The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1891-01-16
ALLIANCE SOLD OUT.

The Alliance party of Minnesota ha
been sold out, body and soul, and abou
all that remains visible to the optic ii
Obnoxious Donnelly. Failing in hi
scheme to seduce Lieut.. Governor I've,
into bartering away his manhood, stulti
flying himself and selling out the Repub
lican party, he fell into the arms of the
Democrats and has stranded the organi
cation of which he is president on the
shoals of inevitable dissolution. How
do the Alliance members (not of the
legislature for they have proved them
selves as putty in the hands of the gla'
zier) like the attitude in which they are
placed?
The situation as gwen by one OF the
leading Senators, is 80 clearly set forth
that the FREE Press is led to give con-
siderable space to a review of the mat.
ter in order that it's readers may be put
in possession of facts which will prove
Donnelly's demagoguery and the ease
with which he whipped the Senate Al
lance members into line to pull his
chestnuts out of the fire.
Before the senate organized Mr.. Don
nelly approached the lieutenant COVER
nor and informed him that he was ap-
pointed a committee to wait upon him
aud ascertain what committees and sub-
ordinate positions the Alliance could
obtain in the event and in consideration
of their uniting with the Republicans
for the purpose of controlling the or
ganization of the senate. Lieut.. Gov
Ives replied that he did not know that
anything could be promised in advance
and asked what Mr.. Donnelly wanted
Mr.. Donnelly said the Alliance demand
ed control of the committees on rail-
roads, grain and warehouse, banks and
banking and taxes and tax laws, and in
addition to this proportionate share of
the minor Offices of the senate.
| This proposition was declined on til e
part of the governor fog the reason thsst
it would be unjust and entirely imprope r
for him to barter away the rights of the
Democrats and the Republicans, either
of which had larger representation Id
| the senate than the Alliance.
Mr.. DonnelIy and his Alliance follow
ing then formed combination with the
Democratic senators, presumably on the
same terms demanded of the lieutenant
governor. The Democrats and the AL
lance thereupon proceeded 30 organize
the senate. Immediately after the sem
| ators had taken the oath of Office Mr..
| Donnelly offered resolution, taking
from the president of the senate the
right which that officer in the past has
always exercised, of appointing the COM
mittees. The Republicans opposed this
on the ground that it was unprecedented
IN the history of the state and an Insult
to the lieutenant governor, who had
been chosen to the Office by the people.
and that it was detrimental to the inter-
ests of the people. in that the commit,
tees would be constituted more fairly
and equitably between the respective
parties and the interests they represent
if appointed by the lieutenant governor
than they would be if chosen by any
faction or combination of factions.
The following day caucus Of the
Democrats and Alliance was held, the
number of committees agreed upon and
the representation of each party repre-,
scented in the senate, also agreed to, and
a list of the number of the committees
the number on each committee and tbs
lumber which the Democrats and Ali
ance were willing to Concede to the lie.
publicans was made up and handed to 9
Republican senator on the morning Of
the 9Th. An examination of the list
furnished the Republicans revealed the
fact that Mr.. Donnelly was utterly in.
sincere in the demands made on the
lieutenant governor in making up these
committees. However, the list furnished
the Republicans was signed by Senator
Lommen as secretary of the Alliance
and Democratic conference committee
This list was so manifestly unfair to the
Republican representation in the senate
that they, instead of filling up the places
assigned them by the Democrats and AL
lance, proceeded to make complete
list of all the committees, giving the far
mers even more than Mr.. Donnelly de
manded at time when it was imprope
for him to make the demand. Thei
reason for doing this was that, as mat
I ter of principle and right, and under al
precedents in legislative bodies, the'
| were entitled to full minority repre-
, sentation in each committee, ASSUMING
that the Alliance and Democrats wert
only one party, and in the majority.
! In Sundays Pioneer Press a Sen alto
, who has made careful study of the stu
alton and the history leading up to il
e finds that about month before the con
vening of the legislature Mr.. Campbell
/ II