People's Pilot, Volume 6, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 January 1897 — JUST SOLDIERING [ARTICLE]

JUST SOLDIERING

THAT IS THE COMMENT ON THE DOINGS OF LEGISLATORS. ** Nearly 840,060 Expended to Date, With. No Ketdru to the People—Sketch of the Life of an Interesting; Senate Member—Third House Workers and some of Their Characteristics Democracy’s House Leader. Ik- er. ~ ■ « *• Special Correspondence. Indian A.PODIS, Jan. 25.—The legislature costs the state of Indiana, in " round figures, $2,000 a day. Twenty days, or just one-third of the session, have passed and the cost to the taxpayers to date is a little over $40,000. A review of the work dofie by both branches shows that practically nothing has been accomplished to account for this vast expenditure of money. There has not been a single sincere move in the direction of a repeal of the special verdict law, the enactment of an antitrust law or any other measure that the people are demanding. ’ The lieutenant governor and members of the senate have gotten themselves into a “heap of trouble” on ■ account of their effort to smother the Vandalia investigation, and . the fate of that rnovq seems problematical. The standing reply about the capitol to inquiries as to what the legislature is doing is, “Oh, just soldiering.” , “Tell me Something about yourself,’* c-1 asked of Senator Andrew Humphreys, who lives at Linton and represents Green and Sullivan counties. During the ’jjast week Senator HumV phreys has sprung into especial prominence as the man,who was unanimously chosen by the Democracy of the senate to place Senator Voorhees in nomination for re-election before that body. He is the oldest senator and probably the most historic character in the legislature. During the war he was arrested, along with Milligan, Horsey and Bowles as an alleged Knight of the Golden Circle, but was sent back homo by General Hovey on account of a lack of evidence against him. He will be 76 years old ■on March >BO. Senator Humphreys started out in life very poor. He received no education except such as could be Obtained from a backwoods’ country school. In his youth he learned the trade of blacksmithing, which he soon forsook for his favorite pursuit of farmin??. He was frugal and at one time owned a fine farm oT4OO acres in Sullivan county. As he expresses it, he took to politics “as a duck takes to Water.” He was first elected to the house of representatives in 1849, three years'before the present state constitution was formed. He served in the house ’until 1858, when he was elected one of the fir's t state senators under the new j,’ constitution. There was a grea t controversy at that time as ti who serve long and who short ■ terms, halt of’ the first, senators elected /b< ?ng limited to two years, ■ the others to serve the regular term of four years. The matter was finally settled by drawing cuts and' Mr. Humphreys proved one of the unfortunates drawing a 2-year term. In those days the only rajb.ord in the state was a fiat bar road extending from Indianapolis to Madison. Senator Humphreys rode on horseback.nearly 190 miles to the ■capitol and remained hero during the entire session. In those days legislators were paid §3 a day, but board at the best hotels cost but §2 50 a week, and as a result they saved more money than now. Senator Humphreys is tire only surviving member of the legislatures of ’49 and ’sl. He was re-elected to the house in ’55 and ’57, and in ’SB was appointed by President Buchanan an Indian commissioner with headquarters in Utah. Mr. Humphreys says that he was the only gentile in Utah county, the other inhabitants being Indians and Mormons. In 1861, when President Lincoln was elected, he went to Washington to lay down his commission. He had a personal interview with Lincoln in which he told the president that he did not believe a man could be a good Democrat and serve under a Republican < administration. It was in 1864 that he was arrested as a Knight of the Golden Circle. He was tried by a military commission and sentenced to imprisonment in the Newport (Ky.) barracks, but General Hovey refused to commit him and after he had undergone 60 days’ imprisonment in this city he was sent home. In 1865 Mr. Humphreys brought suit against the home guards who had him arrested and secured a verdict for $25,000, notwithstanding one-third of the jury were Republicans. As soon as judgment was rendered he said? “I don’t want any of your money,” and he positively refused to accept a cent. He was elected to the state senate in 1874 and resigned in 1876 to succeed “Blue Jeans” Williams in congress. In 1878 he was elected to the Indiana house of representatives and in 1894 to his present seat in the state senate. “I shall never be a candidate again,” he said, “my’political career is ended.” Senator Humphreys can show a record for service in the halls of legislation that no other man in the state can show. He has voted for eight Democratic United States senators, begining with Jesse D. Bright, away back in 1850, two years " before the present constitution of the ’ state was formed. Seven of the candi- ■ dates.for whom he voted were elected, the first defeat being that which Senator Voorhees received last week. He never in his life drank liquor or used tobacco in any form. His vitality is remarkable. The “third house” is beginning to make its presence very visibly felt in the halls of legislation. As everybody knows, thew lobbyists constitute the “third house.” Just at present the members of this indispensable body are confining their attentions mainly to the committees, the legislation being mostly in the stage of committee work at pres-

