The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1891-01-22
AUX CENTRE HERALD.
THURSDAY JANUARY %, 1891.
STRIKING BCAK.


The outrage perpetrated by the senate
in the appointment of committees is not
submitted to as quietly as wasexpected.
The republicans are powerless to help
themselves, but they have constitu-
tional right to protest, and they have
done so quite vigorously.
The republicans have awaited them
selves of the right given the minority by
the constitution to spread a protest on
the records of the senate against any act
of the majority. Mr.. Smith remarked
that no one had been urged to sign the
protest. Some had not called to sign,
and the names of other republican sena-
tors were not attached because of their
absence.
THE PROTEST.
Mr.. President: We. the undersigned,
members of the senate of the Twenty
seventh session of the legislature of the
state of Minnesota, desiring to avail our
selves of the sacred privileges guaranteed
to us by the constitution of the state, do
most respectfully but earnestly dissent
and protest against the passage by the
senate of the resolution taking from the
lieutenant governor the right ofappoint-
ing the committees of the senate, and
electing the committees recommended by
a Joint caucus of the democrats and al
lance men of this body, believing said
acts to be injurious to the public, AMI
that they tend to weaken and destroy
the principles on which representative
and constitutional government is found
ed and ask that the following, our reas-
ons therefor, be entered upon thejournal
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 suffrages of
the people and at the same time every
member of this body was elected, been
denied the right of the appointment of
the senate committees, right univer-
sally conceded to that officer by preced-
emit and courtesy. The lieutenant COVER
nor is made part of the executive depart
ment OF the state and the presiding Of
feer of this body by the constitution,
and is placed in that responsible position
by the people, in whom all political
power is inherent. We believe the rev.
dictionary attempt has been made sue
cessful by huckstering in and jeopardiz
ing the agricultural interests OF this state
by designing and ambitious men and
political manipulators.
Second-That the prosperity of the
state depends maiuly upon the prosperity
of the agricultural interests of the state.
Legislation should have in view the fos-
tering and encouragement of those inter-
ests which contribute much to the ma
terial prosperity of the state. The DEM
ocratic-alliance fusion. made for the pur-
pose of obtaining the possession of
few unimportant officers and controlling
the appointment of committees in this
body in order that legislation might
thereby be Influenced, has been engineer
ed by democratic leaders in the state and
consented to by the selfconstituted lead
ers of the farmers alliance in this body
and has resulted in depriving the farmers
of this state of their proper representa-
tion upon the many important commit
tees.
The farmers are especially interested
in all proposed legislation passed upon
by the committee on finance, agrlcul-
ture, bank and banking, roads and brid-
ges, public lands, internal Improvements
corporations, and towns and counties,
and yet they have, by this democratic
and alliance combination, but one MEM
Der of each of these committees. They
have an insignificant minority represen-
ton on the committees on railroads and
grain and warehouses. From this it
will be seen that the Observation-Disclosures
of the farmers of this state, without re-
gard to party, have been bartered away
for few paltEy subordinate position in
the senate, with which the political
debts of these s-lf-constituted leaders
have been paid.
Third-The republicans, casting plu-
rality of the votes in the late state cleo
ton and having 26 out of the 54 men,
bers of this body. are given under this in
iquitious combination a smaller repre-
sentation upon the most important COM
mittees of the senate than the democrat
ic party, which has only Is members OF
the senate. In this way the will of the
people has been thwarted and their inter
ests betrayed. Entertaining these views
we cannot consistently with our duties
as senator's and citizens of this state per.
NIT the senate to take this action with
out entering this our formal protest
gainst it.
olgneu DY seventeen SendtoIS.
The reading of the protest brought Mr.
Donnelly to his feet in vigorous speech
denouncing the document, its utterance:
and all who had anything to do with it.
He moved that it be stricken out, ignor-
ed and fired into the waste basket. But
Lieut.. Gov. Ives called the gentleman
from Dakota county to order, and cited
clause of the state constitution which
guaranteed to any two senator's tn
right to protest against the action o
the majority and to have the protest
spread at length upon the minutes. Mr.
DonDelly then moved to strike out tina
portion Of it which he considered abusiy
and was met by the ruling that it mus
all go-the right to skrike out portion
would imply the right to strike out al
oft. 1t was harden Donnelly who seem
ed to take it as purely personal matte,
The coat fit him, and he put it on, an