Democratic Sentinel, Volume 21, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 February 1897 — THE INDIANA SOLONS [ARTICLE]

THE INDIANA SOLONS

The Senate Wednesday, after an allday debate, passed the bill amending the general election law, substituting a pencil for the stamp now used in marking the ballot; preventing fusion between parties by providing that the uame of a candidate shall not appear more than once on any ballot, and prohibiting a candidate from withdrawing after his name has been certified to the election board. The bill was passed by a strict party vote. The (Senate also passed the caucus bill repealing the preseut metropolitan police laws and substituting one under which the new Republican Governor may appoint police commissioners for such throughout the. State. The Republicans in the House passed the legislative apportionment bill agreed upon in caucus.

The lower branch of the Legislature Thursday passed the bill providing for the creation of a labor commission aud for the arbitration of labor troubles. There was but one vote against the bill, and it is believed it will pass the Senate. The bill provides for a commission composed of two electors appointed by the Governor. One must have been for ten years an employe for wagea at a craft, aud the other must have been an employer of men for ten years. The commissioners are authorised to appoint a secretary at a salary of SOOO a year. In case labor troubles nrise the commissioners are to put themselves in communication with the parties to the quarrel and endeavor to bring about a settlement. In case of no settlement the commissioners aud the Circuit judge of the county In which the trouble arises shall compose a board of arbitration. The bill provides that the commissioners shall receive $lO a day for time actually expended, and the neeessury traveling expenses. There goes with thu bill au appropriation of $6,000 for 18!)7, and the same amount for 1808. The entire afternoon in the House wus occupied with a discussion of the bill presented by Representative Jones, the only colored member, providing that children of colored parents shall be admitted to the white schools of the State. Under the preseut law they ure supplied with separate schools in the larger cities, und are entitled to enter the white high schools. The House adjourned without having reached a vote on the bill. The Senate passed several bills of minor importance. Gov. Mount approved the bill creating a Superior Court circuit of the counties of Howard and Grant, and appointed Hiram Brownlee of Marion, late candidate for the nomination for Uulted States Senator, judge of the new court.

The bill of Gabriel Jones, the colored legislator from Indianapolis, providing that separate schools for colored children be done away with, was recommitted Friday by a majority vote for au amendment to the effect that where colored schools were not provided colored children should be pdinitted to the regular schools for white children with equal privileges. The bill establishing a new mathematical truth in squaring the circle was about to be passed by the Semite when the point was raised that the Legislature had no power to declare a truth, and it was indefinitely postponed. The ?.tate Superintendent has accepted the demonstration, and it is understood will introduce the same in Indiana text hooks. The demonstration allows thut the tlnio.honored multiple of 3.141(1 plus, by which the diameter of a circle is multiplied to find the circumference, should be 3.2. Dr. Goodwin, of Solitude, Posey County, the author of the rule, lias his formula copyrighted not only in this country but also in seven countries of Europe. No final action wus tuken Saturday by the House upon any measure. The Jones measure, concerning admission of colored children to public schools, wus recommitted after a long debate. The Senate passed the Wood bill to iucrense the salaries of the commandant and adjutant of the State Soldiers’ Home and to increase the maintenance fund from a per capita of $lO per month to $12.50. The Senate Self bill requiring township trustees to file their annual statements with the Auditor, the O'Brien bill providing for certain improvements in the Supreme Court Librury, and the Shively bill appropriating $5,000 for a statue of Morton in tile Capitol at Washington, - were pasHsd. The most important bill ueted on was a cignrette bill which had passed the House. It was amended so that the prohibition of sule to minors does not extend to all tobacco aud cigars. The Stato Board of Commerce bill for a commission to revise the laws relating to local jovernment was sent to third reading ns it passed the House, with nn amendment offered by Senator Houghton striking out the second section, which provides for tho payment of the expenses of the commission up to a limit of SI,OOO l year.