The Vernon Times, Volume 8, Number 2, Vernon, Jennings County, 26 June 1919 — Page 1

HED JIT THE COUNTY SETTf VOL. S. Wo. 2 VERNON, IND., THl US DAY. JUNE 26. 1919. Entre4 esond-e!ftss KSfttter Jnee 14,1315, t tt ?" oEea at Vernon, Indita. antler tie Actot L arc a $,!:. 9, ' , i" V o """ O O jfc. a, jdi. vs-iszi t.iev loerniit zne riizc.2.Ler to use tiiei T 'O -v 'em arks?

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THE SPECIAL .LAW A DRASTIC AND VICIOUS MEASURE Compare Picsent General Law, Which Requires: 1. 40 per cent of voters of county (or 1500 in Jennings county) must petition for election for re-location. 2. County property at county-seat must be less than $20,000 in value, (Present property easily worth $75,000.) i. 70 percent, of voters of county necessary to carry election for re-location. 4. Town wanting county-scat must donate 2-urre tract for site. 5. County-seat must be moved not over i4 miles or less than one mile from corporation line of town containing- present site. 6. Election only once in three years. Example: Couuty-eeat of Crawford county relocated from Leavenworth to KaglUn, Reference: Ilepreaentative Hamuel Benz, of English. AND HOUSE FULL NO. 40g, A SPECIAL LAW WHICH REQUIRES: 1. Only 40a voters only -00 of whom to be freeholders (about one-fourth necessary under present law.) 2. Nothing said as to value of property of county at countyseat. B. One vote over 50 per cent, of vote cast a mere majority. (Nothing to offset the "float" vote.) 4, County to pay for site, instead of town securing county-seat. 5. Nothing said as to distance county-seat is to be removed.

IS THIS FAIR PLAY? House liill 409, Jennings County Removal Hill. As reported by both the Star and the News, a majority of Judiciary A Committee of the House vote to Indefinitely postpone the bill. 1 he next morning there Is a majority of the com mittee favor the bill. D RAN AM AN CRUSHED Within t.rvo minutes time Representative Rrauamtm was flatten ed out twice under the organization ,4road roller" when lie opposed the tStoren bill providing for an election in .Terming County to determine whether the county seat shall be removed from Vernon to Nor it Vernon. Idr. Branaman lirst attempted the substitution of the commitUe's minority report, recommending the indefinite postponement of the bill, for the majority report favoring passage, and failing he sought to amend the' bill when it was presented for second reading. lie waj on his feet demanding in loud voice a roll call on the question of substituting the minority for the majority report when Hpeaker Cruk announced that the 'noes have ' That's rotten," exclaimed Representative Eaehbaeh, Republican floor leader, biding with Mr. Branaman, a Democrat. I hope that it ia bo rotten that you and jour fellow members (Republicans) get a snilt at it," retorted the s-paker. Representative Branaman agreed with dr. Eachbach that the "road roller" method waa "rotten" and later, wbtn he vm run over a second time when ha tried to amend the bill, he jumped to hi feet and inquired: "VYh&i eort of procedure is this?" Mr. Branaman declared that the bill represented the ''rankest sort of class hgklaUoa," applying, m it does, only to Jennings county. He eaid that there U now a general tut under which a elictioa could be held, but he point ed out how tue ijtoreu bill had been so framed that it would make it much tMier for those interested in the relieving of the Jennings County Court Uou3 to snored. The Star, Feb. 19, 19K5. From Indianapolis News, Feb. S P E A KERJUGG LES .UUUij nor i. pai.i. Absent Uccahexs Recorded as Votinj tsiid Others Incorrectly Recorded. TALKS OF ROLL'S SANCTITY. Kewtrspcr Mm and Others Kepi from Cfihif i Attt-.ition to I: ore ,.nc ifs." 11.3 I. cf v Liu.; at ait itirmbera 1 4 1 3 I 'i is li l.te rw irdir ; vf the . . nil -.1 :c: t .'.tjiuexj t( C I i ititJ r U te way ll . '.t olt i c iuie t j 1 y cu &t least L t 5 the f.ir-

