The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1891-01-22
Wednesday,, Jan, IA.
SENATE
The following protest was presented and

The following protest was presented and
read
Mr. President: We, the undersigned,
members Of the senate ofthe twenty seventh
session of the legislature of the State OF
Minnesota, desiring to avail ourselves OF
the sacred privilege guaranteed to Us by the
constitution of the state, do most respect
fully but earnestly dissent and protest
against the passage by the senate OF the
resolution taking from the lieutenant gov
eruOr the right Of appointing the commit
tees of the senate and eleCtlng the commit
ices recommended by Joint caucus OF
the Democrats and Alliance men of this
body, believing said acts to be injurious to
the public, and they tend to weaken and
destroy the principles on which representa-
tive and constitutional government found
ed ask that, the following, our reasons
therefor be entered upon the journal OF
the senate of this day;
First-For the first time in the history of
this state has the presiding officer of this
senate. elected by the SuttrageS of the peO
pie, and at the same time every member OF
this body was elected, been denied the right
of the appointment of the senate commit
tees, right universally conceded to that
officer by precedent and courtesy The
lieutenant governor is made a part of the
executive department of the state and the
presiding officer Of this body by the consti
tuition. and placed in that responsible posi-
ton by the people, in whom all political
power IS inherent We believe this reyolu-
tiOnarv attempt has been made successful
Ivy huckStering and in jeopardzing the ag
riCultural interests tthlS state by design
ing and ambitious men and political man
ipulatOrS.
Second-That the prosperity of the state
depends mainly upon the prosperity of the
agricultural Interests OF the state. LeglSla-
tiOn should have in view the fostering and
encouragement of these interests which
contribute so much to the material pros
perity of the state. The Democratic Ali
ance fusion, made for the purpose OF obtain
ing the possession of few unimpOrtant
offices and controlling the appointment of
committees in this body in order that legis-
IatiOn might hereby be influenced, has been
engineered by Democratic leaders in the
-tate and consented to by the selt-COnstltut-
ed leaders Of the Farmers Alliance in this
body, and has resulted in depriving
the farmers Of this state of their
proper representation upon many impor
liant committees. The farmers are es-
pecially interested in all proposed legisla-
lion passed upon by the committee on
finance agriculture, banks and banking,
roads and bridges public lands, internal
improvements, corporations and towns
and counties, and yet they have, by this
Democratic and Alliance combination,
but one member on each of these commit
tees. They have only an insignificant mi
nOrity representation on the committee on
railroads and grain and warehouse. From
this it will be seen that the substantial in
terests of the farmers of this state, without
regard to party, have been bartered
away for a few paltry subordinate
positions in the senate, with which the pO-
titical debts of these self-constituted leaders
have been paid.
Third-The Republican party, casting a
plurality of the votes in the late state cleo
tiOn, and having twenty-six out of thetifty-
four members of this body, is given, under
IL; ;rir 1orr
reSentation upon the most important COM
nittees of the senate than the Democratic
PARTY, which has only fifteen members of
the senate. In this way the will of the peo-
pie has been thwarted and their interests
betrayed. Entertaining these views, we
cannot, conscientionsly with our duties as
senators and citizens of this state, permit
the senate to take lhis action without enter
ing this. our formal protest against it.
Mr.. Donnelly made a vigorous effort to
present the protest from going on therecord:
failing in that he attempted to have several
Objectionable sentences exposed. The pre-
sident of the senate hearers, refused to en-
terrain the motion, as the constitution
made special provision for tbs privilege of
protest.
HOUSE.
The speaker announced the following
members as a committee on elections, to
investigate the three contests between JOr-
gen Jensen, Republican, and E. S. Bow
man, Alliance, in the Fittieth district; e. E.
Price, Democrat, and R. C. Dunn, Republi-
can, in the Sixth district and John DAILY,
Republican, and f. S. Durant, Democrat,
in the Twenty third district; Messrs. Gal
lagher, Bjorge, Cantleberry, Casper and
Stevens.
Henry Feig, submitted proposed amend
ment to the constitution which proyi des
for the repeal dissection l of article of the
third chapter of the General Laws of 1887
reducing the duration of the legislative
session to eighty days, and providing that
no bills be introduced during the last TWEEN
ty days of said session.