Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-03-04
The Closing Hours.
A Most ~Dissraceful Wind-Up to a Most
DiSgraceful Legislature.

Pierre, March 6.-The session of
the state Legislature closed in a
scene of wild excitement, probably
the widest ever witnessed in this
state, or in the Northwest. AT times
thirty senators were on their feet at
once, all shouting vehemently, hurl-
ing charges back and forth, loudly
abusing the chair or each other,
threatening to overturn the assembly
and throwing violent charges
around. Threats were made to pull
the presiding officer from his station
to impeach him, and other violent
acts. Finally, by firmness of the
chair, order was restored and the
Republicans won a remarkable vic
tory.
The bill that started all this com
motion was n of the pop deals,
turning over the board Of charities
and corrections, and with it all penal
and charitable institutions, into the
hands of pops. When it came up,
Kellar of Hot Springs, populist, made
g strong speech against the bill, de-
claring that, while he was ready to
follow the party ordinarily, he could
not in such a case, when it meant
%overturning the constitution, all at
the demand Of the vultures of ofic :
seekers.
A vote to indefinitely postpone
was lost by four votes, twenty-one
voting no. The pops needed n
more vote to make the necessary
majority for passing the bill. The
government took q hand and offered
to veto the osteopathy bill if he
would give the pops bis vote. He
refused, however. When che vote
was taken, sixteen Republicans
voted against it, and twenty-one
pops for it, Kellara voting with the
Republicans, Palmer, Morgan and
Wilkinson not voting. The bill
being lost, Burlingame moved to
reconsider aud lay on the table.
The roll call showed that vote was
being cast the same way.
At this period, the FIVE Kyle pops
of the house who recently deserted
their Republican alliance because
the governor had promised to turn
ovsr to them the patronage of the
p%enitentialy, rushed down to the
senate. They offered Senator Nor
gan much, and he rose to the occa.
sion. He promptly came in and.
though the order of business had
passed, was allowed TO vote no.
The motion to reconsider and lay OH
the table having been lost, Morgan
moved to reconsider. Had this been
done, he would have voted for the
bill and passed it. Lieu enant- Gov
ernor Hindman ruled this motion
out of order on the ground that he
had not voted on the bill. Grill
arose and wrathfully appealed.
Then pandemonium broke loose.
Grill rushed up the aisle shaking his
fist at the president and hoarsely de-
handing that the appeal be put.
Hindman stated that a motion to re-
consider could only come from one
who had voted on the prevailing
side.
Nearly every senator was on is
feet bowling, and pops and Republi-
cans were shouting across the cham
Der at one another. Occasionally
order would be restored for a min
ute and some Republican would
attempt to straie hten out the diff
Guilty by showing that the pops had
lost their day of grace, but immedi-
ately bsdlam would break loose
again. Hindman remained firm,
backed by the solid Republican
forces. Pops threatened to unseat
him, and Morgan did make a motion
to that effect, but il was lost SIGHT
OF. powell and other lobbyists
rushed in and commanded the score
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