The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1893-01-20
OUR LAWMAKERS
THEY HAVE BEEN IN SESSION
TWO WEEKS.

Only Preparatory Work Has Been Accom-
pliShed 50 faP-.-The Senatorial FIGHT
OvershadOWs M Else.
HELENA, Jan. li.-ISpecial to Tue
tribune. The second week OF the
legislative assembly has passed without
much work being accomplished except
in a preparatory way. The senatorial
question has pushed everything else in
to the background. Up to this time not
over twenty bills have been introduced
ami none of them have been printed.
With a question so huge as that of the
election of a United States senator hang
ing over them. the members of the legis-
lature do not feel like getting down to
solid work. O%ne.fourth the session is
gone and such important matters as the
state educational institutions. the APP
preparation bills and other things that
are likely to need attention, cannot be
said to have been fairly started yet. The
experience of older states than Montana,
however, has been that it is not the
quantity of the legislation. but the
quality that does the most good.
There are some subjects that will need
careful consideration by the present
Legislature, and none OF them are of
more Importance than the contemplated
changes in the registration and election
laws. Several measures of the kind are
already in process of evolution in the
minds Of their promoters. One OF them
is by Monteath. republican, Of Silver
Bow, who proposes to legaliZe primary
elections, so as to make a fraud practIced
during the family quarrels of political
parties Just as much of Il crime as il it
were done at a general election. This is
in force in many OF the eastern states,
though in most places it is left optional
with the several parties to adopt the law
for the conduct of primaries.
Judge Bach. of Lewis and Clarke, pro-
poses to have a bill passed clearly deiin-
ing what county canvassing boards may
or may not do, aud thus avoid IA repeti-
ton Of the Choteau affair. Hoffman of
Custer has 4 bill based on the Massa-
chusetts law. 70 prevent corrupt prac-
tees at elections. Among other things
it requires candidates to publish wOr
statements of their election expenses.
From these end other schemes of similar
nature something may come that will
make elections in Montana above re-
proach.
Tho seating of Eugene Leech, the re-
publican contestant from ChOtcau coun-
ty, without even waiting for the result
Of the inquiry the house had directed,
was about as glaring a piece of bad faith
as could be conceived. The committee
on elections had shown ite determination
TO get to the bottom of the matter by
asking for full authority to send for evil
dence. While tho committees request
was still pending, the republicans. with
the aid Of two of the populists. seated
Leech. Then they directed the commit
tee to 90 ahead and investigate. But
bad faitt, as this practice was, it was
nevertheless good politics on the part Of
the populistH. With the Choteau seat
vacant, the democrats, with the aid Of
one populist. and by bringing in David
son, the sick man, could at any time
have elected a United States senator,
provided only they agreed on the man.
This would have destroyed the import
ance of the other two populists in the
house. With Hamilton seated the dem
ocrats would have elected their man
without the aid OF even one populist.
But with Leech seated, neither party
could get along without some aid from
the populists. 1t is this that the popu-
lists considered when two OF them united
with the republicans in the LceCh mat
ter, and whatever else may be thought
of it. it cannot he called bad politics,
ever by those who might suffer from it.
There was Il meeting of members OF
the populist party here IN "Wednesday
night. at which action was taken looking
towards settling the senatorial question
in their own favor. They passed a rcso-
luton calling Oh the populist members
Of the house to unite with either OF the
old parties to elect to the senate either
Samuel Mulvillc, A. +. Bray, Thomas
Matthews. ID. w. Beecher, w. y. Penn
bcrtUn, DIR. \. III. Mitchell, X. 6. Davies,
Caldwell Edwards. John II. Shobcr. John
II. Jurgens, T.. Is. Sullivan, Albert Kicln-
schmidt. John Gable, 4. O. S~outbmayd,
l.. W. Il. Harvey or any other well
known popu!ist, If there were any. Frank
4. Ives, the sergeant alarms OF the
house, was delegated to hand the resolu-
tons to the populist members OF the
house. lie did so and A. i. Bray. the
populist leader, read it over and said he
! and his associates would pay 10 atten-
ton to it. The only populists Of note
at the meeting who were not mentioned
for senatorial honors were VIII Ken
| nedy. C.. ". IIauscume and Il. \. Bell.
Tho council OF education 0G Montana
have issued an address to the members
of the Legislature, giving their REASONS
for asking "a consolidation Of the various
! state institutions on lines laid down by
Senator Gibson. The address says:
"Havlng studied the matter intelligent
ly, from u practical and economical
standpoint, we feel assured that the citi-
zens of Montana will rise above consid.
erations of merely local interests, and
look to the greater advantages which
must accrue to the state as a whole and
for all the futurp" In suDport of theiI