GOUHTY SPECIAL

1CT PASSED THE two billa which were passed, or which were declared passed. One of these waa the Storen bill, which haa aa its purpose the providing a means whereby North Vernon can lake the county seat away from Ver uon. While the Jennings County seat bill waa up Speaker Cook ordered all newspaper men away from the roll clerk's table and directed them to take their seats, which happen to be located at a place where the newspaper men can not Bee bow the votea of the members are being marked up. It la customary for newspaper men to check up on the orUeial roll call. SANCTITY OF ROLL CALL." Hpeaker Cook explained that his reason for doing this was because mem uers or ine house, seeing newspaper men there, also came forward and crow tied around the desk. He eaid his desire was to protect 'the sanctity of the roll call" by avoiding confusion. Later, although newspaper men were denied for one hour, at least, afterward a right to check up in full vith the roll call taken on this bill, a partial scrutiny of the roll call disclosed that persons who had not voted for the bill, had been marked up as voting for it. The vote was announced as 55 ayes and 40 noes. COOK'S WAY OF DOING IT. Few members were responding when the roll call had been about half completed. (Speaker Cook leaned over his desk and eaid to the roll clerks: "Just put them down aye, or something else. We have to get along with this." Later, he explained to a newspaper man t hat a great many members were leaving their seats and going over to the Senate. He said he was going to send doorkeepeis after them, lie did make such an order, but its eS'ect, if any, was not visible. 1 Just what relation the real vote on the Jenungs county court house bill bears to the roil call, was a matter that could not be learned definitely, as there was a denial of the privilege of checking up within a reasonable time after the roll call was taken. There was a possibility that the bill bad passtdj and a possipiltty that it had net. It was an absolute certainty, however, that members were recorded wrong. J. It. JONES DEMANDS CHANGE John R. Jones who voted against the bill, was recorded as voting for it. Later thia was brought to Jones's attention and he went to the roll clerk and demanded that the roll be changed. This was done and the total waa then altered to show 54 ayes and 40 no. In the time between the announcing or the vote and the time Jones's vote was changed at bis demand, the total negative vote had betn changed from that announced, and the total had been cut down one. Representative Franks w&s one who wi recorded aa voting ia favor of tba LIU. It was very notieeshla at the

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time that Frank3 waa not in his teat. Later, when ranks returned to the

room, he was asked about his vote, He said he had not voted at ah, and had not authorized any one to cast his vote for him, either for the bill or in any other way. ABSENT SICK MAN COUNTED Representative Kautfmanwas chalk ed up as voting for the bill. Kauffrnan was ill, and had not been at the legis lature all day. The roll clerks eaid that Kauilman had not left his vote with them. Hpeaker Cook said that KauGman had on yesterday told the Speaker to cast his vote in the same manner the Speaker voted. Cook said he had forgotten all about it until it was mentioned to him. He admitted that he had not directed the clerks to cafet Kauh man's vote on the Jennings county bill. The clerks said someone must have answered for Kauilmau. V. W. Spencer was marked up as voting for the bill, but just as the roll call was completed, Spencer entered the room, and, learning what the bill was, baid, "Mr. Speaker, I vote no on this bill." ROLL HHEET HUdTLED AWAY The roll sheet' was hustled to the journal table. After a reporter had made a partial examination of the sheet, which led to the discovery that Jones's vote had been marked up wrong, and that Kaufiman, Franks and others had been voted for the bill, although absent, the roll call sheet was taken away from the reporter. He was told he could not consult it further until it was put on the records. An hour later permission was again refused him to see this roli call. The Storen bill counting the vote cf absentees and the vote of John It. Jones as for it, whereas he bad vr-m against It, had only four aiora-vw! than the required constitutional majority, i KNEW BETTER THAN MILLER : It was found also that the roll clerks had known how Miller, of Laporte and Porter counties, wished to vote, better than he knew himself, Milier was understood by others to have vted against the bill, but it was found he was marked up as voting for it. Miller waa asked how he had voted. He said he had made a mistake and voted no, but that he bad intended to change his voto except for the fact that the roll sheet waa handed np to the Hpeaker before he got the opportunity. Thus Miller was voted as he really desired, although he was not marked up in the way he cast his Vote. The Jennings county bill has attracted a great deal of attention, and there have been strong lobbies here, both for and against the bill, and considerable bitterness has been displayed. MISTAKES And CONFUSION. Clerk Stinson said that he knew mistakes were made in the roll calls, but that thia was due to the fact that there was a great deal of confusion, and that when a member was absent, sometimes some one else responds to hia name. Stinaon said the roll clerk can not look down and see that the man who answers Is the man whose name ia called, and therefore, should not be held responsible for the errors. It was a common practice for members to leave word with the roll clerks to vote them a certain way on a certain biil, the clerks said, and this practice waa followed. However, Rule IS of the house reads in part: 'No member shall vote on any question in the result of which he ia immediately and particularly interested, or in any case when he waa not within thebar of the house pending roll call, unless by constant of the house, and in no case shall absent member be allowed to vote after the result has been announced when his vote shall change the decision of the question." Thus, there is a specific rule against voting by any member, except wilh consent of the house, when such member was not within the bar. ( ; ' is 1 at -uJ 4 Per Infants and 'Children Always bears the t SI ;i.iu:s cf Vernon and the ccrnmunity have built and rebuilt ts many ti&w bouses as ban North Vernon ia 1319.