I ent. Pretty soon, however, they will be seen in large numbers on the floor of ; the house and senate, button-holing I members and drawing them to one side to whisper their little demands and requests. Mr. Swope, Democrat, of the house is the author of a rule adopted by that body which may cause the gentry some trouble. It requires that every- ■ body except members and ladies be de- ' nied the floor of the house. Whether i or not it will prove effective will depend on the doorkeeper, but the Democratic members propose to see that it is enforced. Most of those who are members of the “third house” do not deny the fact and a good many are proud of the distinction. A visiter to the legislature is not long in learning to pick these men out. There is the goodnatured face of L. L. Cloud, ex-presi-dent of the Central Labor union of this city. He is the tallest member of the third house. He is accompanied by Robert Gross, E. A. Perkins and Roscoe Barnett of this city, all high up in labor’ councils. They are looking after the interests of the bill prohibiting the employment of child, labor and requiring factory inspection. There is Adams of Parke county, big, tall and brawny, who has been contesting the seat held by Dick Mijler so long ago. One cannot but think that if the encounter wore a personal one the diminutive incumbent would get the worst of it James Statesman, or “Statesman Statesman,” as he has been termed, owing to the fact that he .represented Miami county in the last assembly, has been called by some the “speaker of the third house. ” He has been retained to appear before committees for several big interests. Then there is Jerry Collins, an ex-member, who has been helping his old friend Colbert out in the Culbert-Rogers contest case in the senate. .John B. Cockrum of this city, otie of the best railroad attorneys in the state, is enrolled in the third house as the representative of large 'corporations. Murray A. Verner, the Pittsburg capitalist, who owns all kinds of mopey aside from the large share of the stock of the Citizens’ Street Railroad company of this city, is here to fight off legislation affecting the latter corporation. He never goes about the capitol, but does his work in his princely apartments at the Denison hotel. Every legislature costs him large sums of money, and the dinners which he has given legislators in the past atid is giving them this year have become famous. Ex-Senator Baker is said to represent the tobacco trust and Harry Adams, of “blocks of five’’ fame, is looking after legislation touching manufactures. It must not be supposed that all of the lobbyists are men. One of the most gifted in oratorical abilities is Mrs. Felix T. McWhirter of this city, state president of the W. C. T. U. She is a forcible and logical Speaker, and the. antagonist who tries her mottle before a committee is liable to get the worst of it ❖ «> If Lieutenant Governor Haggard would curb his prop-msities toward parti: unship he-wopld make a worthy successor to Mcrtimei’ Nye as president 1 of the senate. He has a great ma ;y of the qualities that go to make an admirable presiding officer. He is, first of all, a man of fine peradkal appearance,' tall, broadshouldered and prepossessing. It has been said that a large man can control an assemblage better than a small one, and in this respect the lieutenant governor has a manifest advantage over peaker Pettit of the house. The latter is a small man whose principal resource for dignity seems to be a bushy erdwth of redcolored whiskers. He weighs but 140 pounds while the lieutenant governor tips the beam at 230 pounds without his overcoat. Mr. Pettit’s voice, while strong, has none of the deep resonant and musical qualities of the lieutenant* governor’s. Mr. Haggard’s worst drawback in critical snaps is his propensity to forget what he desired to say. This was illustrated when he arose last week to introduce Senator elect Fairbanks to the legislature and began with “gentlemen of the convention,” but redeemed himself after a pause, however, by abiding, “of the house and senate.” The customary form is “gentlemen of the general assembly.” Mr. Haggard is not as fastidious in dress as is the speaker of the house. The only jewel he wears is a tie stickpin, which he acknowledges cost him the munificent sum of 10 cents. ❖ ❖ ❖ There has been a good deal of gossip as to who would take the rank of i “Democrrtic leader” in the house, and ' the friends of John R. East of Bloomington claim that the first weeks of the i session have demonstrated that he is entitled to the Jionor, especially since he was nnaninrously chosen to present the name of Senator Voorhees for reelection in behalf of the Democracy of the house. Mr. East is a great big man, who is gifted with a quick wit and ready repartee. He has developed into the leading humorist of the assembly and his jokes always have a timely application. For instance, ’ there was a preamble to his speech nominating Senator Voorhees the other day that was not published at the time. When he arose he held in his hand a copy of a morning paper announcing in glaring headlines the fact that three leading banks had failed on the day before. Turning upon the Republicans of' the assembly, he said: “Behold the return of confidence; three more banks went up yesterday.” When the committee on elections was going through the long, tedious work of listening to the written evidence in the Hart contest case Mr. East was one of the lawyers for the contestee. On the committee was Mr. Hart of Huntington, who, by the way, bears no relationship to Hart the contestee. After the evidence had dragged for a long time Mr. Hart became drowsy, and leaning back in his chair went fast asleep. While in this position he shifted- unexpectedly anil' th chair toppled over, throwing him full length under the table. Quick hs a flash Mr. E; st said: “Mr. Chairman, a point ol' orckr. This proceeding is contrary to rules. I, move that ths-gentleman be laid on the table instead of under it.” I There was a great deal of merriment at Mr. Hart's expentJe.

LOUIS L. LUDLOW.