Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-02-23
SPONSORS SEE
HUN LANGUAGE
BILL QUASHED
Senate Gives Trainers Chance
to Make Good With
Constituents.
BOWERS CHIEF SPEAKER


The Senate, after delaying action for
more than a month and permitting the
two Senators from Allen County TO set
themselves right with their constituents
Of German extraction by speeches on
Germanism, finally has killed the bill
which would have permitted the Hun
language to be reintrOduced into the
schools of Indiana.
The bill is the one introduced by Sen
Rtor William z. Bowers, New Haven,
providing for the elimination of the
clause from the present law which pro-
Ahibits the teaching Of the German Ian
9guage in the elementary and parochial
SCHOOLS.
1t was introduced Jan. 81, and went to
the Committee on Education. The COM
mittee failed for days TO take any action
and bv their delay gave Senator Bowers
an opportunity to call it out and place
II before the Senate without recOmmen-
dations. Then, by an agreement with
Senator Bowers, a majority of the Re
publican members Of the Senate voted 10
permit the bill to pass second reading IN
order that the Senator might show his
constituents that he was doing every
thing he could to carry out their desires.
Finally, when the bill came up for third
reading, all attempts to kill it were fore
stalled until the two Senators from Al
len County, Senator Bowers and Senator
Lee J. Hartzell Of Ft. Wayne were given
the oppOrtunity to extOu the German
language and the German people. Then
the majority permitted the bill to be
killed.
NEJDL NOT
SUPPORTED.
When the bill was called down TOT
Tow Il
Whiting moved that it be made speclaI
order OF business for Thursday afternoon
in order that 1.-THE birthda- Of George
Washington might not he desecrated by
consideration of the bill" Senator ROD
ert l.. MoOrhead of Indianapolis moved
to table this motion and the Senate sup
ported him. Senator MOOrhead later III
PRODUCED the motion to indefinitely post
rome. which killed the bill. but there Is
nothing in the rules Of the Senate that
would have prevented such motion De-
ing introduced Immediately.
Immediately after Senator Moorhead's
uotfon killing Senator NejdTs motion
was carried. Senator Bowers was given
tba floor ad he talked the entire half
hoUr allotted 10 each member or the
Senate for debate.
you have all had m opportunity to
discuss this measure pro and con- Sen
stor Bowers began. ''Your action today
will be taken after elaboration and
thought. I hold no brief for any man
because Of his opinion. I don't believe
this is political measure. do not
believe it viii affect half dozen votes
either way.
I'VE had a war with Germany. It had
been brewing many years. People left
Germany and came to this country where
they would be free from military domi-
nation They did not come here to spread
their -c''+ure, but to be free. They be-
came :, itizenship such as many of you
have sprung from. They brought with
them language"
CRAVENS MOVES
ADJOURNMENT.
At this point Senator Joseph N.
Cravens, Madison. introduced a motion
to adjourn "in the honor of Washing
ton and OF patriotism and loyalty" The
motion was defeated by a vote Of the
majority side
IF my purpose were insincere and If
I were attempting to fOiSt on you some
thing unpatriotic and il the people I
am speaking for were not 100 per cent
American I would not come before you
to-day" Senator Bowers continued. Il
did not foist this bill upon you. You
have had time to consider it. The news
papers published It before it was intro
duced and they have opposed it every
step Of the way. II we had taken time
to consider the education bill passed two
years ago this bin would not need to
have been introduced. 1t was introduced
!. after a patriotic speech by Lieutenant
Governor Bush and Senator Franklin
McCray and passed under a suspension
Of rules. I voted for that bill with res
ervations
1.-THE Lord knows hold no brief for
the Kaiser. The first three Allen Coun-
II boys who were shot in the war were
Germans who spoke the German Ian
guage."
Senator Bowers declared that i'm
portant things like the German language
are being taken out OF the schools and
that kindergarten STUFF IS being substl-
tuted He declared that he had heard
the American Legion IS against the bill
but he expressed the opinion that the
aegion is divided on the subject. As
proof he read a statement from the pub
Mcation Of a post Of the legion favoring
the bill
WORKS FOR BILL
AS APOLOGY.
THE statement IS being made that this
bill IS German propaganda" Senator
Bowers continued. "You know nv sta
tus. I an not a German. The big tax
payers OF this country are of German
descent. The hell that is raised in this
country is not raised by the people who
speak the German language. am not
working for Germany. I am working for
this bill as an GEOLOGY to one Of the best
elements in this country"
Does that apology apply TO the dis
loyal as. we'll as the Ioyal?" Senator
Cravens demanded.
1.-THE disloyal need no apology" Sena-
tor Bowers replied.
They say the Allen County bunch is
behind this BILL" he continued 81 dom,
RzSHSE Ze=eN<N