St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-03-18
DONNELLYS HOT SHOT
The Sage Again Rubs 1t Into
the Deer Creek Poll
tician.
Replies Seriatim to the
Charges of Hon. John B.
Hompe.
How Mr.. Hompe Dodged Sew
eral Important Votes
Last Winter.
The Enemies of the Farm
ers Roasted to a
Turn.

Hon. Ignatius Donnelly again returns
to the charge, and the following IS ms
third letter in reply to series written
against him by Hon. John b. Hompe:
MIR. Hompe INDUCES IN great many
trivialitieS to make up his extensive III
dictment. He says. for instance, that
on April ID voted against changing the
hour of meeting from ~ am. to $50 a.
IN. Why was this? Because we were
in the habit OF holding committee meet
ings at 9 a. M, and there could be no
laws passed until the committees had
acted upon them. On that day the SEN
ate agreed by vote of 9to IL to adjourn
until $3.50 next morning. l v0teu no.
What was the result? At $3.50 there
was no quorum present Up. 735). ana L
remember it was not until after 10
o'clock that sufficient senators we're
present to transact business.
Mr. Hompe makes it a subject of com
plant that voted, April Ito pay $50 TO
each of nine persons, who had been re-
porting our proceedings Tor the peru
sal of the public. In the house they
were treated and paid as official report
ers Mr.. Hompe did not vote against
the resolution. He lodged! Why do
say this? Because page 723 OF the Jour
nal shows that this resolution was neXt
business after roll call Except the refer
ence of bill, without opposition, 10
committee, which did not take one min
ute) and HOmpe was present at that roll
call. And almost the neXt, business
after the passage Of that resolution was
the report of committee, to which
HOmpe made a minority report, and right
away there was vote taken (page 726l
and Hompe appears as present ana
voting. He, Hompe, was present Just
before the adoption of the resolution
and just after it, and as 1t was we'll
known that it was coming up, am lns-
titled in charging that he "dodged."
Why did he not make one OF his heroic
pleas for economy against that reSolu-
ton? Was he afraid of the reporters?
He cOntented himself with filing pro-
test in writing the next day. He "locked
the stable door after the horse was
gone" But Senator Tawney. of Winona,
n most reputable gentleman. tells me
that, just before the vote was taken, he
asked one of the reporters whether
Hompe intended to fight their resolu-
ton, and the reporter told him. with a
grin. that Hompe had agreed to dodge
the vote!
voted for that resolution, and l did
SO on principle.
HOmDe a DOdger.
These reporters are the only means
by which the taxpayers know what goes
on in the legislature. Some of the great
dailieS would be glad, | suspect, ii no
report of votes or debates went out to
the people, so that their tools could
plumber the state in the darkness. The
farmers understand this thoroughly.
They know that by Hompe's plan they
might save few dollars, but they
might lose millions; hence at our last
annual State Alliance meeting, Jan. 9,
they unanimously adopted the follow
ing resolution:
5 Thirty Fourth-Resolved, That in view of
the fact that the actual attitude OF our legis
lative representatives is unknown to the peo
pie. and inasmuch rs the daily press distorts
the proceedings of the legislature purposely,
we demand hereafter the employment of
Btenographer, and the publication of COM
plete reports. after the manner of the United
States congress"
This shows the feeling of the ALI
ance. BUTT is not certain that we can
obtain Immediately such a Stenographic
report; its great cost will be an objec-
ton to it. In the meantime we should
encourage,as far as we can, the newSpa
DEIS W RlNO 10 1uli anu dS UUHHSIIc-
ports as possible. Mr.. nompe is very
to the reporter of the Great West. 1t is
due to Or. Fish to say that he never
asked for such an appropriation. But |
feel that, if we had paid the Great West
the whole sum given to the nine report
erS, $50. it would have been money
well spent; for the Great West, by Civ
ing full reports of the debates and votes
on the uSury bill alone. saved the homes
OF thousands of mOrtgaged farmers. Its
exposure of the duplicity of Hompe
and men like him will he worth millions
of dollars to this state. And what did
the sum amount to divided among the
million and half people of Minnesota?
There Is no com small enough to eX-
press it. 1t was less than one-tenth of
cent for each one.
A Serious Charge.
There are 240, 900 voters in the state.
If they paid 81 each for full reports OF
the proceedings of the legislature, land
nobody proposes to spend one-twentith
of that sum-, 1t would amount to S240,-
GOO. but it would save the tax payers
millions of dollars now stolen from them
by railroad corporations and rings.
But men, like Hompe, 'whose deeds are
evil. and who love the darkness" would
fight against a single dollar being ap-
proprIated to enighten the people as to
their votes and actions.
HOmpe says:
1T is quite common for legislative bodies
that are behind i'll their work to hold even
ing sessions; although we had hundreds OF
bills awaiting action, many of them OF great
importance. we found it impossible to secure
single evening session, and hereby charge
Donnelly. and defy successful contradiction,
with being the most responsible for this state
Of affairs"
This is a serious charge. The reader
will naturally suppose that the Journal
will show that Hompe made motion,
day after day, for evening sessions, and
that | voted against him and defeated
him. He will be surprised to learn that
diligent search of the Journal for one
month prior to the end of the session
land of course there would be no demand
for evening session prior thereto), does
not show that Hompe made a single
motion for an evening session. or that
ever voted against one. If there is such
a record | have not been able to find it.
The first evening session was held April