II mi GOUOT II8US

Statements are beiug peddled over the county by removalists to the efiect that a new court house is going to be built and that the question at issue is where it is to ba located. Now this is a misrepresentation meant to deceive the voters. There are very few more substantial buildings in Jennings County than the Court House in Vernon and very few better court roomsin south eastern Indiana. Tnere is no need of a new court house, the present one is good enough for Jennings County. See the notice of f election in last wtekTimea. Not one word ia given there about a new building. It ia relocation at North Vernon, which of course means a new building. The question to be settled is, will the voters sacrifice the present good, substantial, well located court house and burden the tax payerSjWith the expense of erecting a newone atNorth Vernon. The movies told us six years ago that the present court house was ready to fall down at any time. It is standing just as solid today as ever and withstood a tornado that wrought havoc to many North Vernon buildings. Who misrepresented things to you in. 1913 the ones who told you the building waa ready to fall down or tue ones who told you the building was safe and sound? Think this over. The movie who says that the court house ia unsafe and then tells you before he is done talking to you that it will make a fine school building is merely trying to show you that the building is all right or else how little he cares about the safety of your children. Is a building that is unsafe for lawyer? aod.politiclans safe . for little school children? This shows that they admit the present court house ia O. K. Certain movies say now that we don't need any good roads or bridges to put this county on a par with its rich neighbors, that all we need is a new court house at North Vernon. No, we don't need any roads when tourists passing through here tell ua every day that they know the minute they get into Jennings County on account of our bad roads. "How will the building of an unnecessary New Court House at North Vernon affect the average tax payer?" It will put on him an unnecessary tax for an unnecessary New Court House and hence injure him. Where shall the money be spent remodeling or rebuilding at Vernon or BUILD A NEW and UNNECE3SARY NEW COURT HOUSE at North Vernon. Thia is the same issue in which the North Vernon REMOVALISTS were defeated in 1913 and how have the Removalists the nerve to revive thia dead issue? "Vernon's assessment was only increased 33 per cent while other townships and municipalities were doubless. Why? Because Morris Wiidey is the assessor of Vernon Township. Let the County Board not only correct this mistake, but put Vernon on a par with others." Plain Dealer. The County Board of Review since the above publication have looked into thia matter and find that the Plain Dealer is mistaken, and find that the taxation of Vernon Township needs no C3rreetion, except to be reduced three per cent From reports North Vernon taxation needs reviewing. The removalists pulled a bone when they said the New Court house site will ba within three squares of the depots at North Vernon within that dis tance there Is no square for such a site suitable, if so name a square within that distance that can be purchased for 110,000.00 and free from noise, smoke and dirt. No lot or part lot will fuilfil the bill. It must be a full and respectable square for a site. The injunction fcuit was argued here before Judge W. B. Ketchum, of In dianapolis' last Tuesday. The arguments presented by attorneys Batchelor and Daily, attorneys for the piaintl! waa considered by alt who heard it ea bang above attack. The attorneys for the defendant congratulated Mr. Estehslor far knowing more law on County Seat Removal matters than ail

