The weekly Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1911-1922, 1911-02-16
AGAINST Law
PROPOSED FOR
CHILD LABOR
DEMOCRATS IN LEGISLATURE
DIvu'ED AND CANNOT AGREE
ON GOOD MEASURE-CRAv-
EMS DUCKS" AGAIN
WISE FAvORS BILL
Disruption ON Accounting Law Also
Party Needs Leadership, Unity
Wisdom and Disci-
pine.
WISE FAvoRs BILL

Indianapolis, February 1.-THE
Democrats of the house have hit the
rock and split on at least two matters
which the platform of last campaign.
was supposed to give them instruc-
tions on. In the test vote on the child
labor bill introduced by a Democrat,
and prepared by the anti-ehild labor
Teformers of the state platform,
ignored the cry of John Worth Kern,
Democratic United States senator
elect. and voted to kill the child labor
bill and to amend it in such way as
10 weaken even the present law Oh
the subject of child labor.
The child labor issue was injected
into the Indiana campaign because
of Senator Beverage 5 national child
labor bill, aud by reason of the fact
that both party platforms called for
better child labor laws The Demo-
Gratis pointed to Mr.. Kern s legisla-
tive record as a child labor campaign
and promised to perform large things
If elected to power. Well. the chance
was not taken with any large degree
of unanimity when the test came In
the house. For there were twenty-six
Democratic members led astray. and
at least four others were wandering
afield and were not to be reached
by the silvery intonations of the ron
clerk.
OF the forty who either voted
against the child labor bill or were
absent, thirty were Democrats Now
aside from all discussion Of the child
labor question, it strikes the average
labor man that this showing up of
the Democrats of the house is pref
ty clear demonstration of the uncer-
tain1y of Democratic pledges, and the
mutabi1ity of Democratic campaign
plans.
1t is regarded as passing strange
that the Democrats should stand So
Gibraltar like on liquor pledges and
falter, scatter and hunt the bushe.
when IT comes to voting for other
platform measures.
Where is the leadership of the
Democratic house majority that it can
not induce more than half its members
to stand fast and vote for platform
billsf Where was Joe Cravens, tn.
governors man Friday, and the
titular floor leader of the Democrats
when the child labor bill was up for
the test vote on second reading.
Well, Cravens was somewhere mean
the same place he sought when the
option bill was up. He ducked. -
Instead of standing by the Demo-
cratic party platform and voting for
a child labor bill he responded NO"
when his name was megaphoned to
the world. Such is Democratic house
leadership, and such is Democratic
house disruption and revolt.
Tor Adam Wise, rival of Cravens,
not only spoke holly In favor of the
child labor bill, but voted for it.
Of course, while all this is going
on, the Republicans are giving the
Democrats the gleeful ''yahl yah!''
and are having lots of fun at the ex-
pense of the unhappy and divided
majority. 1t is of record that twenty
one of the house Republicans voted
for the child labor bill, to send il
TO engrossment in what appeared tc
them to be the best form obtainable.
The Republicans, in short, stood
pretty solidly together, and by SC
doing put the Democrats in hole
Speaker Veneman, on behalf of ar
Evansville cigar factory, voted "No.
They were not better off the Other
day when the governors bill to shift
the militia armory burden from thu
state to the counties was forced OF
the house by the governors friends
1t was Adam Wise again, who LEI
the revolt, and floor leader Craven
was entirely unable to head off tn
move. The revolt was well justifie-
in the case of the armory bill, an,
there were but seventeen with tn
governor when the show down wa
made. The effort to shirk a stat
duty was roundly denounced on bot
sides of the house. The false play o
economy" by simply getting on
from under burden and forcing tina
weight on the counties received it
proper expose and criticism
The armory bill was of piece wit
that other game by which the Cover
nor's crowd is trying to put over
the 1913 legislature the work of rea6
justing the salaries of public officer
In the state.
The Democratic dodge, planned b
Governor Marshall and carried OF