The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-02-29
.LONGWORTH LAW
IS HALF REPEALED
sPlcEEs BILL PASSES THE OHIO
HOUSE or REPRESENTATIVES,.
SOME VERBAL FIREWORKS.
Mr.. Wertz, the Democratic Floor Lead.
er, Rebuked Those Members Of
His Party Who Voted in Favor
OF Repeating the Law.

Columbus, o., Feb. 29.-The Long.
worth law, which permits a constitu.
tional amendment to be placed on the
ballot with the ticket of political
party when the same has been en-
dorsed by the party In state convention
is repealed by the Spicer bill that
passed the house Friday by a vote Of
6S yeas to l3 nays The Spicer bill
was passed, so its supporters say, In
response to very general demand
from the farmers of the state, who
claim they were deceived by the Long
worth law into voting for the amend.
ment relieving municipal and county
bonds from taxation.
Under the provisions of the Long
worth law a mark in the circle at the
head of ticket carries a vote for an
amendment II the same is endorsed by
the party and printed on the ballot
Many farmers claimed they did not
know that they were voting for the
bond exemption amendment.
The Spicer bill provides that the
constitutional amendments be printed
In the. first column on the ballot and
that they be voted upon separately.
After the bill was passed Friday 1t was
discovered that certain important feat
ures relating to the canvassing of the
vote on amendments had been over
looked These will be corrected in
the senate, where IL is believed there
Is majority friendly to the measure.
There was a lively discussion of the
Spicer bill in the house. MIR. Wertz,
of Wayne. the Democratic floor leader,
wanted the bill amended so that II
would not take effect until December
81 and rebuked the Democratic mem
bers who voted for 1t, for their hasty
action. He declared the purpose of
the Republican machine" was to de-
feat the taxation amendment and the
initiative and referendum, and he
said. addressing the Democrats, THE
machine has made monkeys of you"
II ia said that an effort will be made
In the senate to have the Spicer bill
amended so as to take effect Decem-
ebr 81 and thus permit the taxation
amendment to be voted for under the
Longworth law at the election In No
vember.
While the opponents of the pro-
posed taxation amendment in the
house were yainly endeavoring to Sc
cure "a reconsideration OF the Gayman
resolution submitting the amendment
TO vote of the people, the senate on
Friday hastily adjourned to prevent
the resolution being reconsidered. the
resolution having gone back to the
upper branch to be enrolled.
When the house. after discussing a
motion by Mr.. Foster, of Hancock
county, to reconsider the vote on the
Gayman resolution, found that it could
not reconsider the vote without the
resolution IN its possession, a motion
was made to ask the senate to return
the same, and it was adopted. The
senate cannot take cognizance of the
houses request until It reconvenes
Monday evening. President Williams
said he would return the resolution,
but the friends of the taxation amend
ment hope to have enough votes at
hand II this is done next Monday, to
defeat a reconsideration.
Both house and senate adjourned un-
III next Monday at o'clock, but It is
not expected that any work will be
done on Tuesday or Wednesday while
the Republican state convention is In
session