The Indianapolis journal., 1903-03-07
JUDGES SALARY BILL VETOED
GOVERNOR DURBIN COULD NOT AP-
PROVE THE MEASURE.
Apportionment Bill May BE Passed
To-Day-Tarkington Insurance
Bill I'm the Senate.
The movement toward primary reform re-

mary elections. The bill was killed by
vote OF 50 to s6. and later in the afternoon
IL was decently inferred by a motion by
Statesman to reconsider and table the vote
by which the bill was murdered. Senator
Charles n. Thompson was the chief mourn
er at the funeral. and he sat with a ''well-
vhats-the-use' expression on his face that
told better than words his keen disappoint-
ment.
The House In thirty minutes undid the
Herculean labors of six months. The fruits
OF the work Of the Commercial Club COM
mission. the efforts of prominent party men
ell over the State, the suggestions of sem
ators and representatives and the hard
work OF Thompson himself were blown
away like dandelion fun before the wind OF
the opposition of the House.
The defeat OF the bill was accomplished
by tfe union of leaders Of both the majority
and the minority. To James F. Statesman
and j. A. NJ. Adair may be ascribed almost
entirely the killing of the Thompson bill.
Both worked indefatigably and reIentlessly
against the bill before II came up, and both
delivered fiery speeches attacking it when
the measure was brought before the House.
In a measure the Democrats were re-
sponsible for the defeat of the primary bill,
they had the balance of power between
a divided majority. Almost to a man they
voted against the new plan TO purify pri-
maries-only three OF the minority men,
bers going on record for primary reform.
The bill was debated at length, but the
handwriting on the wall was writ in large
letters The most effective work was done,
however. before the bill was handed down.
Statesman came to the Statehouse in the
afternoon with plan mapped out to ac-
complish its defeat. He had prepared a
long list of members on both sides of the
House who. he believed would be amenable
to argument. Too clever himself to go di-
rectly to them with pleas for the defeat of
the bill. he sent skilled emissaries who
bent over the members and put the case to
them In & convincing manner. Few were
aware at the time of what was going on
but when the smoke cleared away the result
was apparent.
AN EFFECTIVE SPEECH.
Statesman opened the debate on the bill
after Speaker Marshall had handed it down
on third reading. Holding aloft printed
copy of the bulky document. he began:
I'VE have here a bill for primary reform
don't believe that the House understands
what this bill contains. 1 don't believe
any one understands its provisions. Will
ANYBODY stand up and tell me what this
bill seeks to accomplish and how IL will
bring about that ende Now, this bill was
introduced very early in the session. but it
was held up and delayed for weeks by a
Senate committee when we should have
been studying it,
when the bill was finally pushed through
IL
amended and reamended until no one knows
just what IL will do. 1 am free to confess
that l don. know what this bill contains
and don't care to find out. No one is de-
manding primary reform except the COM
mercial clubs of a few cities of this State,
and these clubs were represented in con-
vention by few doctrinaires and visionary
theorists. / know that nobody in the five
counties represent wants the primary
election bill passed In closing Suites
man urged that the bill in hand be defeated.
Representative Adair, the minority eau
Gus chairman. voiced the sentiments of his
side or the House in opposing the bill. He
made the statement that he had discovered
that there were very few people in the city
OF Indianapolis who really favor the bill.
And then he launched into diatribe
against the Republican members because
ment of vote buyers well as vote sellers.
Primary reform" he said, "is not to be
sreamed of as long as IT is possible under
where and openly buy votes wherever he
can find them 1 introduced bill on the
very s,s nrst roll can OF this session which
than all the primary election bills that
could be brought before the Legislature.
That bill was reported favorably by COM
mittee. but for some reason which / cannot
understand it was sidetracked, held up and
finally lost. If you on the majority side
were not willing to pass such a bill coming
from a member of the minority you should
have introduced similar measure and Sc
cured Its enactment"
BAMBERGER FOR THE BILL.
Bamberger. of Indianapolis, urged the
passage OF the bill. With Bell, of RAN
dolpb. he stood its lone defender on the
floor. In his opening remarks he took a
shot at Statesman, who. he said, had of
fered no argument against the bill save his
own ignorance of what 1t contained.
IF the gentleman from Miami" he said
''had used his eyesight and the very re-
markable intelligence which / am sure we
VIII ali agree that he possesses, he nigh,
have been equal to the task of Iearnins
what this Dill contains. This bill seeks
TO place the selection of candidates al
primaries I'm the hands of the people, where
IL belongs"
Banberger attempted to continue his
argument for the bill, but he was repeat.
edly interrupted by Scifers and Adair OF
the minority with pertinent and imperti
nent questions which naturally had the
effect of disconcerting him somewhat and
unfortunately, which took up most of hi,
time. The speaker held him down TO the
fve-minute limit.
Sherman. of Decatur was against TN,
DILL Il am opposed TO this BILL" he said
Il have not investigated IL because 1 d,
not believe any primary law Is worth in
vestigating. From all 1 can hear / hav,
come 10 the conclusion that Indianapoli
Is not susceptible to reform. and L don
believe that any bill we might pass would
DO the cities any good. Nobody wants
Bamberser-"Are you aware that tn,
platform of your own party pledges tn,
party TO primary reform legislation of thi
Sherman lodged the point in question b,
saying. The stuffed prophet from Buz
Yards bay says that platforms are onl,
intended as bait 10 catch votes
He went on for a few sentences ir
further opposition to the bill
Bell. or Randolph. spoke briefly i'm ad
vocacy or the passage OF the bill. He sais
that while the bin might not be ali tina
could be desired. In the way of primar,
reform he believed IL 10 be long step II
the right direction He earnestly hopet
that the members would support the meas
ure-
VOTE ON THE BILL.
The roll call showed the following vote:
For the bill-Baird, Bamberger. Bearss
Beckman. Bell. Branck. Corn. Decker. Ed
wards. Fear. Harlt 2. Hastings. Hull. Jack
ley. Kimball. Kirkman. Lewis of Clay. Iuh
ring. Miller. Minnick. Mitchell. Owen, Par
rett. People. Robertson. Rock Salisbury
Salmond. Eayre. Stansbury. stechhan
Stults. Van Fleet. Watson. Wright MI
Speaker-3s-
Against the bill-Adsir. Allen, Bader
Berndt. Boulden. Boyd. Caldwell. conaway
Cravens, Gully. Curry. Denbo Dirksou
EarroW, Garman. Green. Haines, Hall
Hamilton. Henrickson. Holman. Hume