The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-02-10
COMPULSORY VOTE
BILL WAS PASSED
Senate Surprised Itself by
Action Women's SUI
fragc Butted in.
palladium Specially

palladium SpociaD
Indianapolis, Feb. 10.-The senate
took itself by surprise Thursday af-
tcrnoon by passing Senator Durre's
compulsory voting bill 20 TO Is. For
some time the bill has been consid-
cred without much gravity, but Sen
ntor Durrc became very serious in
discussing the measure, denied he
ever was anything else in regard to II
and was supported by a string OF In.
tcrcsting talks along the lines of civic
deccncy which pulled the bill across
practically without amendment.
The vote was as follows:
Aye: Brady, Carleton. Clark. Com
mons. Crumpacker. Durre. Farrell.
Fleming. Gavit. Haileck. Hanna, Hib-
herd, Higgens, Hunt. Jenkens, Kane,
Kimmel. Kistler. Lambert. Moore,
Ncttcrvillc, Proctor, Rats. Soxon.
Shivciy. Sullivan. Traylor. White.
Wood-29.
No: Aiken. Bcal. Curtis. Farlow.
Gers. Grccnwcll, Hauck. Jackson, La
mont. Long. McSarty. Parks. Powers,
Strange. Tilden. Trautmann. Yarl.
ing-1s.
Not voting: Harlan, Stotsenberg,
Roysc.
Woman's suffrage entered into the
argument and lost Senator Grube's
support for the bill He offered an
amendment that the measure should
not affect females who may hereaf-
ter become qualified voters" He paint
ed the awful picture of the fond hus-
band the day after election going to
Jail to bail out his wife because she
had SO much cooking TO do on cleo
ton day she couldn't vote. and then
paying a 800 fine. II was pointed out
that such an amendment would make
the bill unconstitutional, then. to save
the women from the ignominy of pun
ishment for not voting, he must op.
pose the bill.
He Believes II q Joke.
Senator Curtis led the most forceful
attack against the measure. saying he
believed all along II was a joke. and
Offering an amendment which killed
sections 3. 4 and 5. The first of these
provides that the grand jury be given
a tally sheet and return true bills
against non.voters who have not prov
cd themselves exempt from the ac-
tions Of the measure. The second eX-
empts the man who holds conscient-
ious scruples against balloting for
candidates and appears at the polls
and makes affidavit to that effect.
~ xs,,l eel, Co. 81 rx,s
dcnce that the act has been violated
if voter be in a precinct while the
polls are open and does not vote.
Senator Curtis said one of the founda-
tons OF this government was freedom
and n man had a right to do with his
ballot whatever he wanted.
Senator Wood who made the strong
est argument for the bill. answered
Curtis, and pointed out that the bill
would tend to clear up election i'm.
puritics by bringing out the true eX.
preston Of the people. He pointed
out that the ballot was the most sa.
cred possession of citizenship and
should not be neglected. The Curtis
amendment was lost.
Senator Sullivan offered an amend
mcnt excmpting primaries. declaring
the measure an experiment and SAT
err II tried in sections than il swal
lowed whole. His amendment was
lost. An amendment offered by Sen
ator Lambert that those having con
scientious scruples against voting file
affidavit with the township trustee II
days before and election was lost.
Two Kinds OF Voters.
Senator Durre in arguing for the
bill, said there were two classes O
men at whom the bill was aimed. the
man who was too nasty nice" Il
mix in dirty politics" and who theI
stood on the street corner and "cuss
cd the politicians for the kind of mel
they were putting in Office" and thu
other Is the class which stands bacl
and refuses to vote In hope of bein;
inble TO attract some offer for com
pcnsation. Both he classed in tn
same general division as "undesira
BILE citizens"
lie cited the law making jury sery
ice compulsory. the compulsory oh
seryancc Of Sunday, and compulsor
military service to show that the bill
would be constitutional. One particu
lar point he urged i'm favor of the bill
was the section which makes il III
lawful for any election officer to CT
ter the booth with any voter unless h
be physically incapacitated. lie sal
this safeguard would prevent niue
vote buying which now is going on.
The only amendment adopted wa
offered by Senator Traylor an
agreed To by Senator Durre. and pr,
vides that there shall be no compu
sorry voting where only one ticket
in the field.
Crushed fruit Strawberry Ice Creai
and six other flavors of the very bes
Mt Prices.