St. Paul daily globe., 1889-03-16
Amendments Are Written by
Lobbyists and At
torneys.
SenatoPEa RetaliateS That
the Bill Is in the Railroad
Interest.
How Petitions Are Got Up
in LIE Sueur
County.

cedtS Dlll. Inc SidNt diiA 1SNNINii oSAA-
atorS are responsible for this instance
of parental cruelty, it dating from their
proceedings of yesterday afternoon.
The jacobson county seat bill had been
made special order for o'clock, and
for two and half hours the mutilating
process was conducted in the most ap-
proved style. Representative Jacob
sons infant was SO diSfigured that when
it was placed before him at the close of
the proceedings he diSoWned it. The
sight was touching. 1t always is to see
q great man bowed down with grief.
Such was Representative Jacobson's sit
uatiOn. His knees trembled and audibly
knocked together, and it was with diff
Guilty that he gathered up his
diaphragm, went into the corridors and
Wept.
Senators Goodrich, Eaton and Child
are responsible for the mGtilation that
took place. They introduced, collect
lively, twelve amendments. eight of
which found favor in the eyes of sena-
tors. The Jacobson bill originally pro-
posed that the county seat of any county
might be removed at the wish of the
majority of the citizens of the county.
They first had to petition the county
auditor, who was to lay the matter be
it was found that certain percentage
of the population desired the change.
an election was to be ordered, and the
seat voted Oh by the people. Nofurther
change could be made for five years.
The great fight of the afternoon was
whether voters, or voters who are free
holders should be capable of signing
petition for the removal of a county
seat. Senator Goodrich proposed ''yot
Il
ment. He declared that where a county
seat had been established it ought to
take something more than majority of
legal voters to get up petition to re-
move it.
Senator Hall warmed at such q pro-
poSal from 1.-The champion of the down
trodden, the rank and file of the peo-
pie" He denounced any property
qualification, and rather than see such
provision inserted i'll the bill he would
ask that it be killed.
Il do not want any one to accuse me
of being against any fair and just
county removal bill.' were the words
in which Senator Child placed himself
upon record with regard to the meas
ure. He continued: 1T is the duty of
this legislature to pass bill whereby
those counties who deem it necessary
can get the vote Of the people to remove
the county seat to more favorable 10
cation than the present But this bill
is Objectionable in that it enables any
one to throw every county into tur-
MOL over the location of the county
seat"
Senator Crandall solemnly protested
against any property qualification. 1t
is not in harmony with our ideas of
public government. He suggested that
; opponents were working against the
bill from mercenary motives.
Il hardly expected that from my
friend from OWatonna." interpolated
Senator Child. 81 am not lmbued by
any mercenary motives. My position
is this: 1t is not our duty to legislate
for one OF two counties in this state,
We have some eighty counties to legis-
late for, and we should legisiate for
them fairly and impartialiy. That is
just what this bill doesn't d0."H q
Senator Eaton had no pecuniary in
tcrest in the bill, and at once shook Off
the insinuati0n, continuing TO urge the
adoption of some reasonable protection
for the rights of all the people of the
counties of the state. Senator Hall
held up his hands in holy horror at
property qualification. Such qualif-
cation is no innovation.
''IS there anything whereby prop
erty qalilication is required for vote
in the state of Minnesota?' promptly
put in Senator Hall.
'Well, l think" pondered Senator
Eaton, ''that in matters relating to
change of the lines of school districts
you require petition from the free
holders"
Senator Goodrich-Mr President
Senator Hall The gentleman has
spoken three times.
Senator Goodrich have only spoken
once.
President Rice-The gentleman can
speak a hundred times if he likes.
Laughter.
Senator Goodrich-If you have no
property qualification for the signing of
these petitions you will have repeated
what was done in my own county. A
railroad company brought 150 men in
from another county.
Senator Day-But cannot a man make
800 freehOlders by dividing among them
800 acres of swamp land?
Senator Goodrich-They must be res
ident freeholderS.
''Supposing l was to buy a lot in a
burial ground, two by six. am free
holder" The senator broke into loud
laughter, and it is needless to add the
words are those of Senator Keilar.
Senator Chapman slowly rose. He
said: l presume that [ have had as
much and probably more experience in
county seat wars than any member of
this senate. Twenty-Five years of my
life have been spent either in advocating
the removal of county seats Or protest
ing against their removal. [Laughter.l
l was called the father of the
county seat removal in LIE Sueur
ing it, Not getting plenty of
signatures, ] took a tramp abroad and
came to the town of New Prague, on the
dividing line between Scott and lie
Sueur counties. l went into the saloon.
All the men took drink and signed the
petition. [Laughter.] L then went
down TO the town clerks. l said: ''Lat's
see your poll list" He fetched it down,
and 1 said: Disguise your hand and
will give you so and So" Laughter. |
He said: "All right:" and so L went
round and obtained petitions sufficient
to gain the popular voice in that county
seat removal. That is the way that
petitioners can be obtained to Il peti-
tion. Laughter.
Senator HiXSon argued that the
amendment was equivalent to destroy
ing the bill, and, after further discus
sion, il was voted down.
Amendments of technical character,
relating to the working of the bill.
poured in. Senators characterized these
amendments as prepared by attorneys
and lobbyists anxious to kill the bill"
Senator Eaton retaliated with the state
ment that the original blll-JacobSon's
own darling-was really the work of q
railroad attorney, and framed in the in
tereStS of railroads and monopolies.
When the continued flow of amend
ments became somewhat tiresome, Sen
ator Bowen moved that the bill be re-
ferred to Senators Child. Durant and
Goodrich, 10 make whatever amend