St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-02-28

Senator Davis now came to the front
with an amendment providing that
nothing in the act be construed as
Repeating the Old Usury Law.
Before vote was reached on this
Senator LeavitT demanded a call of the
house. All but two of the senators were
brought in-Senators Dougherty and
Mayo-and then Senator Smith moved
to dispense with further proceedings.
Senator Leavltt asked how many were
absent.
Two answered the lieutenant governor,
zone of whom has gone home and the other
has repaired to his hotel disguised"
The motion to suspend the call was
lost, and the sergeant-at-armS departed
for the two senators. This officer re-
ported later that Senator Mayo was i'll
and Senator Mcmillan not in town. He,
too, had been i'll all day, and on motion
of DIR. Bell both were excused.
Senator Davis amendment was taken
up and Senator HOmpe made one of the
best species of the day. He stated
that the senators from the northwest
ern and southwestern portions of the
state were sOlidly opposed to the reten-
ton of the old usury laws. The cities
were not interested in the matter very
greatly.
Senator Lommen and myself represent
more Alliance votes than any other two SEN
ators on the floor, and we are opposed TO
that old law. Ne are ready to vote against
those laws and take the responsibility. Ny
venerable friend Senator Wood, agrees with
me il protesting against this venerable fos-
Sill We believe this law is largely to blame
for tie high rates of interest. The
senators from the southwestern counties pro-
test against this old law. 1t does
seem to me that the senators who represent
heard on this question. l believe that the
governor will have to call this legislature in
| extra session next year If this goes on. be-
| lieve that the debtor classes in the northern
portion OF the state will be pushed to the
wall if some of these laws are put through.
believe the senators who represent Alliance
districts are honest ana sincere in their op
position to the old usury law. and | trust
that the words of senators from sections in
terested should be heard and weighted.
Senator Crandall poked some fun at the
Democratic and Alliance senators by remark
ing that when doctors fall out 1t is hard 10
know what to do. He had supposed that,
when the president of the Alliance
spoke, that settled the matter How
| ever, if he were satisfied that the senators
| from Alliance districts represented the peO-
| pie more directly he would be glad to vote
| with them.
Senator Wood made candid statement of
| the situation as he saw II, and declared that
| the passage of the bill with the retention of
| the old usury law would be very bad thing
| for the people of the northwestern part of
| the state. Il impute honesty and sincerity
| of purpose to every man in this senate and
| claim the same for myself. believe the
| passage of this law with the old statute on
| usury unrepealed would be disastrous to my
| section of the state
| Senator Eaton spoke briefly in answer to
! Senator's Hompe and Wood, but it was left
| for Gen. Sanborn to make one of the most
| candid and able speeches of the day in op-
| position to the Davis amendment. He
agreed with Senator Hompe that the present
| usurv laws were bugbear TO investors. The
| senator from Dakota was also correct when
| he said the present usury laws were O terror
to capital. He thought, 1t would be good
| thing if this state could be placed on a level
| with Wisconsin, Iowa and illinois, and great
| step in advance would be taken.
In this shape recess was taken until this
| morning.