Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1893-01-14
LAWSON SURPRISED THEM
The Makeup of the Committees
a Departure.
No Man on the Appropriations Committee
Who Comes From Local ty Desiring
Sl,cs OF the States Funds.
Causes Much Comment.

PIERRE, S. d., Jan. 9.-Speaker Law
son took everyone by surprise with his
announcements OF committees. and the
more they studied the list the more
their wonder grew. The hotels and
lobbies had been full of gossip for days
and every man thought he knew just
what would happen, but he didn't.
1t is evident that during the session
James NJ. Lawson will be speaker and
that there are no strings attached to
him. concealed or otherwise. One point
of policy adopted strikes the house as
strange, but as it is also the policy of
Lieutenant Governor llerried, it is
doubtless founded upon careful consid-
Grafton. 1t is not to place on the APP
preparations committee any man from
town interested in public institu-
ton or otherwise naturally looking for
public money, and in general to make
up committees from men who have no
predisposition upon or experience in
the subjects they will handle.
This has given rise to much ad-
verse criticism and those members who
had come to Pierre instructed TO secure
help for the various charita ble penal
and educational institutions or TO work
for or against any particular measure,
make no conce ! nent of their chagrin
and punctuate the cigar smoke of .he
Locke with anathemas on the speaker,
The list certainly presents some re-
markable features The chief commit
tee Is that of appropriations and prece-
dent would have given it 10 one Of Mr..
Lawson's chief rivals for the speakership
but il went to Hooper, of Sphinx, a gen
tleman who had not been mentioned.
II. 5. Everett, the chief competitor, was
made chairman of the judiciary com
mittee, while Titus t. Price, of High
more who is the only practicing attor-
ney in the house and who was gener-
ally conceded this place, was given an
ornamental chairmanship or two. The
railroad committee was put in charge
OF X. O. Donahue. OF Worthing, far
mer, while municipal corporations was
given TO Kelley. of Minnehaha, also
farmer. Packard, of Sphinx, a promin-
ent candidate for the speakership, was
not given a chairmanship ut all.
But the committee that arouses the
most comment is that on railroads.
Every member is farmer and at least
two OF them are outspolSen for laws of
the Iowa variety. One of them, Hall
of Brown, has introduced bill which
sees the old granger statutes and goes
them a dozen better. II may be safely
predicted that so far as the house com
mittee is concerned the railroads may
best look out for blood.
The appropriations committee is com
posed of liberal men and the cheese par
ing resorted to two years ago will not be
repeated This means much for the
state. The former legislature in its
anxiety crippled many OF the institu-
tions. abolished that most valuable Of
flee, the commissionership of immigra-
ton and refused an appropriation to
the commissioner of labor. These of
fees will be taken care of this year and
the appropriations be made commen-
surate with the dignity and wealth of
the state.
The educational committee is a
strong one. 1t is headed by Sheldon,
of Brown, an able and broad minded
gentleman who will do
much to straighten out the
the muddle into which the last legisla-
ture got the educational laws. The
CbI1lullIltc IL dlSo SlTOIlg.
Those who are on the inside give an
Interesting version of the causes under
lying the speakers action. 1t is well
known that for some time past Charlie
Mccoy. of Aberdeen, has relaxed his
once ardent love for Senator Petit
grew. 1t is not so generally known,
but IL appears to be the fact that Sur
veyor General sullivan has felt SINH
lar coolness spreading through his
frame. These gentlemen, however,
are political friends. and the posted say
they worked together in electing the
speaker. Messrs. Kittredge, Phillips
and Norton were here and supposed
that they had we'll developed pull
upon the speaker and his committees,
but behold, when the showdown came
their nominees were not on the wagon,
and the committees favored by Messrs.
sullivan and Mccoy were driving the
team These observers still further as
sert that the framing of the railroad
committee with its strong anti-corpo-
ration majority, was arranged largely
TO make things uncomfortable for Mr..
Kittredge, who is Milwaukee attor-
ney.
Mrs Cranmer, president of the state
Woman's Christian Temperance Union,
In an address said the prohibitionists
have discovered a section in the cOnsti-
tuition which seems to require that the
, proposed amendments shall be passed
twice by the legislature, once in the
form of resolution and again as
a bill providing election machinery.
| The last named has to be
| read three times and signed by the gov
ernor. and if this theory is correct each
house must vote favorab!y at least three
| times before resubmission would win.
The prohibitionists propose To carry
the matter to the supreme court imme-
| diately. In case they succeed it will
require at least thirty days for the bill
To pass both houses, giving ample time
for work on individual members
Attorney-General Crawford holds
that the point is not well
taken and that a simple resolution only
is required to pass. Both sides are
working quietly, but pulling every
ounce of strength. An unexpectedly
large number of members are neutral.
THE PARIS TERRORS.