Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1875-03-25
Helena, Montana, Thursday, March IS, 1875.
CLOSING SCENES IN THE NEVADA
LEGISLATURES.

xIEO1SLAxUHE.
After session of fifty-odd days the Legis-
laturc Of Nevada the other day adjourned
sine die. The closing hours of the Assembly
were marked by series of the most disgrace
full scenes that probably eyer transpired in q
Legislative body. During the evening, says
the Enterprise, the members found entertain
and requesting opponents to step into the
street and exchange shots. One member, af-
ter first requesting the Speaker, who had call
ed him to order, to ''take a walk" expressed
willingness to fight the entire body, and at
the same time brushed aside his coat and dis
closed the handle OF revolver and what
seemed to be a tomahawk or butchers cleav-
er Blows were exchanged in some instances
with venom. Van Hagan, in reply to some
remark, hurled a copy of the compiled laws
of Nevada at the head Of Hogan. AS the
volume opened in its flight, Hogan was not
knocked down. The latter started for his
assailant, but hand-to-hand fight was pre-
| vented by some lady in the lobby. About II
| o'clock a wood-chopper from the head of
Clear Creek dropped into the Chamber, and
believing that a free fight was about to be in
augurated, offered by-stander months
| wages if he would turn off the gas and give
| him five minutes discussion with the men,
! bers with an AK. AT one time it was proposed
! to raise an alarm of fire, and wash out the
chamber with stream from fire steamer; ;
but better counsel prevailed, and the members
were allowed to eight it out on that line, 1t
was marvellous that some Of them were not
killed, for behind the apparent leyity which
kept the air full of books and inkstands, was
feeling of rancor which suggested pistols
and bowie-knives.
| These shameless scenes of disorder and tu-
mutt, the Enterprise states, were the delib-
crate creation of the Democratic and 1nde-
pendent members exclusively, and their OBJ
ject being to defeat the Appropriation bill,
which would have rendered necessary the
calling Of an extra session. Says the Enter
prise: IA
''The principle actors in the scenes were
Bartlett, Hogan, Bergstein, Van Hagan, Beck
and DOw---four Democrats and two inde-
pendents. 1t was Bartlett who snatched the
roll-calls from the Clerk; it was Van Hagen
who assaulted Hogan, and came pretty nearly
inaugurating free fight while Beck, Dow
and Bernstein all mounted tables ut the same
time, and with shouts and groans attempted
to put an end to all legitimate proceedings.
AS the Democrats being in the minority,
could not control the House, they hoped to
clog the wheels of legislation by resorting to
rowdyism. In this they were assisted by
Beck and Hogan, who were elected as indie.
pendents, and who adopted this method OF
showing how legislative proceedings should
be conducted on reform basis" Van
Hagen was perhaps the least noisy Of the
the members named, and showed his impair
tiality by knocking down fellow-D Democrat,
but it is undeniable that the general bent OF
the Democratic and Independent members was
to close the session in disgraceful confusion.
The opposition had motive in this; the Re.
publicans could have had none, for they had
sufficient strength to pass snch measures as
they deemed expedient without resorting
to violence and bluster. 1t is admitted
that the Republicans conducted them.
selves throughout with marked forbearance.
; Mr.. Parkinson, editor of the Carson 1ri
bune, was an eyewitness of these perfor
mances, and corroborates the foregoing. He
says:
IA more disgraceful scene never occurred
The presiding officer of the House was as
sailed in way that would disgrace the deni
zens of Billinsgate Market. Men who have
dared to assume the term of honorable be
came fends, and forgot even that they were
men. Scenes were enacted in that House tht
description of which would disgrace tht
, smuttiest periodical published in the United
States. Fortunately the Speaker of the House
had sufficient control over his temper to re-
collect that he stood in position of trust
; Fortunately the Clerk of the House rccollec
ted that he had an important duty to perform
And more than fortunate was it that some
men we wot of did not occupy the position
of Clerk at that time, or the honorable(O gen
tlemen who tore the roll-call of the Assembl.
from the Clerks hands would have meyer re
peated the outrage Shame and lasting dis
grace will forever rest on the heads of th'
Democrats and Independents of the Lowe
; House Of the Seventh Nevada Legislature TO
their acts of yesterday"
Mr.. Parkinson is an Independent, and hi
paper is of the same political stripe. Hi
testimony, added to that of the Ente,prise
should overwhelm with confusion the loca
Democratic sheet which this morning en-
deavored to place this Legislative row at tn
door of Republicans. The guilty ones wer
Democrats and Independents, and the entir
responsibility for the acts above stated rest
!. upon their shoulders and none other.
p~<<<D<%--
. Rudden Death.
=. ~ -Yohn u 0iOkinsOn