The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-06-18
.bOEHME'S BILL IS
AIMED TO CONTROL
ALL CORPORATIONS
II Indiana Representatives
Bill Is Passed, Employer
Cannot Dictate to Employe
on Politics.
CONTINUED from Page One.)


enact legislation that will prevent the
posting Of election notices about the
premises OF those who conduct large
business enterprises. For this reason
It Is not assured that the oBehne bill
making the posting OF such placards a
misdemeanor will become law.
The house leaders feel, however,
that they do have the right to say that
no large business enterprises shall at
tempt. either directly or indirectly. to
dictate the course Of any member OF
congress. II Is planned to pass a law
that will estop corporations from
boldly announcing as at Birmingham,
Ala, that they do not propose to in
vest further capital just because some
member Of congress from that district
does not see tit to vote as dictated by
the corporation.
The Bohne bill provides heavy
penalty for such an offense In the flu
ture. II is stipulated <hat IL any cor
poration or any official Of a corpora
ton, seeks to influence legislation by
such methods as were pursued in the
Underwood district, they shall be sub
ject to a fine Of not more than five
thousand dollars, or Imprisonment in
the pcnitentiary for not more than
five years. .a
To Eradicate Evils.
Representative Boehne believes the
passage OF his bill will eradicate one
OF the evils OF political and industrial
life today. For years there has been
a growing sentiment that large bus
mess interests, or the trusts, have had
too much to say about the kind of
laws that shall be placed upon the
statute books. There may have been
instances before where a trust has
been as frank as that In the Under.
wood district but never before has 1t
been called to the official attention of
the house that one of It's members has
been threatened that unless he aban-
dons a certain policy with respect to
q revision OF the tariff that his politi-
cal future may be jeopardized. It so
happens that Representative Under
wood 10 Of the courageous sort. and,
having beaten the steel trust at the
former election, he believes that ne
can turn the trick again, and he
promptly served notice upon the
house and upon the constituency that
he would pay no attention to the
threat OF the steel kings OF his dis.
trict.
II represent not the steel men OF
my district. but the people. one and
ALL said MIR. Underwood, In a dramat-
&c speech to the house. Il am inform.
ed that the steel trust has stopped
work on It's new plant. giving as a
reason therefor that favor this bill.
! am willing to force my constituency
ON my record, and thH action of the
steel trust will have no influence up
on my vote. for am voting for what
regard to be the best interests OF
any district and the country.
The speech created a sensation at
the time. and now Representative
Boehne, without referring specifically
to the. axe held above the head Of
Representative Underwood by the
Steel trust, has come with a PROPOSE.
ton that congress ought to protect its
members from such attempted coercion
In the future. The penalty provided
In the Boehne bill Is regarded as suf.
ficiently drastic to prevent any cor.
poration hereafter from pursuing such
tactics. --.. .........