The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-02-03
Bill Is Passed After a Lively
Debate, Receiving Fitty-one
Votes, the Exact Number
Needed,
RATLIFF WAS FOR IT.
GARDNER AGAINST IT
County Local Option Repeal
Will Pass the House. It Is
Now Certain-A Lively Row
In Senate.
Palladium Bureau,
Indianapolis. Feb. ;.


Indianapolis. Feb. ;.
The biggest thing done by the lcsis-
lature yesterday was the passage in
the house of the bill 10 legalize the
playing Of base ball on Sunday. That
is. ii was the biggest thing from that
of the galleries. and the side lines
which We're packed with people. at
tracted by the announcement that the
fight over this bill would be pulled off
in the house during the afternoon.
But even at that the bill did not have
much to 60 on to win out. The score
was 81 to Al. Fifty-one votes is just
enough 10 pass a bill in the house.
and that was all the bill received.
The passage of the bill was attend
ed with choice assortment of ora
tory from both sides. Representative
Talbot. of Orange county. easily
showed himself in this debate to be
the best speaker that has been in the
house In many years. He spoke
against the bill. taking his position on
two grounds. first. that it was In OPP
position to the religious fact that Sum
day is a day of rest and We are CON-
manded to keep it holy. This he said
could not be done with Sunday base
ball
demonstrations 10 Claimed.
His other strong poin. was that the
bill will be unconstitutional even IL
Inf 1ou Thra 1siI
shall be legal to play professional
base ball on Sunday between the
hours of and 6 in the afternoon on
grounds that are not less than 1000
feet from any established house OF
worship.
This bill is in direct conflic, with
the general statute which forbids any
person to follow his usua! avocatiOn
on Sunday" said Talbot. when
base ball player who receives $2.G0c
to SIC, 200 year for his services plays
on Sunday is he not following his
usual avocation? or course he is.
And you cannot legalize 1t in this way.
You cannot suspend the operation pf
criminal statute during certain
hours. If you could do that you could
say to a murderer that between noon
and o'clock you may kill your neigh
Dor: to the burglar. you could say that
between 2 and o'clock he may rob
my house. But you may not do this.
1t would be Illegal, just as this bill
will be illegal IL it becomes q law"
For Laborins People.
~
the bill, had already stated that he
introduced the bin in order that the
laboring people who work during the
week might have an opportunity TO
see base ball on Sunday
1T is not right to drag the name OF
honest labor into this effort to set
aside the criminal laws Of this state
was Talbott's shot at that statement.
And then Representative Gauss. OF
Marion county, answered Talbot.
Gauss is timer but he can orate
some, too.
Il was born within a gun shot OF
this state house. he said -and have
lived here ever since. and have never
seen a game Of base ball in my life.
But l know that seventy-five percent
OF the people in Indianapolis would
vote for Sunday base ball II the ques.
ton were put up TO them. I am the
father of twelve living children. and
I would be traitor to my offspring
if l were to stand here and advocate
something that was a detriment To
their moral condition and surround
ings. but l know that Sunday base ball
will not harm them. would rather
see them at the base ball game on
Sunday than to see them in saloons
and other places. Let's legislate for
the majority of the people and not for
the minority"
RatiiH Votes for II.
When the roll was called the vote
stood 81 to 81. Among those who
voted for the bill we're Wells and Rog-
gen, of Allen county; Elliott. of St
Joseph; Ratliff. of Wayne; Faulkner.
OF Laporte and Greiger. OF Laporte
and Porter; Kliver Of Lake Among
those who voted against the bill were
Wasmuth. of Huntington; Gardner. OF
Wayne; Miller. of Starke, St Joseph
and Pulaski: Wickey. Of Lake.
Among those absent when the vote
was taken was Shirley. Of Allen.
A Lobby Of sheriffs-
A big lobby of sheriffs from over
the state was present, yesterday, in
the house. when the vote was taken
on the passage of bill over the veto
of Governor Hanly. 1t was bill
passed two years ago to authorize the.