Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-06-24
|SEDITION BILL
THROUGH HOUSE
Passed Early This Morning
After Noisy Three-Hour
Debate

The Administration antisedition
bill, defeated last week, was recon-
sidered by the House and passed,
107 to 2. early this morning. after
over three hours of debate and par
liamentary battling. Much confu-
sion and attempts to filibuster
marked the consid deration of the bill.
which was hard fought by the labor
element. Speaker Spangler's rulings
were attacked and there were nu-
merous points of order. The Sem
ate remained in session to receive
the bill and passed it the first time.
The whole proceeding was the
liVeliest of this year and caused
much fuss. Mr.. Finney. Crawford,
seconded by Mr.. Bigler. Mercer,
moved reconsideration and Mr.. Fow-
Ter, Lackawanna, at once opened the
attack on the bill, saying that MEM
bers should be let alone by lobby
lists. Members. said he, had told
him there was awful pressure" be-
ing brought to bear on them.
Don't blame the Governor be-
cause you haven't the courage of
your own convictions" said he. Il
don't believe the Governor has
brought pressure on any member.
Don't believe every lobbyist in the
back of this hall"
The Lackawanna member said
there were lobbyists here working
| overtime and blaming it all on the
, poor Governor" The American
Federation of Labor did more to
end the war than all the lobbyists.
said he, and, IL the Federation had
not taken a stand against the Boil
sheviks, corporation and otherwise,
| in this State, the war would not be
over yet.
After reading the constitutional
provision for free speech, he said
there was ample law to reach really
dangerous men.
Bolshevism is made by oppres-
! sion and the State should pass laws
for relief of workingmen, he assert
| ed. If the Governor has to nght
Bolsheviks. he will find organized
labor standing shoulder to shoulder
with him.
Mr. Alexander, Delaware, said la
Dor had misconstraed the bill and
that it would protect labor as well
as capital. Overthrow of govern
ment by force, he contended, should
be abhorrent to everyone. After
reading provisions of the bill, he
asked If they were not proper and
right and such as law-abiding men
could support. People are imagin-
| ing things in the bill which are not
| there, said he.
| Mr.. Lanius, York. declared there
| were enough laws to cover all dis
turbances now and wanted to know
what hatred and contempt
| meant.
Mr.. Haines, Bucks, protested as a
member of the Grange against the
statement that the Grange opposed
the bill. In his county, he said,
no action against the bill had been
taken by Oranges.
| Labor Man Speaks
Mr.. Mcintyre, Fayette, asked Mr.
Alexander why the bill was needed
| and was informed that there were
not laws adequately Furnishing ter
rorists. The Fayette member said
the American Federation of Labor
had protested against the measure.
! but that "orders were out to pass
this bill"
Mr.. Flynn, Elk, said that. while
men said laws existed to reach Sc
ditionists, none had been quoted.
There is no law to reach the in
otter to violence. About all that
can be charged against such men Is
| 'disorderly conduct"
Mr.. Phillips, Clearfleld, contended
that courts might put different con-
struction on various clauses and
abridge free speech. He held the
! bill to be unconstitutional and said
the official family was working for
the bill.
Mr.. Flynn moved for a vote and
the House adopted the motion, sS
to 81. The voting on the motion
! to reconsider began.
Racket in the House
The motion to reconsider the de-
feat of the bill was declared car
ried. 1O4 to 81, and Mr.. Phillips,
| Clearfield, at once made the point
| of order that the bill was unconsti-
tutional because it infringed on
! freedom of the press. The Chair
| overruled him. Mr.. Helt, Northum-
berland, then demanded to speak,
but the Speaker ruled that the only
! thing in order was a rollcaI.
| dozen members took the floor and
| considerable confusion resulted.
Three members tried to appeal, but
the Speaker refused to recognize
them. Finally, Mr.. Helt tried an
appeal from the ruling on the Phil
| lips point. He then began speech.
but was stopped. Speaker Spangler
ordered a rollcall. but an attempt to
| call it was drowned by shouts of
| mol"
Mr.. Sarig, Berks, then appealed
from the decision of the Chair on
| the Phillips point, but Mr.. Lanius,
Mr.. Fowler and Mr.. Phillips called
for the "hour of the day"
The Speaker ordered Mr.. Lannius
to sit down and told Mr.. Sarig to
keep his seat until recognized. By
this time the members were either
laughing, shouting to Sarig to keep
on, making points of order and de-
manding the floor.
Mr.. Ramsey, Delaware, then rose
to a question of privilege, but Mr..
Sarig resumed his effort to appeal
and was again ordered to sit down.
Mr.. Ramsey called on members to
be men and discuss the bill in an
orderly manner. but was interrupt
ed by Mr.. Phillips with a point
of order. He subsided and Mr..
Ramsey asked whether the House
could not talk over the bill and vote
in an hour.
Mr.. Flynn suggested that Mr..
Helt be recognized to speak. The
Northumberland man delivered an
address against the bill, reviewing
the stand of labor.
Mr.. Woner, Butler, demanded to
know where the bill took away
rights of American citizenship.
Mr.. Helt read some clauses. but Mr..
Woner said that the words quoted
had been stricken out.
"This bill should be called the
antianarchy bill," said Mr.. Woner in
commenting on Mr.. Helt's speech.
He then asked Mr.. Phillips some
questions and Mr.. Mcintyre inter-
posed that he was making a speech.
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