The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-01-31
CORPORATIONS IN
EFFORT TO WRECK
REFERENDUM BILL
Crubc's Measure to Refer All
Franchises to Voters Made
Public Service People
.Wrathy.
CONTINUED From Page one)

Of Marion and lawyer, did not speak
upon the bill at all but he voted
against II every time he could and
voted for all amendments that would
weaken II.
Senator Wood thought the bill was
S0cialistic. He said the Socialists In
Anderson could call an election every
whip-stitch under the bill and 1t would
be q menace to many Indiana cities.
1T II foolish to foist upon the people
something they do not need and have
not asked for. he said.
Senator Clark. OF Indianapolis. favor
cd the bill. and In supporting 1t he
said: 1T was only q few years ago
franchise was up In Indianapolis worth
over million dollars. The people
were helpless. lnjunctions failed. Had
the voters been given q chance the
franchise would have failed. This
bill IL for just such occasions. Many
times the peoples hands have been
tied by perpetual franchises"
Senator Curtis, of Mt. Vernon. took
occasion to remark that he was get
ting somewhat weary of having all leg
islation amended to suit conditions in
Lake county and he was against
0avit's motion.
Kane 70 the Rescue.
After Sen. Gavit's amendment was
lost. Senator Kane came to the res
cue of the people to save them from
foolish persons In their midst. by Of
fering an amendment that the peti-
tloners for an election upon fran
Chise must file with the petition bonds
guaranteeing the cost of any election
called which goes against the petition
crs. He said this was done in order
TO protect the taxpayers from indis-
criminate calling Of elections. This
amendment making voters pay for all
election regarding their rights unless
they won was carried by q vote OF
% to Is.
Then followed parliamentary
, wrangle which no one was able to fol-
low beyond the fact that Its general
direction was to 'befuddle the senate
and kill the bill by lot OF foolish
amendments. Roll calls were aban-
doned and heads were counted in de.
termining results. which must have
been satisfactory to many OF the sena-
tors. When they got through they
found they had amended It SO that
women and children could sign petit
ti0ns. They cut out the children by
making the signers OF necessity over
twcnty-one which left women the right
to sign petitions.
At this 1uncture Senator St0tsen.
berg offered an amendment to refer
the whole thing to a referendum Of
the people OF the state and made an
eloquent argument In favor Of refer
enduming everything that was loose
ut both ends. His amendment recciv.
I'd the support OF the bulk of the Re.
publicans but II was lost by a vote Of
- to ~. Those who voted to kill the
hill In this genteel fashion were Brady
Crumpacker. Farrell. Gavit. Halleck,
Hanna. Hauck. Kane. Kimmel. Kistler.
Moore. Nettervilie. Rats. Scxon. SLOT.
xcnborg. Strange. Trautman, Wood
and Yarling.
Senator Kane placed his finger on
his brow and evolved another states
manlikc thought. lnasmuch as the
bill had been amended SO that women
could sign petitions he thought the
limit should be raised. so he offered
an amendment that 1t would require
Is percent Of all the citizens to Sign
petition calling for an election. AZ.
tor stormy roll call In which enough
changed their votes to defeat the
amendment II stood % to 20 against
kane's amendment. Those who tried
Kanc's opiatc upon the bill were
brady. Crumpacker. Kimmel. Moore.
Farrell, Fleming Gavit. Gers. Halleck,
Hanna. Hauck Hunt. Kane. Netterville.
Powers. Rats, Scxon. Strange, White
ind Wood.
Then Senator Kistler moved the pre-
vious question and the vote upon the
hill AZ amended was taken. those vot-
ing against II being: Brady. Farrell.
Fleming. Gavit. Gers. Hauck. Hunt.
Kane. Kimmel. Kistler. Moore. Meter
vile, Powers. Rats. Royse. Sexon.
Stotscnberg. Strange. Trautman and
Wood. Total 90. Twenty.three voted
for II. which IL three less than con.
stitutiona; majority and the bill failed
Of passage, although It may be called
up again.