had let their sweetest OPP
portunity get by them and had let their
dearest enemy score a marked triumph.
Then uprose the senator from Clark, Mr..
Fortune. who, in a complaining voice full
or the wall OF distress, asked the president
of the Senate what he meant by rushing
the bill over the heads OF the senators
without giving them time to know what
was going on. Mr.. Fortune is a pleasant
gentleman, every body knows; but he
can wear at times the most irritating sneer
and talk in the most provoking voice Of
any man in the chamber. Mr.. Gilbert,
stung by the injustice of the accusation
for he had proceeded deliberately and ac-
cording to the usual procedure-replied
with courtesy in a depressed voice that the
bill had taken the customary course and
not paid attention to what happened.
Mr.. Fortune smiled another of his goad-
Ing grins and drawled out. We'll, 1t must
have skipped through pretty fast. as / was
watching for It and did not hear it when
1t was called"
President Gilberts face set and his jaw
narily. Those accustomed to gauge the
weather accurately would have known that
storm was brewing He replied cuttingly
THE structures of the senator from Clark
are absolutely uncalled for and untrue. and
l cannot permit them TO go by unchal-
Mr.. Fortune kept his feet and shot an
other poisoned arrow with the remark: II
am perfectly aware that the chair can cast
an aspersion on any member whenever he
sees fit
The lieutenant governors eyes flashed
fre. but under the CALLING gibes he main
tanned his composure admirably He
raped sharply for order. Mr.. Fortune sub
sided. He was on his feet again, however,
in minute, and obtained recognition at
once. He moved that the Senate reconsider
its vote to engross the garnishee bills. He
obtained permission from the chair to
speak on his motion. and used the time to
attack the spirit of the measures as we'll as
the letter.
SPEECHES ON THE BILL.
The senator from Clark maintained that
the Republican party leaders had conspired
with prominent members OF the merchants
associations to pass the garnishee bills.
| He exhibited letters sent to merchants of
the State. by a member of the Retail Gro
GERS Association of Indianapolis. which
stated that the merchants had the Repub-
lican members where they wanted them.
and that the bill would be driven through
He declared that the bill would place labor
| ing men at the mercy of hard-hearted mer-
| chants.
The senator from Tippecanoe interrupted
| 1.-The senator from Clark certainly is not
| aware that this Is a substitute BILL SUBJ
/ stitute which expressly provides that sick
ness or reasonable inability TO pay debts
| does not make an employe liable to gar
/ nishment'
Senator Wood then spoke for the bill.
| Senator Davis broke in with the remark
| that the bill was ambguouSly worded
| he could not comprehend its meaning. THIS
brought shot from Senator Wood.
| I'VE certainly are not responsible, he
| said, "for the senator's inability to under
| stand the English language" The hit went
home, and the oratorical statesman from
| Greene sat down abashed.
] Senator Wood then stated that the time
has come in Indiana when the rights of the
merchants against deadbeats must . be
looked after by the Legislature. 81 wish to
| say" he observed, that we cannot give all
| of our attention to the laboring element of
| the population. But nevertheless there is
| nothing in this bill that is prejudicial to the
| interests of a laboring man If he be an hon.
| est man. He is taken care of by the bill.
| and he is exempted from garnishment pro-
ceedings If, through illness or other misfor-
| tune. he is unable to meet his obligations.
| There has been a great deal of talk about
| the laborlng organizations being a unit i'm
| opposition to the bill That talk is based
| on wind. because I have here a copy of a
/ letter from Grand Chief Arthur. of the
/ Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers.
placing the seal of his approval upon just
| such legislation as is proposed by the bill.
| Mr.. Arthur understands we'll as anybody
else that the merchant is robbed right and
LEFT by the unprincipled employe who
evades settling for the very necessaries OF
life.
There is nothing to conceal in this bill.
! IL has been fully explained and fully
| gued / am in no hurry about rushing il
| through I want every senator TO under
| stand the bill thoroughly before voting on
Il: and / am convinced that the more the
| real purpose of the bill is comprehended
| the more votes there will be cast for it,
Senator Dausman moved To lay the mo-
ton to reconsider on the table. When the
| roll was called there were exactly twenty
one voting to table the motion to recop-
slider and twenty-one voting against. Sch
ator Purviance, whose AYE" the clerk had
not caught was called again, and he
clinched the victory for Senator Woods
| forces.
wOLCOTT JARED BADLY.
Senator Wolcott's bills Jared badly yes
terday. The senator had two measures
called up. one on second reading, the other
on third reading. The bill to give the State
Board of Education authority to contract
for primer one grade lower than the first
reader now in use was defeated-twenty.
three to sixteen. Senator Wolcott's bill
giving the State Board of Education power
TO appoint a state high school inspector
was streDuously objected to by some of the
senator's on the ground that the purpose:
| OF the officer were not clearly set out The
bill was ordered recommitted TO the com
mittee on education.
Senator Balls barber bill came up on sec
ond reading and passed to engross
ment without much of a fight. An amend
ment was adopted which provides that tn,
hill shall apply only 10 incorporated cite:
and towns.
Among the bills passed to engrossmen
were Senator Gray's bill TO provide for tn,
building of foodgates in bitches; Senator
Ogborn's bill providing for the loaning O
| the common school fund: Senator Singer.