Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 March 1911 — CONSTITUTION RAILROADED; REPUBLICANS PROTEST. [ARTICLE]

CONSTITUTION RAILROADED; REPUBLICANS PROTEST.

Minority Helds Caucus and Decides To Protest in Writing Against High-Handed Methods.

The resentment of the republican members of the House agafnst the action of the democratic majority in railroading the “Tom Marshall" constitution through to third reading and preventing the offering of amendments or discussion of the bill resulted in a being held last night at the English Hotel. ' - .

' When the republicans, some sullen, some defiant, and all out of humor, filed away from the House chamber following the afternoon adjournment, talk of a possible bolt for the remainder of the session in order to prevent a quorum was heard. It is said fully half of the members were in favor of the minority taking some radical action to block the passage of the Stotsenburg constitution bill when the caucus convened, ■

Several had proposed that enough members hand in their resignation.; to Governor Marshall to break the quorum. Others suggested thqt all refuse to vote and put the democrats in thq attitude of forcing them to vote to obtain a quorum. They were still rankling under the "gag rule” to which they had been subjected. Again, it Was suggested that each member refuse to vote on the grounds that doing so would be a violation of bis official oath. Those members who advocated this policy expected, however, to be compelled to vote, but not until after a roll call had been forced in each case. Forty roll calls and the necessary time to be consumed on each roll call would have meant a filibuster lasting probably ten hours. All were soon agreed, however, that it would be unwise to bolt or resign, and the resulk of the caucus was that each member pledged himself to be in his seat today when the constitution is hhnded down for third reading and passage. The plan adopted by the minority in the Senate, of entering individual written protests against the constitution, will be followed. The minority members, believe that the people will repudiate the "Tom Marshall” constitution at the polls if it is not first repudiated in the courts. The upshot of the grievance entertained by the republicans, which culminated in the calling of the caucus last night, may be explained in the alleged irregular proceedings on four Important measures'

1. The passage of the Yarling public accounting bill over the protest of the minority, even though it was necessary to change the records in order to attach the Merrimah amendments.

2. Passing “corporation bill’’ No. 105 to engrossment without any regular second reading on the floor of the House.

3. Reading only the title of the building ahd loan association bill and its passage to engrossment, even though no member of the committee had read the bill, and without giving any member of the House an opportunity to offer amendments or discuss the merits of the measure.

4. Passing Stotsenburg constitutional bill to engrossment within three hours after the printed bill had been laid on the desks of the members and with debate limited to fifteen minutes. Finally it was decided that each member of the republican minority would file his protest when the “Tom Marshall" constitution is read for the third time on the floor of the House today. More than half of the fortyrepublican members of the House will file protests written by themselves. A committee consisting of Representatives Eschbach, Wider and White was appointed to draft a protest for those members who did not have the time to do it themselves. These will be read as each member's name is called for a vote on the final passage of the bill.

In the main the protests will deny the right of the members to vote on such a bill and will affirm the whole proceedings as a violation of the official oaths of the members and a violation of the present constitution, under which the General Assembly is supposed to be acting. The protests will be submitted in lieu of the one minute given each member by the rules of the House to explain his vote. Representative Faris, caucus chairman, presided last night and Representative Breining served as caucus secretary, The meeting was held behind closed doors on the parlor floor of the English Hotel.