Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1915-04-01

tered by Senator Rosenh DOM, to re
duce the age limit for night work
from sirteen to fifteen, and to raise
the limit for dangerous occupations
from fifteen to. sixteen. Both of these
prevailed. A motion to recess was
dependent on their being further
amendments. Senator Rosenbloom at
once claimed he had several amend.
ments. Consequently the motion to
recess was insisted on.
When the bill came up for consid-
Grafton were offered by Senator Rosen.
bloom. / was informed afterwards by
Mr.. Weiss that he had prevailed upon
him not to offer any more amend
ments for fear of killing the bill, but
it looked to me as If the Senator's one
purpose was to kill the bill, and l be-
lieve the vote on the motion to sus.
pend the constitutional rule so that
the bill could be advanced to third
reading and final passage showed this
purpose Enthusiastically
Since this was the last day of the
session it reqhired a four-flfths vote
to suspend the constitutional rule. On
this. question seven senators voted in
the negative and the motion was lost
One of these seven, Senator Hawley
had firt voted in the affirmative, and
changed his vote Immediately after
Senator Rosenbloom had spoken to
him.
But one recourse was left now to
save the bill. One Of the senators
who voted in the negative must move
to reconsider, and two of these must
change their votes. We finally sue
ceeded in accomplishing this result
and the bill passed the Senate at
5:45 P NJ, by a vote Of twenty-seven
to one, Senator Coalter voting in the
negative.
Senator Keim reported the action
Of the Senate to the House asking
concurrence in the Senate amend.
ments at 6 P. NJ, just before the
House recessed. Though this was the
closing evening of the session Of this
legilature, sufficient time remained ia
secure the action of the House on this
measure. Mr.. Duty, the Republican
floor leader, who favored the bill and
had assisted in the favorable action
of the House promised to get the bill
up for final action. The Senate amend
ments were not Of a character to alter
his attitude towards the bill, and he
told me he favored them. For some
hidden reason, however, the bill never
came up for final action. Our friends
who had led in the fight in the House
did their best for the bill but could
not get it up. Two recesses were
taken by the House, previous to either
Of which the bill might have been con-
sidered. Governor Hatfield was appeal
ed to and promised to assist, but all
to no avail. The death knell was final
l ysounded about midnight when word
came that the printer was so rushed
he could not print a corrected copy
of the bill in time to have it properly
signed and submitted to the Governor
for his approval, before the final ad-
- AHA 81
nURING the entire session Of the
~ Legislature I was in Charleston
watching the porgress of the bill. At
no time did it seem wise to leave 1t
to the hands Of its false friends in
order to go out into the various home
districts Of the members Of the Legis-
lature for the purpose Of arousing 10
cal interest and bringing pressure to
bear by letters and kilograms on these
members. Personal interviews with
the legislators in which the terms OF
the bill and the reasons for the stan.
dards it demanded were carefully ex
planned, was the only course that
promised success. The fact that the
bill passed both branches Of the legis-
lature and was defeated only by poll
iucal trickery is ample Justification Of
this course. II
/ Circular letters were twice sent
over the state, ct critical periods. 4
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