Democratic Sentinel, Volume 21, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 January 1897 — THE INDIANA SOLONS [ARTICLE]

THE INDIANA SOLONS

A* soon as the upper house got back into its own chamber after the joint aes sion had listened to Gov. Matthews' uae« sage Friday. Senator Shively of Rich mond introdueoo an anti-trust bill. The bill provides that any ctoipany or corporation which joins a trvst shall forfeit its right to do business in the State, and provides further that the officers of the company or eorjioration j >iniug a trust may be fined $590. The attorney general of the State is directed lo prosecute ai) companies or corporations that become members of trusts, aud as an incentive it is provided that he shall receive a fee of SSOO for every conviction. Prosecuting attorneys Hre also authorised to begin prosecutions. The House dil nothing except to adopt new rules, cue of which requires a two-thirds vote to appeal from the chair. Both houses adjourned until MouiL.y to await Gov. Mount’s iuaugural. Tuesday was given up to caucusing by both houses, no regular business being transacted, it wns definitely settled that O. W. Fairbanks should be sent to the Senate, but not before much feeling and a strong opposition bad developed. Th< minority strength was divided lietweei McKeen, Gen. Lew Wallace, and Judg Taylor. Tlie only measure of importance offere in the House Thursday moruing was bill by Uepresentative Nicholson, autlio of the temperance law of the last sessioi putting the holders of Government 1 cense6 on the same footing as saloonkeep ers and making them pay the same licens fee to the State. Since the Nicholson lau was passed many saloons have refused to take out licenses, but have run as quart shops. Tlie bill will drive them out of existence. In strange contrast with the introduction of tills measure in the House was the reception of each Senator by mail Thursday morning of a four-ounce bottle of whisky from a Terre Haute distilling firm. Some members, when it wns known what the packages contained, refused to take theirs from the postmaster of the Senate, and others jokingly alleged that they were disappointed in the amount and were waiting for larger bottles. The lower branch of the Legislature Monday, by unanimous vote, passed a concurrent resolution providing for an investigation of the Yaudalia Railroad Company. Speaker Pettit npiiointed as the members of the joint committee for the House Representatives Henderson. Sutton and Babcock. Under the provision of the resolution the investigating committee is to be composed of three Representatives, three Senators and the Attorney General of the State, who will be exofficio chairman of the committee. It is not the first time an Indiana Legislature has undertaken to inquire into tlie allegation that the railroad company owes the •chool fund of the State nearly $1,000,000, t.ut former investigations have been fruitless, because the investigators have been taken to Terre Haute and treated so hospitably by tlie railway interests that they were satisfied there was no indebtedness. Recently there has been n demand from all parts of the State that the company, which is now in tlie hands of a receiver, shall make good its obligation to the State. When the road wns incorporated in 1847 there was inserted in its charter a provision that a certain per cent of its earnings should be turned over into the school fund. It is charged that this provision has been ignored. Charles W. Fairbanks was elected United States Senator Tuesday to succeed Daniel W. Voorhees, whose term will empire March 4. It was the first time in sixteen years that the Republicans have been able to elect n Senator, and the occasion wns made one of rejoicing. Many representatives of the party from all over the State came in to witness the formality. The two houses voted separately. The vote was ns follows: Senate—Fairbanks, 38; Voorhees, 16; Templeton, 1. House—Fairbanks, 52; Voorhees, 42; Templeton, 5.