Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-01-16
SENATE VOTES
FOR SUFFRAGE
Continued From Page One.)

Continued From Page One.D
sion is fixed by the constitution Right
at this point, executive authority ceases
and legislative authority begins.
article 4, Section 10, of the eonstitu-
ton says: Each house, when assembled,
shall determine it's own mode of proceed
ing and shall sit upon its own adjourn
uent.' No external power on earth has
any right to determine the nature Of
the proceedings of the legislature, ex-
cept the members themselves, and they
can do so only when assembled. The
legislative branch of our government is
a sovereign body, created by q free pe0-
pie, for the purpose Of making laws /;
1t is a law unto itself, subSeryient to
no one except the people and amenable
to them by and under the constitution
only. The constitution OF orr state IS
not a scrap Of paper. It's makers never
intended that a session of the general
assembly should be a ratification meet
ing. On the contrary, they intended that
the legislature should be the supreme
and only lawmaking branch of our gov
eminent Had they intended TO repose
the lawmaking power in the executive
branch they would not have given the
governor the power to veto laws made
by himself, or to pre-arrange the max
ing of laws.
UNFINISHED GUINNESS
TO BE PRESENTED.
Article 3, section IA, Of the cOnstitu-
ton clearly states that bills fled with
the secretary of state with the governors
objections shall be presented to the leg
islature by the secretary Of state. 1 for
one could not see, when l was asked to
sign this possession agreement, how I
could refuse to permit the secretary of
state to do his sworn, constitutional
duty. l am pleased to learn that this
official will be bound only by his oath
of office and will lay certain unfinished
business before us at this time
"There are some other very important
matters which should be attended to at
this time by us If We are to represent
the people in the fullest and most com
plete sense Of the word. l regret that
there are those who will feel that their
hands are tied and that they can not
render this service to the people.
THE present tax law was passed by
this assembly in the closing hours of
the last session. There is a crying de-
mand from the people of this state for
the reconstruction of certain features Of
the law. In my opinion 1t is. imperative
those portions which confer autocratic
power on the state board of tax com
missioners; encroach upon the legislative
branch of our government and deprive
the people of the different localities in
our state of. the right to determine their
own local affairs and to exercise in the
fullest measure the great American
privilege of local self-government
DADS CEvNTRATT TTnNy
OF POWER IN STATE.
"The disposition to centralize and con-
solidate all the powers Of governments
today, in the hands of the executive,
to be exercised by appointiye boards and
commissions, is a dangerous symptom In
government It destroys the right and
the ability of people to govern them
selves. We should retain both If we
cherish our freedom. We can not af-
ford to surrender our rights as individu-
ais or as law makers. At this particular
seething period of unrest, when a pro-
found regard for law and law obedience
is the crucial test; when institutions
are trembling and American souls are
pleading for a real Americanism, In
diana's lawmakers should give, and give
now, suspicious hearing to Americas one
real organization-the American Legion
whose members have defended and are
now protecting, so heroically, our ideals
against encroachment by the autocrats
and anarchists of the world. This pa
triotic body OF men are knocking at our
door and asking for a home. We owe
it TO America to give it to them, and
we should do it now.
Gentlemen of this senate you sit there
in your seats as the sovereign represen-
tatives of the people. You can sign away
your individual rights, but your SOW
ereign rights-neyer. They belong to the
people whose sworn servants you are.
If you are to sit here and make laws
for the people you must not disregard
the organic law-the constitution of this
state. Say what you may, do as you
choose, but I say to you that you are
violating the constitution and breaking
faith with the people when you sub
stitute pref arranged, so-called agree
ment for the solemn mandates of the
constitution of our state. I admonish
Won think carfousIv bafora Won do