The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1907-03-06
Policy of Delay, Through Mis-
takes Keeps Mccullough
Bill from Governor.
ITS TEMPEsTUOUs COURSE
SAID THAT HANLY WILL PUT orr
vETOING THE BILL TILL TOO
LATE FOR ITS FRIENDS TO GET
1T MADE A LAW.

indianapolis, Ind, March D.
From all indications and there are
many of them, the metropolitan po-
lice bill, as amended by the McCul-
Tough bill, is practically dead, and un-
less there is a decided change the old
law, with the governor holding the
;lppointive power, will continue in
force for another two years.
While friends of the measure, salts
fed with having caused its passage in
both houses by a vote which was al
most unanimous were slumbering in
perfect contentment, the administra-
tion forces were wide awake and us
before during the present session of
the legislature.
II was generally supposed that the
bill had been transmitted TO the gov
ernor last Saturday, it having been
passed the day before. But such was
not the case. The engrossing clerks.
it was found, had made a mistake and
the bill had to be gone over by them.
AnOtnef MISTAKE mdOC
When this was completed it was
found that another mistake had been
made and when the bill had again
been written out third mistake was
found and the work had to be gone all
over again.
Early this morning the friends of
the measure discovered what was be-
ing done and commenced fight to
get the bill in the HANDS of the COVER
nor, which the friends of the governor
tried to prevent.
Almost a score of representatives
and a dozen senators got on to the
trail of the ohstructionists and finally
located the bal in the hands of the en-
crossing clerks in the house. 1t was
hustled over to the senate, where,
supposing the machine had commenc-
ed to grind again, the law makers
went back to their duties.
Bill Again Sid-tracked.
About four o'clock in the afternoon
a representative of the Palladium
found that the bill had again been
side tracked and called the attention
of the author, Mr.. Mccullough. to the
fact Again the fight for advance
ment commenced. Senator Bowser
searched around and finally found the
bill on the desk of Lieutenant Cover
nor Miller, who, as soon as his atten-
ton was called to the bill, signed it
and it was ready for transmission to
the house Again there was delay.
Principal clerk Holgate, of the senate,
whose duty it is to transmit bills to
the house, could not be located and
Of
more than a half hour that he was To-
Gated sitting calmly along side a men,
Der of the house. He was rushed
over to the senate. and after consider
able difficulty the bill was started to
the house again When the bill left
the senate it was followed by pro-
cession of senators and representa-
tives of the press, who were all inter
ested In seeing where the bill would
be again hung up. This time it was
lodged on the desk of Speaker
Branch, and soon there was gathered
around him an excited bunch of law
makers who demanded that the bill
be placed in the hands of the governor
at once They could not understand
why the Farber bill, which had passed
but a few hours before, could have
been sent to the governor, while bill
PASSED four days before was still en-
route.
Representative King Skipped.
The chairman of the engrossment
committee could not be found, in fact,
it was intimated that Representative
King had made it point TO skip out.
Speaker Branch sent for Represent
ative Fitch. one of the men who had
fought the bill, and ordered him to
read it and get the bill down to the
governor.
Fitch took it and sat down to read.
He read and re-read and got up and
answered a telephone call, returned TO
the reading and finally. at just two
minutes of six went down and tried
the door of the governors office.
OF course il was locked-the COVER
nor had been notified that the fight for
delay in getting the bill to him was
at an end and consequently the COVER
nor's office was closed
Fitch returned to the house and
took his seat with an expression of
satisfaction
AS soon as possible, Representative
Gerard introduced a resolution to the
effect that the chairman of the en-
crossing committee place in the hands
of the governor at nine O'Clock to-mor-
row morning. the bill under discus
.sion There was more opposition and
enemies of the measure made several
efforts to secure an adjournment. but
failed and the resolution was passed.
1t being pushed forward by Speaker
Branch, who had become rather warm
owing to the fact that Fitch had re-
fused, by his action of delay. to carry
out the instruction of the speaker.
Only Object in Delay.
The fight for delay can have but one
object. And that IS TO cause the de-
livery OF the bill to the governor so
late in the session that should he veto