The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1907-01-24
Was Finally Passed After Sen
ator Kirkman Had Talked
Himself HoarSe.
rs NOW UP TO THE HOUSE
AN EFFORT WILL BE MADE TO
GET THE BILL PASSED WITH
OUT A LOT OF SUPERFLUOUS
AMENDMENTS.
(By Demas S. Coe.)

10Y 0GIHdS SOC.I
indianapolis, Ind, Jan. 23.-The
Reid Memorial hospital bill was push
ed through the senate today after an
unexpected and vigorous fight, in
which Senator Kirkman, who intro
duced the measure, had the active
floor support of Senator Ert Slack.
one Of the democratic leaders. The
bill, which at it's introduction, was
proclaimed as a measure which had
been prepared for the especial bene-
fit of Richmonds magnificent hospit-
Richmond might legally appropriate
money for it's maintenance, was re-
garded as an innocent measure" until
yesterday, when Senator Kimbrough
of Muncie, one of the best and most
vigorous speakers on the majority
side, believed that he had discovered
a dangerous loop-hole. He declared
that If the Wayne county senator's bill
should be enacted into law, it would
open up the doors for every city and
town in Indiana that had private hos
pital, to call on the treasures for
funds. In vain Senator Kirkman and
others tried to point out that the bill
as framed made this impossible; that
it's conditions were such that it could
apply only to Richmond and to Rich
mond's hospital. The effect of the
opposition started by Senator Kim
rnh hnd ife
and Senators Ranke, Moss Kistler and
others made protests against such
measure. After Senator Kirkman had
talked himself hoarse, Senator Slack,
who had been reading the bill, jump
ed on the Kirkman band wagon and
proceeded to show that II Richmond
wanted to pay out its funds in behalf
of hospital, it should be given the
right to do So Senator Pearson, of
Bedford, then took whack at the
ceremonies and started trouble by Of
fering an amendment which provided
that any town or city in the state that
had a hospital public or private, that
had been the gift of any person or or
ganization, and which represented
cost of $1,000, should be legally per-
mitted to ask for funds from the pub
Tic treasury. senator fedTSOu was
sincere. He thought that if such a
thing was to be desired for Richmond,
then it ought to be equally good for
the little town of Bedford, which has
81 5000 hospital, which is running
down because of a shortage of funds.
Senator Slack and Senator Kirkman
talked against the amendment, but it
went through Then several senators
realized that the door really had been
opened and that there would be trou-
BILE started in many cities and towns. |
Senator Durre of Evansville, who had
stood for the amendment arose, and
moved to reconsider the vote by which |
the amendment was made. There /
was more argument. The motion to
reconsider prevailed by "a to IL. The |
bill was then put upon its passage and
went through 80 to 10. number of +
senators not voting. An effort is re-
ing made to have the house receive /
and pass the bill without mutilating 7
1t with amendments. There is rea- I
son to expect that it will pass, though /
after today's demonstration in the
senate, it is difficult to predict what /
may happen.
The senate worked all day today as
it did yesterday, and the house repeat
ed its stunt of adjourning at -.oon
This afternoon the senate had its usu-
al display of oratorical pyrotechnics
1t came up as a result of the considera-t
tion of the bill offered by Senator
kittinger which provides that a cir
cult tor criminal judge shall be en-
powered to parole persons convicted
of felonies. The bill, it was stated,
was drawn up by John l.. Rupe of
Richmond, when serving on the Indi-
ana prison commission. Senator Kit
finger called up the bill on third read
ing this forenoon, but it was not until
afternoon that the fireworks were cut
loose, the measure having been per-
mitted to hang over" during the noon
adjournment Nearly half of the SEN
ators took turn at the bill and Sena-
tor Wood amended it so that police
court judges should have the legal
right to suspend sentences in cases
where persons were convicted of mis-
demeanors. 1t was admitted that
police court judges already were Sus-
pending sentences despite the lack of
law to justify it and the amendment
was described as a sort of con-
science easier TO those court officials
who have been violating the law for
years. The Kittinger bill passed aft
er two hours debate. If it passes the
house, the law will give Judge Fox and
all other circuit and criminal court
judges in the state the right TO sus-
pend the sentence of any man or wo-
man convicted by jury, if in his
opinion such person should not be
sent to prison even though guilty.
The idea that centers in the measure
is that the real object of the penal
code is reformation and that Ii is uor