The weekly Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1911-1922, 1911-03-09

two doors if any member tried TO
leave.
The Republican members compelled
the majority to have the reading
clerks read the whole bill including
the proposed new constitution. The
reading clerks read in relays and the
reading too. up more than two hours
and thirty minutes. Not more than
half dozen members paid any at
tention to the reading. Most Of them
chatted together in groups while tn
monotones of the reading clerk wer
inaudible to all but the members in
the front seats. Representatives
Furnas and Bedgood, Republicans
"held copy to see that the reading
clerks didn t skip a line.
Every Democrat voted "aye" on
the Stotsenburg constitution bill an
all were recorded as present. Rep
resntative Weeks was the only Re
publican absent. He has been i'll an
unable to attend the sessions prac
tically from the first. There wer
thirty-nine votes recorded agains
the passage of the Stotsenburg bill.
Many Read Protests.
The Republicans for the most par
read their protests in the one minut
allowed them by the rules of the
House to explain their votes.
Representative Eschbach's protest
which embodied the argument Sc
forth in most of the others, was a
follows:
desire to enter my protest agains
the passage of Senate bill No. 467
for the reason that the action Of thi
assembly in attempting to enact j
into law is revolutionary and viola
tion of the official oath of every
member who stands sworn to sup
port the constitution we now have;
for the further reason the bill is tn
product of one mind, conceived in
partisanship and prejudice, agreed
on as a party measure in a party
caucus behind closed doors and de
signed to be submitted to the peopl
and voted upon as party measur
on a party ticket for the further req
son that all the voters of the stat
have the right not only to vote fo
or against any constitution porposed
but also TO have a hearing and b
considered In the framing and word
ing of the instrument upon which
they will vote, whereas this bill wa
conceived in darkness and secrecy
was promulgated in party caucu
in the night time and is being rail
roaded through the Assembly wit
out opportunity for the members t
consider its provisions or offer amend
!. ments thereto, and for the furthe
reason that the constitution, the Onl
safeguard of our republican form o
u government against party prejudic
!, and partisanship, is by this bill to b
!, destroyed and replaced by anothe
made byone party, in manner neve
before employed in the making of
? constitution for any state or natior
and contrary to the very principle
; upon which constitutional governmen
is based.
q Believing, as do, that the basi
!, law Of a state should never be a
tackled in political bias or for polit
cal advantage, as is being done her
ri desire that this protest be entere
upon the journal.
The new constitution must be eI
n rolled before it goes to the Governt
, and as this will take at least a da
4 it is not expected that Governor Ma
e shall will affix his signature to it b
n fore Saturday, or perhaps not unit
4 Monday, the last day of the sessio
e
q Indianapolis, March ga bar
wagon rush In the house of the legi
n lautre today marked the passage I
the CRUDE franchise referendum bi
The measure at once was transmittt
2 to Gov. Marshall for his signature.
For a minute it looked as if Il
franchise referendum bill was defea
VI ed. Party lines were broken, obje
tion beingmingled with commsndati'
i from both sides of the house. II
! bill having passed by the skin ct
teeth, there was a rush for the ban
j wagon, IL members changing the
votes. Among those who chang
of was Representative Eschback, mino
! ity leader. The measure was pass