Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1893-01-13

3 1kElly,
The following is the reply made by
Lieutenant-Governor Wallace to the COM
mltttee OF republicans who called upon
him in relation to the appointment of
senate committees:
BISMARCK, N. d., Jan. s, 1895.
TO the Honorable Committee from the Re-
publican Senatorial Caucus.
Gentlemen-YOur request that | an
point on the senate committees
the gentlemen whose names you have
given me and assign them as you have in
your communication indicated your desire
that l should has received my careful con
lows:
The committees appointed by the lieu
te~nant-governor should be the result of his
convictions as to what would be such a
makeup or those committees as to secure
an impartial consideration of the impor-
tant matters that may come before them.
40 not see how ! can fulfill this obIiga-
ton to myself and the people of the state
II | am not allowed to exercise my judC-
ment or have any discretion as to a large
part and a controlling part of those com
m!ttees, therefore it would not comport
WIN 4 proper self-respect, neither would it
be doing justice to the dignity of the peo.
pie OF this state. who have honored me by
an election to the position of lieutenant
governor, that | should consent to the re-
quest you have made. In looking over the
list OF names you have submitted to me.
and noticing the committees to which they
have been assigned, l am free to say that
in most instances your action meets with
my approval, and i'll so far as it does I am
willing to comply with your request. The
fact that you have placed your party in
the majority on most of the committees,
and on all the more important ones, is no
cause ior objection on my part. l should
the party is in the majority in the senate.
cannot, however, refrain from calling at
tention to the fact that, on party lines. the
minority party in the state. as shown by
the recent election, have on the committee
on appropriations eight times as large a
representation as the majority party.
1t is not my intention to so constitute
.hese committees as to do any injustice to
the proper claims OF either the majority or
minority. My main objection to Comply
ing win yOur request. aside from the
iuestlon which is the better way to an
p,Olnt ana tle, at least, seeming atfrOnt to
the majority OF the people Of this state
whose vote | received, is found in the
makeup OF the more important commit
ices: The appropriation committee is par
ticular. on this committee l find you have
named eight out Of nine members. each and
oho'SsSiy Vic vi whom IS seeking an an
preparation for some public institution To-
Gated in his district.
Inc practice OF making up this commit
tee in such a way seems to me not condu~
Give to an economical disposition of the
public funds and as likely to add to the al
ready TO the large number of Our" people,
both town and country, who find it difficult
TO pay their taxes, as the long list OF tax
sales fully proves.
hope that | look at this matter from no
partisan standpoint, certainly with no per-
Sonal i'll will towards any gentleman you
have named; my conclusion is, that a con.
lnlttee on appropriation made up of mem
!Ders, none OF whom are directly interested
in any public institution, would be a com
mittee which would be in u position to con-
slider on the merits every matter placed be-
fore them.
Your plan, gentlemen, results practic-
ally in what in common parlance would
be called a "packed committee" | think
my plan would secure a disinterestcd COM
mittec; before which jury do you think the
people would rather be placed? The in
eevitable result Of a committee on your plan
is a "you help me and l will help you" un-