The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1923-01-01
CHAPTER xxx

CHAPTER xxx
The great seal Of the Hoosier Corr
monwealth, depicting a Sturdy
pioneer telling a tree While behind
him frightened buffalo gauoy5s mad
IL into oblivion, was afffxed to a pro-
clamation Of ths Governor converting
the Legislature in epecial session on
the twentieth II November. 1t was
Morton Bassett's legislature, declared
tie Republican press, brought back
TO TIE capitol to do those things
which it had left undone at the
regular session The Democratic
newspapers proved conclusively that
the demands of the state institutions
said 10 be in dire need were the fruit
of a long period of Republican ex-
travagance. for which the Democratic
party. always prone to err on the
side of frugality. was in no wise re
sponsible. The Republican Governor
had caused the legislative halls to be
reopened merely to give a false i'm
preston of Democratic incompetence,
but in due season the people would
express their opinion of that Gov
ernor. So reasoned loyal Democrats
Legislatures are not cheap, taken at
their lowest valuation, and a special
session, costing something like one
hundred thousand Of the peoples
dollars, is an extravaganza before
which a Governor may well hesitate
This particular convocation Of the
1oxr
enough by stroke of the pen, proved
to be expensive in more ways than one.
On the third day of the special ses-
sion, when the hardest member, hail
ing from the remote Businesses of
Switzerland County, was just finding
his seat, and before all the others had
drawn their stationery and registered
a generous computation of their mile
age. something happened. The bill
for an act entitled an act to lift the
lid of the treasure chests was about
to be read for the first time when a
page carried a telegram to Morton
Bassett in the Senate chamber.
Senator Bassett read his message
once and again. His neighbors on the
floor looked enviously upon the great
man who thus received kilograms
without emotion. It seemed, however,
to those nearest him, that the bit Of
yellow paper shook slightly in Bias
sett's hand. The clerk droned on to
an inattentive audience. Bassett put
down the telegram, looked about, and
then got upon his feet. The Lieuten.
ant-Governor, yawning and idly play
ing with his gavel, saw with relief
that the Senator from Fraser wished
to interrupt the proceedings
mfr. President"
THE Senator from Fraser"
Mr.. President. ask leave to inter
rupt the reading of the bill to make
an announcement"
There being no objection. the Sen.
ator will make his announcement"
Senators who had been smoking in
the cloakroom, or talking to friends
outside the railing, became attentive.
The Senator from Fraser was little
given to speech, and it might be that
he meant at this time TO indicate the
attitude Of the majority toward the
appropriations asked by the Governor.
In any event, it was always wise to
listen to anything Morton Bassett had
to say.
The Senator was unusually deliber-
ate Even when he had secured the
undivided attention of the chamber he
picked up the telegram and read it
through again, as though TO familiar
ize himself with it's contents.
Mr.. President. have just re-
ceived the following message from a
personal friend in Washington: The
Hon. Roger B. Ridgefield, United
States Senator from Indiana, while on
hunting trip in Chesapeake Bay with
party of Baltimore friends, died
suddenly this morning. The death oc-
CURED at a point remote from the
telegraph. No particulars have yet
been received at Washington It is
with profound sorrow, Mr.. President,
that I make this announcement.
Though Senator Ridgefield had long
been my political antagonist, ne had
also been. for many years. a valued
personal friend. The Republican party
has lost one Of its great leaders, and
the State of Indiana a son to whom
men of all parties have given their
ungrudging admiration. Mr.. Presi-
dent, move that the Senate do now
adjourn to meet at 10 o'clock tomor-
row morning."
When the gavel fell, adjourning the
Senate, gentlemen were already seek
ing in the Federal Constitution for
the exact language of the. section
bearing upon this emergency. If the
Republican Governor had not so gay
iy summoned the legislature he might
have appointed a Senator of his own
political faith TO serve until the next
regular session. following the cleo
tons year hence. 1t was ungener-
Gus and disloyal Of Roger B. Ridge
Al.ld e.. 4 l. IL. -