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LAWYERS HEW LIBBAEY SUPPORT f S6,000.00this year for 2 S13000.00 next t ' r -w r Tr v 4 '?-- ft' ft.'' Act of 1919. Sec. 12 page i24 and 125 of the 1919 acts of "the Gen. assembly of Indiana, reads as follows: The state highway commission shall at the earliest possible moment, proceed to lay out a system of state highways which shall reach each and eveiy county seat of the state and each and every city or town of over 500 inhabitants; end for the connection of county seats, and cities of over 5000 inhabitants with improved trunk highways of adjoining states, and connecting with said trunk highways from other states, whereby said trunk highways of other states and the connecting highways of this state become continuous improved highways. All highways heretofore designated as main market highways by the fetate highway commission, acting under an act entitled " an act-creating a state highway commission providing for the construction, reconsaruction, maintenance, repair and control of pnbiic highwaysand providing for co-opera tion with the federal government in the construction of rurtd poet Roads", approved March 7, 1917, shall be state highways within the meamr.g cf thia act and shall ha improved and maintained as state highways under this act the same d if designated aa state highway s undt r thia act. When any part or all of sid system shall have been laid out by the state highway commission and ehall have been approved by the governor and shall have been tiled in the office of the state highway commission, highways of eaid system ehall pecome and be known under this act as state highways and from that time hall be constructed, reconstructed re paired and maintained by thd state highway commission out of the state highways funds. A state highway within the meaning cf this act is a public highway selected and designated under the provisions of this act for construction, repair or maintenance by the state highway commission out of the funds created by this act. The state highway commission ehall have laid out a sutticient mileage of state highways by APRIL 1, 1920, to reach each and every county eet of the state, The same shall be approved by the governor and filed in the ollice of the state highway commlasion by A" PRIL 1,1820. The last general assembly cf Indiana, Acts cf 1919 gives every county an well as Jennings county a chance to secure about CO miles of paved ,or hard surface highways under the stafe highway System. Under thia system the county will get 60 miles of hard surface roads. Thereafter they will be maintained by the state, a big thing for Jennings county to go after, and go after q uick. Thia will give us a National and State Highway from 8eymonr'to Versailles by the way of Hayden in Spencer township, North Vernon, Center township, Vernon, Vernon township Campbell township, probably touch -ing Butlervllle and Nebraska as outlined now. Also under the fetate highway system by connecring Columbus and Madison by the way of the State road touching Scipio and Queensville in Geneva township, North Vernon over state street and through Vernon Vernon township near Grayford and Champion and thence through Lovett township to Dupont. Abo by connecting the conn tv fee at at Greensburg thus connecting this system of road at North Vernon; thence running north through Sand Creek, township and probably Columbia township to the county line thence to Greensburg. One of the most important roads un der this system is the one to Beotiaburg from Vernon through Vernon townshipr Lovett, Montgomery and Marion townahipa to the Scott County line; thence to Scottsburg; thus unitaud

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FARMERS t m i m m I '9 and a

Ml COURT HOUSE at llortii Yee:v: AGAINST GOOD ROADS

NEW LIBRARY'!' t 111 .. , . e year at same rate it? ' J Besides this state highway system under the County unit system the acts of 1919 allows the County to build county pikes and pave road3, while heretofore the townships alone built the roads. By the County. unit system any pait or township in the county can be conneoted with the state National system throughout the county as heretofore btated. Since these state and National acta the highway system on roads must ba determined and laid out before Apri 1. 1920 and be on file in the oftice of the state highway commission. It behooves good roads boosters to get behind the executive committee of the Jennings County Farmers Association to get as much of this state highway roads m possible. Don't let North Vernon lawyers and certain removalists put you oft from filing petitions tc secure these road?, organize, and through tba County Earmers Association ask and demand thia ideal syseem of state and National roads. No grerter benefit could coxae to tha county than to have this ejottixi- 'cf ' rdads laid out and to be built as ssoa and aa fast as the money is availathlO' Beveral of the North Vernon removalists said thay must get the county seat relocatad now or never, they must beat the farmers to their rcstds. Hence the calling of the relocst'oa election, July 22, 1919. By jumping into the election at this time the removallst admit thera will not be enough money to build a new County Library at North Vernon and a New Court House at North Vernon and at the same time secure the good road-?, whichthe Jennings County Farmers are entithe to. The same rcmovalist3 believe the farmers will be busy in their harvest on July 22 and will not come out to vote. But the farmers beat them In 1913 on their relocation proposition and they will beat them much worss July 22, 19l9onthe same proposition. Moreover the roads will probably be dry and at their best on Juiy 22nd, 1919 and the removalists believe the Farmers will forget the bad and worn out roads of last winter and spring, and will not have the bad roads of Let winter in mind on July 22,' 1919. In other words the removaliata selected the best possible time for the North Vernon Lawyers to s;et in their liefca on jou, it being in vacation of the ; Circuit Court of Jennings County end . being harvest season, the Worst time for the farmers. ; This arrangement for the election on July 22, 1919 takes' the advantage of the farmer, The North Vernon Lawyers and certain removalists sra afraid of the Farmers' votes, becsusa the farmers' votes largely defeated tha removalista in 1913. Bo removalists do not try,uTo h&mssa the masses to keep the classes." 4 MR. EVERETT BEMISHB COUNTY AUDITOR: Please answer this question! Is there on file la your o2ca a petition signed by several hundred tax payers and voters cf Jennings County, asking that certain repairs be made on tha Court House, which haa never been acted upon by the county commissioners' If there is, tell us when it was filed.