Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-03-18
MIcHIGAN's IEGrSLAruRE.
Record Being Made ny the Two Parties "a
the STATE.


Record Being Made ny the Two Parties q,
the State.
corresroncenee of The Evening s,sr
GRAND BaPiDs. MIoH., March nc. 1895
The republican legislature seems TO be doing
its hes, TO blast hopes Of future republioas
victories in Michigan. Elected on platform
pledging brevity. business and honesty and 4
solidly Of one political complexion that th,
dominant party can do anything il pleases. the
legislature is not making . record for itself d
which the brethren can point with bride 20,
next year campaign purposes. Among the
members Of the house bitter fsctional feeiinrs
have sriser, which lead to occasional scenes Of
an unpleasant nature. This feeling originated
early In the session in dissstisfact ton over tbe
committee appointments and IL has been sus,
mensed since by the course pursued BY the
speaker. Speaker VIM. hduch Tateum neve,
had previous legislative experience and IN dis.
charging his duties he has assumed the man.
ners and style of Mr.. Reed 81 Maine and h>s
won for himself the title OF the Junior osar."
He is often arbitrary in his rulings AMI
especially SO when partisan measures are under
consideration. Two members of the house
were unseated on contests. The democrat,
filed protest and the speaker ruled the rr,,.
tests out Of order and would not permit then,
TO be spread on the records.
Later Representative Ferguson 81 Detroit.
the only coiored man who has ever held a seat
in the Michigan legislature. offered a resolutiop
arraigning the south for its uroclIyity 20 lvneh
colored criminals. and it was adopted by a par-
tisan vote.
Representative Bartwo-th filed protest but
il ruled ous BY the speaker, ana Mr. Har,,
worth announces he will appeal 60 the supreme
court Tor q mandamus to compel its admission "a
the records. The state constitution protecta
the rights o: the people 10 protest. and under
this section Of the constitution will ,he proceed
ings be conducted. The action Will be inter.
esting. IL will be the first time IN the history
of the state where the supreme court has been
asked TO interfere with legislative proceedings.
During the heated arguments over the ruling
out Of the last protest the speaker. not then ia
the chair, bnt on the door Of the house, be.
came involved in an alteration with one of the
republican members. MIR. Ewing, and such
choice phrases as puppy" and Thar" we're eK-
changed and a challenge 90 fight passed. but &C
yet no bloody encounter has taken place.
The total number of bills introduced in the
house this session is ?52 and joint resolutions
Sc: in the senate SIS bills aud ~ Joint resola-
tons. In 1891 the house had 954 bills and 81
joint resolutions and the senate SS5 bills and
joint resolutions. The present session is ls1
measures ahead OF its predecessors. Most d
the measures are in the nature Of local acts,
but their consideration consumes inst much
time as though the interests of the entire state
were lnNolNeC- \ comm Aft'e uar pten appOlnttQ
to consider how this pressure Of locsl acts can
be reduced. Both branches Of the legislature
are grinding away on bills and a large number
have already gone 20 the governor for his
signature. Some Of these co through with un-
seemly haste. with very little regard for cons
stitu;ional forms. and il the methods that have
thus tar revaiied continue. the Supreme Court
will have any quantity Of wedding out TO do.
One bin of more than usual importance has
passed, calling constitutional convention TO
next. The question CT constitutional revision
was submitted TO the people at the last election
ard received a small majority OF a very small
vote. The question a. 20 whether the vote cast
was large enough To carry the measure has been
brought Up. and he ab'est LAWYERS IN the state
are divided On the subject The matter will
probably be brought before the supreme
court by manda,nus when the time comes to
elect delegates to the cony~Etioa.
The state j. now in the midst OF its biennial
Judicial cam0eiga, Tut it IL exceedingly
quiet campaign aud from outward appearances
nobody NOCid know IL on. The republic
cans have reEonlnatod ,u1ce Frank A. Hooker
cf Charlotte. NLo was elected to the vacancy
created by Judge MUrses resignation last fall,
and The democrats have named Judge Geo. II.
Durani of Flint. the me ,-atic elector -at-largs
for the eastern district in the last campaign.
Both are sble ami rel .csertasiye inen and boin
stand high Slta tie STATE tar. The republicans
carried sEc sgate BY y 700 plurality last fall ard
are confident o. success ii-is spring. The dem-i
ocrats count OF the national victory in Novem.
Der TO lelp them through 10 some extent. also
upon The sub sidenco OF the populists. upon the
record OF the present legislature and upon the
nlunicl''ai election. Two wears ago and again
last yeil- the d.5I:ocra.s made losing fight in
many " The cities of he state. including Grand
EapiGs. Detroit, Jackson. saginaw. Muskegon,
Irnla, LHnc.rg and Eav Civ. They count on
strong nominations b. the democrats in these
cities tins wear. ard the natural reaction and
4 democratic success IN tine cities anJ small vote
in the rural districts VIII help them wonder
fully. There Will inevitably be- more or less
dis abstraction over the distribution OF the fed-
eral patronage. bus on the ist of Aprii the
patronage VIII not vet be distributed. every
candidate viii still lie horeful and they wall al
pull together 20 bring the state into the demo-
cratic line.