The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-04-23
Wild DISORDER.
Members Of Illinois House Of
Representatives
Attempt to Pull the Speaker
From His Chair.
HE ADJOURNS SESSION.
House Refuses to Recognize His
Arbitrary Action.
Elects a Speaker and Clerk Pro
TempOre.
CHICAGO VS.. FIELD.
The Row Is Over Municipal
Ownership Legislation.
Representatives Engage in a
Fight on the Floor.
Elects a Speaker and Clerk Pro
TempOre.
CHICAGO VS.. FIELD.
The Row Is Over Municipal
Ownership Legislation.
Representatives Engage in a
Fight on the Floor.
Amendment After Amendment
RaIIrOaded Through by Chair.

Springfield, Ill. April 2s.-Wild disor- /
der arose today in the house of repre- I
sentatives over municipal ownership
bills Adherents of the Mueller bill, in
dignant at Speaker Miller's ruling in
favor of the Lindley bill. attempted 20
pull the speaker from his chair The
speaker raised his voice above the tur-
moil and declared the house adjourned
Thereupon Representative Murray, a
Mueller bill man, called for the election
OF a speaker. pro tenn. Charles Allen of
vernillion. was selected but had diff
Guilty in forcing his way to the speak
er's chair. The aisles We're thronged /
with a crowd so excited that it was al
most a mob Eventually he made the
passage. and Henry Better was made
clerk 1t was found exceedingly difi-
cult. however to accomplish business.
The municipal ownership fight now In
progress here is the most exciting
which the state capital has witnessed
in many years. Chicago sentiment is
said to favor the Mueller bill and Mayor
Harrison. Graeme Stewart, the recently
defeated candidate for Chicago's may
orally chair, John NJ. Harlan and 9TH
ers Of influence have been several days
working for it. The Lindley DILL the
municipal ownership measure Favored
By an active minority, HAS, however
been forced ahead. Yesterday the
sneaker arbitrarily refused a roll call
on a motion to postpone consideration
of the Lindlsy bill, although majority
of the house demanded the roll. lne
reinforcement motion was declared carr
iied. amid the protests of the majority.
The postponement was desired by the
I.indley forces because it was feared
that they had not votes enough to de-
feat motion to substitute the Mueller
ATTACK THE SPEAKER.
Today Speaker Miller ordered the
Iindley measure advanced to third
reading and a tumult of voices rose in
opposition during which the attempt
was made to pull the speaker from nus
1t was 1920 when Speaker Miller an
nounced that the Lindley municipal
OWNERSHIP bill was special order on
second reading The bill was read
Then Mr. Lindley was recognized and
offered the amendments formulated al
Tuesday nights conference Before
these were read he made a statement
to the house concerning them. Speaker
Miller then ordered the amendments
read The irst amendment was read
and when the speaker started to nut
the question of its adoption to a viva
voce vote the house was thrown into
disorder. a large number Of the mem
bers were on their feet Some Of them
were standing i'm chairs few on the
desks. demanding a roll call.
The amendment is adopted. said
Speaker Miller. bringing down his gavel.
You are liar. retorted Mr.. Allen
There was now fresh outbreak,
members shouting Mr.. Speaker. Mr..
Speaker" Roll call. roll call
Above the din Mr.. sherman. as he
seized MS Kitchen chalr ana paced
il on bis desk in front of him. could be
heard shouting. THE speaker ignores
the rules Of the house. The chair is not
in order"
The second amendment was then read.
The uproar was deafening as the speak
er started to put the question of adop-
tiOn "As many as favor the rest OF
the sentence being entirely lost All the
while the demand for roll call con-
tinued- The speaker declared the
amendment adopted, although his de-
csion could be heard scarcely three
feet from him. The third amendment
was read and i'm the same manner de-
clared adopted. BY this time perfect
pandemonium prevailed. Many members
had seized bill books and were DOund-
ing their desks. while MI Cummings,
from his seat in the front row on the
Democratic side, was vigorously WELD
ing a. board The fourth amendment
was declared adopted When the read
ing of the fifth amendment was COM
pleted personal violence against the
speaker was threatened A number OF
ladies we're sitting on the couch near
MOVE THE LADIES QUIT
"Will the ladies please move out from
behind" shouted Nj Allen.
Get them out" shouted Nj. Sherman.
Get the ladies out Don't act the
coward"
Tn the uproar Mr. Lindley was heard
TO move the previous question ON the
bill The spea ker put the motion and
although he could not be heard, the
movements Of the gavel indicated that
the motion had prevailed.
At this point fight broke out on the
Democratic side few feet from the
spt aker. Worden (Dem) and Glade
tRep) were the central figures, but
eiPht or ten other mem bers-in fact, al
most everybody in their immediate VII
cirity-appeared to be taking . hand
i'm the melee in an evident endeavor to
separate the Two combatants- 1t de-
veloped afterwards that WOedell had
started for the speaker with menacing
air and that Glade had seized him. thus
preciDitatiug the encounter
II was now 11:4O. Above the din an
indistinct motion for a recess to 2:3O
was heard. and moment later the
speaker brought down his gavel and de-
clared it carried.
Fully half of the members of the
house appeared now to be standing on
eop OF their desks On the Republican