The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-02-25
Monday, Quite Probably,
1.-THE Sovr'n Power Wv tn
Pccpul" Will Come to Its
Own-"Hooray.'
SENATE DEBATE is
HEATED AND NOISY
Republican Thunder, Stolen
From Earlier Speeches of
the Other Side, Reverber-
ated Friday.
palladium Specially

tIaiiauiu" spc'iun
Indianapolis. Feb. 25.-The sovr'n
power Of tn peepul to make or mar
the state mt their own pleasure at last
has come into It's own. The peepul
who knew nothing of their own af-
fairs while the recall, the initiative
and referendum were up for senate
debate, were crowned with glory and
honor, and the Democratic party, the
caucus and the governor were excor.
lated, lambasted. ridiculed and de.
nounccd for foisting on the great state
OF Indiana a constitution In which It's
enlightened inhabitants have nothing
90 say. except whether they want 1t
Or not.
Republican thunder. some of which
seemed very much to have been stol.
en- from the earlier speeches from the
other side reverberated most Of the at
ternoon Friday. during the considera-
tion Of amendments to the Democratic
constitution which was up for second
reading.
The amendments as predicted in
these columns. were not radical and
changed only two specific points. The
dual session Is substituted by a ses.
sion which may last 100 days. and the
legislative pay. instead Of being SO
day II left to the discretion OF the
legislature.
Chance for Republicans.
The Offering OF amendments gave
The Republicans their first chance to
express on the foor OF the senate
what they thought about the constitu-
tion In general. and the whole gist OF
the debate with perhaps couple Of
exceptions was on the general prin.
ciple rather than the amendments.
Parliamentary discipline was cvaded
neatly by Senator Wood. who played
the part OF Chief High Thor in the
thunder factory, by dividing his
speech into three parts. the first sen.
tencc was on one of the pending
amendments. the second was on some
phase OF Marshall and Democratic
cxarism. and the last sentence was on
the amendment.
Senator Hanna led up the dark
clouds when debate was permitted. by
reading from leather bound law
hook for his full ten minutes all about
the way the last constitution was
made. Just as he closed. he hurled
the fact into the face Of the majority
members that the committee had not
given the constitution but one meet
ing. and that he had been informed
that he. as member. wouldn't have
any say, anyhow. and wouldn't he
please sign report without any
meeting?
Senator Wood then took his place
Ut the pinnacle of the storm and be-
gan TO grind the clouds together with
splendid effect. He told how the con-
stitution had been born in single
night" and was supposed to be a nm
ished fabric. and now already needed
amendments.
Failure 10 Predicted.
"Your failure has just begun" he
laid. "'and In as sure as must be the
failure OF any one man constitution.
The constitutions Ia born Of the peo.
pie. and does not belong to any one
man. I deny the right Of any one
man or any legislature to make new
one. In so doing. you are violating
the oaths which make ~ possible for
each one OF us to be member. You
are trying TO destroy the very consti.
tuition which we swore to protect.
This may seem very idle thing TO
the governor and the majority men,
oers OF this legislature, but IL is not
idlc. The people are sovereign i'm this
AT. s.xl.. NA, ~ l.. IL.
gated to make new constitution. and
n the people believed We would have
usurpcd their rights. not one of us
would have been returned TO this
body"
He ended with dircful warning
Of what would happen to the Demo.
cratic party for what II was doing.
Senator Strange, who was one of
tho stcadfast opponents OF giving
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