Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-04-01
EDISTRICTING
o. KID; CHARGE
'GERRYMANDER
Ashby Can Not Enlighten and
Ants Refuse to Sign Ordi-
nance Report.

nance Report.
Led BY refusal Of Republican City
Chairman Irving Lemaux to promise that
he win not seek to remove precinct com
mitceemen unfavorable to Mr.. Thomas c.
Howe. former president Of Butler College
and News-Jewett candidate for the Re
publican nomination for mayor, and ap-
point favorable committeeman IN their
places, to believe that the city admins
tratiOn was trying to force through
gerrymander. the four anti administration
members OF the city council last night
made an unsuccessful. but valiant effolt
10 block passage Of the ordinance chang
ing the city precinct boundaries.
The administration forces, desperate
70 put through the ordinance, as written
and engineered by them, got DR.. .. b.
PettiiOhn, the fifth member OF the adj
mintstratiOn wing in the council out OF
his sick bed. wrapped him in heavy
garments. brought him TO the city Hall
in an automobile and practically carried
him IN and out Of the council chamber.
With DIT. Pettijohn the administration
was able to muster the necessary five
votes to pass the ordinance.
The ordinance defining the boundaries
OF the six councilmanic districts was
portant change from the lines fixed four
years ago.
Until Thursday afternoon Councilmen
Louis W. Carnehx, Gustav G.. Schmidt
and William E. Peake. anti members
were prepared 10 vote for the redistrict-
ing ordinance. Councilman Lee y. Kirsch,
another member opposed to the Jewett
crowd, had refused 20 support the ordi-
nance from the time ii was first dis
IL %4ra1r ka~ 10,
convinced that the administration did not
A&se unfair motives In engineering the
Gilman Schmidt declared on the
S ~ floor last night that late in the
k&#,x<&l he was advised by legal coun-
1890 the boundary changes as made
<<kk precinct r-districting ordinance
<.'14E five City Chairman Lemaux an
e inty, If he so desired, 10 GUST
= comLiueemen in districts in
80 49, the boundaries were changed.
$500 receipt Of this Information Mr..
said he telephoned Mr.. LemauX
i s. - I'd him that If be would come TO
councu meeting and personally as
sure the council that he had no inten-
lions Of Oustlng any committeeman that
the anti members would vote for the or
dinance-
Mr.. Lemaux said he had a business
Mr.. Schmidt. Then I asked him II he
would write a letter TO tie council pleds-
inc that he would not GUST any com
mitteemen as a result of the passage OF
! this ordinance. and he said be did not
8feel like doing that"
@ELAofS To OTST
ONE OFFICIAL.
He said he did not feel Ike writing
that kind Of a letter because he was going
TO remove one man and be went SO far os
TO name the ward ia which that man re-
sides"
The ants said that this incident
aroused their suspicious AMI that until
they could have some definite assurance
that the ordinance was not gerrymauder
they would have to vote against t. They
asked Corporation Counsel Samuel Ashby,
= right hand man OF Mayor Jewett IN af-
fairs Of this sort. II he would answer a
few questions and. receiving an affirma-
tive reply. fred a long string OF in
Quiries.
. Mr.. Schmidt stated that he had dis
sSovered Thursday that the ordinance
Aanged either the boundaries or the
fAp her OF practically ever precinct In
2 s First ward
& want to ask Mr.. Ashby Il this chang
49, Of precinct boundaries and numbers
III dlsqualify any precinct committee
fnan elected by the people:" asked Mr..
Schmidt.
NO. So far as know not a single
comitteeman VIII be disqualified" replied
Mr. Ashby.
Mr. Schmidt asked for definite asser-
%xAhart the chairman would not have
Ypow'er 10 remove committeeman, but
rEFS Ashb7 would go no further than to
'E8ieat that 10 was his understanding
<d@it that was the case.
DR.. Sumner A Fu-niss. negro council
man and chairman OF the elections com
Amitee, said that It had Just occurred 10
Thin that the precinct committeeman now
|zserving as city committeeman We're elect
% by voters IN county precincts, the
boun1aries Of which are different from
those OF the city precincts and that this
would indicate that committeeman would
not be qualified by the changes 10 DO
made IN the ordinance under cOnsidera-
I ton.
''Then. have 7 your word as chairman
d this elections committee that there
"a III be no changes In the precinct com
: litteemen o. the First ward:" Mr..
FzSchmidt interrogated.
81 Dr. Furniss said that he did not think
eF*A WAS the intent of the ordinance to dis
q ~ lily any committeeman.
- councilman Ca-nehX said that Mr..
80 hmidt had practically stated the OBJ
- 3ctons of the ants. Il practically agreed
80 support this ordinance last night and
sEfatend to 60 so until today when these
- lesdons came up If you can clear
hem up by making a definite promise
lat there will be no gerrymander VIII
4Xhpport the ordinance. 7 could not sign
&c committee report because these Ques-
- Ons have not been answered"
81 "What We want TO know is. does the
- W give the city chairman the power to
<f4mOve committeeman Ia such a cir
<SImstance - inquired Mr.. Carnefx.
' Mr.. Ashby said he did not know of
hand.
you ought to know. YOu are the cor
poration counsel" said Mr. Schmidt
aLLll .L--- L.