The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1911-02-24
REPUBLICANS SAVE
THE JACKSON ACT
Bill to Prevent "The Laws
Delay Started a Merry
Row in the House.
palladium Specially

votes,--Bedgood and Van Horne, in q
roll call which ended In a merry row
in which charges OF a serious nature
were hurled at Representative Crav.
ems, speaker pro TEN. who apparently
replied by telling his accusers to sit
down and behave. and then proceed
ing with the bill. although the men,
bers did neither sit down nor be-
have.
incidentally. the bill called to the
house all the corporation lawyers that
could get in and aroused bitter dis
cussion and denunciation of corpora
tion influences. Members became en-
gagged In personal debates across the
desks and for time the house as.
sumed the aspect of meeting be-
tween the Ancient Order Of Hiber-
mans and Orangemen. Every fellow
who stuck up his head received a
whack and sometimes more, II he
didn't quickly duck. In the thick of
che fight, welding resounding shil'
1elah In behalf Of the people was
Speaker Veneman. who took the floor
in order TO rough IL.
There were no preliminary bouts.
il just broke out like house afire
when a motion was made by Speaker
Neneman to table the minority, re-
port recommending the indefinite
postponement of the bill. The roll
call was demanded and IL was nip
and tuck to the end when IL showed
Nencman's motion was lost by Il vote
OF 46 TO i5. The absentees were de-
hn pI-,tn
Bedgood and VaniIorne voted with
Veneman switching the vote to AZ to
&c In favor OF tabling the minority
report. The vote was handed to
Cravens. speaker pro TEN, who an.
nounced II.
Roll Call Incorrect.
Rev. VanIorne then offered an
amendment and 1t had been read,
when Representative Wise jumped to
his feet with the assertion that he had
been to the clerks desk and examined
the roll call and 1t had not been cor.
rectly announced by Cravens. He
claimed the vote was IS to A in favor
Of the minority report for indefinite
postponement. II demand IA verifica-
tion OF the roll cali" Wise shouted
ms he stood white with anger ut his
desk.
Il announced the result at ~ to 46.
and that Is right and that Is the way
II will stand" answered Cravens,
''besides the gentleman Is out OF or
der as IL Is too late to demand a veri-
Hcation Of the vote" Whereupon to
emphasize his remarks Cravens tried
to break Speaker Veneman's maui
over the back OF the speakers desk.
namesake Uncle Joe," several mem.
bers were on the floor waving their
arms and shouting diverse things at
Representative Crayens. Cravens Or
dered them all to be seated and they
all unanimously refused.
Representative Greiger pointed his
automatic double-barreiled finger at
the speaker pro tenn, and said he could
produce "a man who had voted and had
not been recorded, and Representa-
tive Oglebay was given the spot light
and labelled exhibit A." Cravens re-
fused to admit the testimony and or.
dered Greiger to sit down at once.
But there was no room for any men,
USI VI tue ieAtSiutuIe W stl uo~h uc-
cause of SO many lawyer-lobbyists and
Greiger merely subsidized, and the de-
bate waxed warmer.
In their ardor the lawyers let out
some professional secrets which rath.
er took the edge off the enjoyment OF
the other members. For instance
Speaker Veneman. who left the chair
90 speak for the bill, said that the
reports OF the Indiana supreme and
appellate courts will show that fully
fifty per cent OF their cases are tried
on technical points instead OF their
merits. His argument was that the
bill In question would tend to prevent
lawyers from taking advantage OF the
tcchnicalities and AFFORD litigants a
better opportunity to obtain justice.
Corporations Exercised.
Representative Spencer In support
ing the bin declared that corporations
are greatly exercised because OF the
efforts To do away with some of the
legal technicalities by means of which
they are enabled to- drag their cases
through the courts and wear out poor
cr litigants. Representative FAris,
said he opposed the measure as Jaw.
yer but as citizen he was compelled
20 support It because II would result
in law suits being decided on their
merits.
Representatives McMullen and
White. who with Representative Smith
signed the minority report to kill the
bill led the fight against it on the
floor. ably assisted by Representative
Wise. They argued that il would
complicate litigation instead of simpli.
fying II.
Representative Kcegan. the only lay.
man who ventured into the discussion
said In explaining his vote that, the
lawyers and judges. with whom he
talked, who were not under corpora.
ton influence said the measure should
be passed. .#..-a..
Those who voted to lay the minority
report on the table and save the bill
were Asxren. Ault. Bedgood, Billman,
Beunnasel. Carter. Clore. Cook. Corr.
Cravens, Faris. Faulkner. Fitzer. Foor.
Galbraith. Clifford. Grimmer. Ham
mond. Hedrick, Keegan, McGinnis.
McKennan. Maddox, Masselink. Men.
denhail. Merrimon. Mitchell, Moe;ler-