The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-02-10
Fleming Puts Through Mortgage Tax
alton scheme After n Prolonged
and Desperate Struggle.
CONVICT LABOR BILL PASSED
HOUSE TRANsACTS UNEvENTFULLY
MUCH IMPORTANT BUSINESS.
Governor Signs Bill Increasing
Judges Salaries and Uses Veto
Power-Legislatfve Gossip.

what il is to be $50 near and yet so far
After waging and raging for a week i'm
the interests of his bill TO raise the salary
of the tax commissioners of the State the
gentleman from Madison achieved only a
barren victory. When il came TO a test
of strength Mr.. Kittinger had twenty-three
senators voting for the bill and he was re-
sisted by twenty-five who cast their votes
against it. The bill failed to pass for
want of a constitutional majority. Its
status is really unaffected. The bill returns
to third reading i'm the same form. and
Senator Kittinger has the privilege OF try
ing again.
Debate on the measure was only little
less free from viruence than on a day last
week when Mr.. Kittinger made the fierce
attack on Senator Parks. who led the
fight against the salary-increasing meas
ure. Just before the Senate adjourned yes
terday morning Senator Kittinger called
up the bill for third reading. to which IT
had gone after the peppery contest few
days ago. He made temperate speech,
presenting the good points Of the measure
and urged the senators TO give II their sup
port.
PARKS UNDISMAYED.
Quite undismayed by the storm he had
evoked last week, Senator Parks took the
floor with hammer and anvil and began
to forge bolts of thunder against the pet
measure of Mr.. Kittinser. The bill was
bad. be said. IT was bad from start 10
finish. IL was unworthy the attention OF
the senators, and he hoped they would con-
suit their common sense and their sense
of the fitness of things and vote against IL.
Speaking calmly and coolly during the
first periods Of his speech the senator from
Marshall and Kosciusko gradually warmed
up, and his face and head flushed and
his eyes shot fire Mr.. Parks wound UP
with terrific arraignment OF the bill, class
ing ii with graft" measures with which.
he said, the Senate had been deluged.
Senator Wolcott took UP the defense OF
the bin and spoke somewhat at length.
Il feel ii my duty" he began, Ito take
exception to a remark, which, / believe,
is offensive to every senator on the floor.
He has said that this bill, with others he
alludes TO in a general way, is a graft
measure. / feel that this language on the
part of the senator is unjust. uncallec for
from the man who introduced the very
first bill to raise salaries IL is even ridicu-
lous Senator Parks brought in a bill to
increase the salary of the State forester
$500 and to give him an additional 81 600 for
expenses. In the light OF that / find IL Inn
possible to reconcile his statements Of to-
day with his urgent pleas for the passage
of that bill"
Lieutenant Governor Gilbert took a hand
at this juncture and put an end to the per-
sonalities in which both sides bad INDUCED.
must confine their discussion to the bin and
not impugn upon this floor the motives OF
each other"
Senator wolcott proceeded with his
speech defending the purpose of the bill.
he pointed out the efficiency OF the serv-
ices of the commissioners and asked IL
4at~ hoe reraa 1lsaA
al every year to men who annually increase
the tax duplicate millions Of dollars
Senator Gochenour. Mr.; Parks's able
again against the bill, characterizing II as
a piece of bad legislation. The commission
ers deserved no more salary, he said, than
they were getting. Senator Crumbaker
spoke~for the bill.
The Senate adjourned before action was
taken. but Immediately at the beginning
against few thick and fast. Senator Kit
finger closed the debate with an argument
for the bill. The vote showed % ayes and
% noes.
FLEMING'S NARROW ESCAPE
The absence Of several senators made 70
a difficult matter to pass bills at all yes
terday at either session, but the Senats
overcame the difficulty somehow and man
aged to clear away a good deal OF busi-
ness that had accumulated. Senator Flem.
ing had narrow escape with his bill <elat-
ing to the taxation OF mortgages. 1t was
combated fercely by Senator wolcott and
Senator Gray, who maintained that IL
would raise interest rates in the State and
would work TO the detriment OF the poor
men md for the benefit of wealthy invest
ment companies doing business in the State.
Senator Fleming contended that while the
bill might result in a small! increase of In
terest rates. yet IL would add more taxable
property to the duplicate and would be a
bad thing only for the tax dodger. His
arguments were effective I'm winning over a
number Of Republicans. When the vote
was taken 1; was found that there were
twenty-five for the bill and twenty-five
against Then Fleming did some charac-
teristic missionary work. Keeping up the
wearied and anxious for adjournment,
which could not be taken during roll call
and began TO exercise the wiles or the SER
pent kittinger listened. was about 10 fall,
took brace of the spinal column and
turned away. Strickler was sweetly wooed.
but failed TO give encouragement Then the
young man from Fort Wayne lit upon
Senator Matson. who after long argument
mo" to AYE" The bill was then passed
-26 ayes and u noes.
Senator Ulrey was kindly treated by the
senators at the afternoon session and four
OF his bills were passed In a lump. They
put the township trustees of Allen and
Vanderburg counties on salary and make
other minor changes In regard 10 the jurfs-
diction OF justices. their manner OF doing
business, etc. Senator Crumbaker. OF vans
derburg, offered an amendment 70 each bin
as II was called up so that his county would
be taken in, and each bill was passed after
a good deal OF hustling TO secure a consti-
tutional quorum.
ULREY WILL PRAY FOR THEM.
Lieutenant Governor Giibert's sliusion 70
the Ulrey bill as the serial story from Fort
Wayne caused a great deal OF amusement
and the senator from Allen. who used -
be preacher 1t u said. wound up preeselp