398 



INDIANA. 



ness was disposed of, and much more set on 

 foot. Oliver P. Morton was reflected to the 

 United States Senate, and the State Avas re- 

 districted for both legislative and congres- 

 sional representation. The bill apportioning 

 members of the Legislature among the differ- 

 ent districts gave much dissatisfaction to the 

 Democratic minority, and it was declared that 

 it gave 30 members of the Senate to 184,000 

 voters in certain portions of the State; and 

 only 20 to 185,000 voters in other portions, 

 and assigned 59 members of the House to 

 184,000 voters, and 41 members to 185,000. 

 A written protest against the act was made 

 by the minority in the following terms : 



1. That in our opinion the said act is a deliberate 

 fraud and imposition upon the rights and privileges 

 of the people of the State of Indiana. 



2. Because said act is a deliberate attempt to sap 

 the very foundation of representative government 

 by denying equal and fair representation to the 

 people in the General Assembly. 



3. Because it is a shameful violation of that Amer- 

 ican doctrine that comes down from the Revolution, 

 that taxation and representation go hand in hand. 



4. Because said act is an infamy, passed at the 

 bidding of an unscrupulous partisan influence, and 

 cannot be defended upon any principle of common 

 right, and was passed with indecent haste under the 

 pressure of the previous question, so that debate was 

 prevented and no opportunity afforded to expose its 

 glaring defects. 



^ 5. Because said act is a plain and palpable viola- 

 tion of the constitution of the State of Indiana, 

 which requires that Senators and Representatives in 

 the General Assembly shall be apportioned among 

 the several counties according to the number of in- 

 habitants under the enumeration made by law, 

 which provision of the constitution is wholly dis- 

 regarded and violated by the said act, and is, there- 

 fore, null and void. 



Among the other bills passed was one rais- 

 ing the salary of the Governor to. $8,000 a 

 year. Bills were introduced regulating the 

 charges of railroads, establishing a new school 

 system, and proposing a convention for the 

 amendment of the State constitution. Nu- 

 merous petitions were received, calling for 

 legislation prohibiting the sale of intoxicating 

 liquors, and amending the divorce laws. 



The regular session of the Legislature be- 

 gan on the first Wednesday of January, 1873, 

 and a few days later Governor Hendricks was 

 inaugurated. Governor Baker in his final mes- 

 sage made various recommendations, among 

 others that it be submitted to a vote of the 

 people whether a convention shall be held for 

 the revision of the constitution. In his inau- 

 gural address Governor Hendricks recommend- 

 ed reform in the election laws, and in the rep- 

 resentation of the people in the General As- 

 sembly. He said: 



The laws regulating our elections require your 

 special attention. They do not restrain the corrupt, 

 nor protect the votes of the people. Our elections 

 must not become a reproach. Their result must ex- 

 press the will of the people. Our system must be 

 made so efficient as to guarantee purity in the con- 

 duct and management of the elections, and also to 

 inspire and establish public confidence. When the 

 people know that a political result has been fairly 



brought about, all discontent disappears ; they cheer- 

 fully acquiesce, and yield entire obedience to the 

 authority thereby established. I cannot now at- 

 tempt to suggest all the provisions that may be es- 

 sential to an efficient system, but without the follow- 

 ing no system will probably prove efficient : 



1. A fair and real representation upon the board 

 of election officers of all political parties having can- 

 didates to be voted for. 



2. Voting-places so numerous, and the precincts 

 so small, in respect to the voting population, that all 

 who offer to vote may be known by the people of the 

 neighborhood, as well as by the officers. 



3. A reasonable period of residence in the election 

 precinct as a qualification to vote, so that persons 

 may not pretend a residence not real, in fraud of the 

 law. 



You will find an amendment of the second article 

 of the constitution necessary to enable the Legis- 

 lature to prescribe such period of residence. The 

 constitution wisely provides for its own amendment, 

 by a convenient and economical proceeding, which 

 renders it unnecessary to throw upon the people the 

 expense of a convention, and. avoids the possibility 

 of changes not desired by them. 



4. The exclusion of money, as an influence and 

 power, from the elections. If in the contest for 

 power money shall become stronger than the people, 

 we will have the worst government possible. It will 

 be a reproach to us all when wealth can buy what 

 the loftiest talent and the purest virtue cannot at- 

 tain. 



In this connection I wish to call attention to the 

 subject of representative reform, which, during the 

 last ten years, has been advocated by some of the 

 best minds, botb in Europe and in this country, and 

 is now undergoing the test of experience. I "desire 

 to make this the more emphatic, because in this 

 State it seems yet to be regarded as^right and proper 

 for the majority to deny to the minority even that 

 representation which an apportionment based upon 

 population and contiguity of counties would give. 

 Representative reform rests upon the proposition 

 that minorities of constituencies should have a rep- 

 resentation as nearly in proportion to numbers as 

 may be practicable. All the citizens contribute to 

 the burdens of government, and should yield obedi- 

 ence to the laws, and it is just, equal, and fair, that 

 all should be represented. 



The advantages of this reform are obvious. Politi- 

 cal asperities would be modified ; local satisfaction 

 would be produced ; the temptation to corruption 

 and bribery at elections would be greatly removed; 

 and security and permanency would be given to the 

 influence and power of the minority, thus securing a 

 check upon the majority, should it become arro<r:;nt 

 or unscrupulous, so that legislation would proceed 

 more for the people and less for party. 



The public debt of the State at the end of 

 the year amounted to $4,650,930.37, of which 

 $3,905,906. 25 consisted of non-n.egotiable bonds 

 issued to the school fund. Of the bahimv, 

 $32,869.99 consists of four per cent. Stato 

 stocks issued under the adjustment of 1847, 

 and $4,060.13 two per cent, stocks of the same 

 date; $139,000 consists of the war loan issued 

 under legislation of 1861. The remainder, of 

 about $569,000, consists of the principal and 

 interest of old bonds issued prior to 1841, the 

 payment of which was provided for by an act 

 passed at the extra session of the Legislature 

 in December. There was in the Treasury < n 

 November 1, 1871, the sum of $1,035,288.66, 

 and during the fiscal year ending October 31, 

 1872, the receipts were $2,450,558.22; the c 

 penses for the same year amounted to $2.G87,- 



