The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-02-10


at some length. In the course of his speech.
referring to the objection raised to the bill
on the grounds that il was detrimental to
the interests of organized labor Mr. Sher-
man delved into the classics and brought
poor Banquo's ghost into the House. Il
have an idea" he said. land il haunts me
like Banquos ghost, that we are here to
represent the State of Indiana, the whole
State and the whole people and that we
are not here to bow and cringe to any
ORGANIZATION AMI S. or to any part OF the people
whole State demand that this bill be passed
and l shall vote for it,"
Mr. statesman was heartily in favor OF
the BILL He was also somewhat Disguised
and wearied. he Said of the attitude as
sumed by Messrs. Boyd and Slack on ques-
lions of this character. 1.-The gentleman
from Putnam and the gentleman from
| Johnson are. as usual, indulging in noisy
determinations to the galleries., was the
| characterization he gave these members.
Mr.. Statesman Endorsed the bill as ex-
| has been offered pending the final solution
| OF the vexed problem of the employment
| OF the States charges. He denied en-
phatically that the bill was a graft meas
| ure, as charged by one of the men who
! spoke against 1t. and said that under the
existing law the State Prison had been adj
| mirably conducted. Boyd, at this juncture,
| INTERRUPTED the member from Miami with
| a question. us that also true of the In
| diana Reformatory?" he asked.
statesman answered promptly that it
| was. The question and answer took an
additional significance from the fact that at
| that moment Governor Durbin was seated
on the right of Speaker Marshall
statesman closed the debate. Mr.. Bam-
| berger, OF Marion, offered a motion that
the bill be recommitted with instructions
providing pro for os an amendment EN- substituting
limiting the extension of the contracts to
two years. Mr.. People moved that the mo-
| ton be tabled and the speaker called for
the question and announced that the motion
1 prevailed without
| slightest attention to the stentorian de-
| mands for the ayes and noes a division
that were raised by dozen members.
During the roll call the speaker instruct
ed the clerk to keep him informed of the
progress OF the vote and the moment he
knew that there were the necessary fifty
! one favorable votes he had the roll call
| handed up and made the announcement
of the result. The absentees were not
brought in, nor were the names of those
not voting called a second time.
HAD FUN WITH MORGAN
| Along toward the close of the afternoon
session yesterday Representative Morgan,
of Marion county, was given a ''try-out"
as presiding officer, and his friends took
pains to that the test was a thorough
| one. He had hardly taken the gavel be-
fore motions and counter motions to adj
journ and to do everything else that the
| speaker pro tenn. would not want to do were
| fired in at him.
Mr.. Decker, of vanderburg, sent up the
first one. which was to the effect that
when the House adjourn it stand adj
journed until Morgan is again speaker"
| Morgan had the wisdom to read the mo-
| tion himself before handing 1T to the clerk.
| and he held 1t out of order and thereafter
| refused to recognize any member on any
| pretext, but that did not keep them from
| "prodding him. One of the members dis
patched a page to the nearest grocery store
| with instructions to purchase the largest
| head of cabbage he could find, and when
| the boy returned with it the member
| adorned 1t with large card reading, with
| the compliments of the Sixty-third General
| Assembly and sent it up to the speaker S
| desk.
| All this was naturally somewhat discon-
| certing to Morgan, and he twisted some of
| the questions he stated into forms that
were anything but parliamentary For in
stance. after the passage of bill he an
nounced: THE question is now whether
| the title of the bill shall remain the title
| of the act. If not it will be so ordered. -
| However, the speaker pro TEN. managed
| to hold the House down to business, and
final action was taken on three bills while
| he welded the gavel.
Seven bills were passed during the after
] noon. and aside from the fight on the prison
| convict labor measure the only debate that
| took place was on Mr.. Corn's bill increasing
| the state school tax levy from IL to 16 cents
Messrs. Statesman, Adair and Settlers
, spoke in favor of the bill. pointing out the
| funds and emphasizing the fact that the
| bill does not really raise the tax levy, blu,
merely puts 1T back to where it was eight
| years ago when the Legislature of 1895 re.
duced it. Mr.. Boulder opposed an increase
| to 16 cents. While he thought there was
need for more money for school purposes
he was of opinion that an increase to l.
cents would be amply sufficient The bill
was passed by vote of 81 to Z.
In the debate the point was brought out
that in some parts of the State the raisine
of children seemed to be the principal in
dustry, and that these sections found the
school fund available under the present
levy wholly inadequate. Mr.. Hume, of Hen
bricks. took occasion to explain his vote
and said that the people of his county wer.
very conservative, and especially conserva
tive in the matter of increasing the popu
lation. Therefore, he said, he would hav.
to vote against the BILL Later he changed
his vote. saying that he would vote his owl
sentiments. not those of his constituents
| and favor the bill.
1t was almost o'clock before the Hous,
adjourned