The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1893-01-20
THE LEGISLATURE
ReSubmiSsiOn Continues to Ra
the All Absorbing Ques-
tiOp.
Some Positive Railroad LeriS.
latiOn Predicted--NcCoy's
Coup.


PIERRE, Jan. 16.-The machine has
at last thoroughly begun to grind,
and although no test vote has vet
been taken something Of the trend of
legislative thought may be inferred
from the nature of the bills intro
duced; and as more of these are
aimed at restrictive railroad legisla-
tiOn than upon any other subject, it
is safe to say that the legislature is in
temper to pass some positive railroad
bills. From all I can learn | do not
think anything of radical nature
will be done, but it seems to be the
decided intent to empower the rail-
road commissioners to protect the
people against unjust discrimination
and unreasonable rates. House bill
No. 3, which was in troduced by Mr.
Hall of Brown county, is the most ex-
haustive and comprehensive of all
the railroad bills and is attracting
the most attention. Mr.. Halls bill
is modelled on the celebrated Iowa
law, but is without many of the
harsh features which has rendered
the Hawkeye plan so burdensome to
the common carriers of that state.
Re-submissiOn continues to be the
absorbing topic. The re-submlssion-
lists have abandoned the plan of sub
mitting the prohibition article by a
joint resolution and have presented a
bill for the purpose, fathereG by Mr..
Fowler Of Lawrence county, in the
house. This the prohibitionists re-
gard as strong point in their favor,
as the bill will be compelled to take
the course Of all other laws and
secure the approval of the governor.
The way for re-submission does not
appear to be nearly SO clear as week
ago. What then appeared to be
walk-aWay for it in the senate and
more than an even chance in the
house has dwindled down t. mere
fighting chance in both bodies, sew
eral senator's and representatives who
had been regarded as bulwarks Of re-
submission strength having declared
themselves positively opposed to that
measure The prohibitionists are
vigorously yigilant and the re-sub-
missionists active and anxious.
Nothing which has occurred in
South Dakota politics since state
hood has caused so much amusement
as the coup by which Charlie McC Coy
turned down the big four from Min
nehaha in the house organization.
Minnehaha county supported Lawson
with the express hope of building up
a Brown county man who would
neutralize the Mccoy strength in the
north part of the state. They took
speaker Lawson on faith, and with
out sufficient investigation into his
relatiOus with the astute Charlie.
Lawson was elected and Immediately
announced his committees, and to
the unspeakable establishment of his
Minnehaha hackers, McCoy's friends
dominated every committee. But
regardless of how factional interests
may be effected, it must be candidly
admitted that the committees were
constructed in the interests of the
people and that no amount OF consld-
Grafton could have better utilized the
material at hand.
The appropriation committee is
especially safe and conservative, and
it may be taken for granted that not
a cent of appropriation will be made
in excess of the constitutional two
mill limit.
The railroad committee, the second
in importance so far as the public is
concerned, is especially commendable,
being composed OF three farmers and
one bright business man, with honest
old Roger Donahue at its head.
Nothing is more certain than that
the interests of the people will be
protected and the rights of the rail-
roads be respected by the present
house.
Speaker Lawson is winning golden
opinions from everyone. Prompt,
decisive, fair, moderate and
unaffected; quick to acknowledge an
error and immovable in the right, he
is a model presiding officer.
When the boys on the schoolshlp
Saratoga begin their first cruise the
,anr+ ,nnrtinant order and one that