The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-01-22

the killing of one and The probably fatal
wounding of another of the police Of
ficials.
Happily the imbrogiio did not interfere
with balIoting for Senator on Tuesday,
and the reelection ca Senator Teller.
though that was accomplished under cir
cumstances that were without parallel,
and which viii involve . peculiar record.
The House baIloted in two divisions, the
presiding officer of each division claiming
70 be Speaker Of the whole body. and each
recognized by his followers as such, which
viii necessitate dual eertifcation of the
action Of the House in the choice of a
Senator, which childish and unbeeoming
proceeding, shameful on the part Of what
should be decorous and deliberatiye
body, viii thus become matter Of per-
pesaai record. not only in the state ar
chives, but also IN those Of the United
States Senate.
To those who hav not carefully followed
the course of this Colorado complication
review OF IT must prove interesting. The
legislature of Colorado IS less numerously
constituted. probably. than that of any
other state. The present Senate consists
of but % and the House of ~ members.
In the Senate there are is Republicans
and 10 Democrats. and il was organized
and has proceeded tremendously. In the
House there are S. Republicans and IL
Democrats, and at the opening of the ses-
sion Mr.. Hanna, Republican, was chosen
Speaker, with full set of subordinates of
the same faith.
But Of late the Republican party in that
state has been cursed with bitter fac
tional fight between what are called. re-
spectively. 1.-The gang" and the gang
smashers." Of the IS Republicans in the
Hosse. u. including Hanna, are identified
with the former, and Ii with the latter.
Hanna. in making up his committees-so
the .-snashers" ciaimed-showed undue
preference 20 his own faction. The oppos-
lie faction therefore made combination
with the IL Democrats, which made the
division of the House stand y for their
side and y on the other, and the majority
thus constituted. through their leader.
committees into their own hands. and To
substitute for the list reported by Hanna
another which they hal prepared.
Hanna declared Brown out of order. on
the ground that the House in its rules
had vested in the Speaker the appointment
OF committees, and also in those rules had
provided that they could not be suspended
except by tRo-thirds vote. and therefore
tia. motion 10 suspend the rules must
be made and carried by the necessary ma
jority before Browns motion could be
entertained. The latter appealed from the
decision OF the chair, but Hanna refused
TO entertain the appeal or put the motion.
This condition of affairs was maintained
for week, az the end OF which time Brown
awaited himself of an opportunity TO move
that the position Of Speaker be declared
vacant, which Hanna refused 10 enterfsin.
when Brown put the motion himself and
declared IT carried by vote of > 10 81,
whereupon Mr.. White, of Custer county,
was nominated for the position, received
- votes and was declared elected Suisse
onensly the combination assumed 10 super
seie the old and elect new Chief Clerk.
Both OF the rival organizations have en-
trenched themselves behind heavy corClons
of sergeants-at-arms and special police,
and the respective quarters IN which they
conduct their deliberations bear more
semblanoe Of hostile military camps than
Of temples dedicated to the making of laws
for great and progressive modern free
state.
In the meantime the governor has called
out the militia and has ordered the speaker
presumably Hanna-to take charge Of
and safely keep all records The courts
have been appealed 70, but II is not ar
parent that there is anything for them TO
settle. II IS more than doubtful that any
unbiased court viii assume 70 declare that
the legislature must abide by its own rules.
which is the only point az issue in The first
contest, and rs 10 the night of any assem-
hlsge 30 change its presiding or other Of
hcers at the viii OF majority of is mem
bers there can be no question.
AS TO Speaker Hanna's ruling on the
committee matter, unless he was correct
tAAr - k4E>S4srE AA2AS td1C rules O.
legislative body may be suspended in
directly by a mere majority vote, although
by their own express terms il requires s.
two-shlrds vote 10 suspend them directly
But this same anomalous position was as-
samed and rushed through by the Demo
cratic majority in the Montana Senate
few days ago, by taking away from the
lieutenant governor the right Of appoint
ing committees which their own rules-in
terms sacred against less than two.shirds
maio-ity-conferred upon him.
All along the line the evidences are
multiplying, that If We would make sure
Of Averting disg-aoeful confusion that may
lead 70 revolution, additional constitu-
tionsl restrictions on legislative discretion
must be devised The assumption Of legis-
lative immaeulateness must be kept some
where within the hounds of right and res
son.