The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-01-20
AN UNPROVOKED ATTACK.
A BATTLE ROYAL IN THE
HOUSE.
Judge Hicks Got All He Wanted
and Little More. .~-

IFrom the Minneapolis T7ibune, Jan. IL, '97J
St. Paul. Jan. 16-The house of repre-
sentatives was treated to passage-at-
arms between Ignatius Donnelly and
Judge Hicks, of the Hennepin delega-
ton this morning. 1t was reminder
of the old days when DOnnelly walked
about with a perpetual club on his
shoulder, when life was one continual
fence, and when his meat and drink
was warfare.
The old man had the best of the fight
from the start and when he concluded
a dozen of the leading Republican men,
bers came up to shake the hand OF the
sage of Nininger. From the beginning
of the session, Mr.. Donnelly had acted
with the modesty and circumspection
due to a realization that life at best is
but a fleeting show, and that soon he.
like all the great and good of ages
past, must lay him down in his last
sleep, leaving posterity to give him his
rightfui place in history. He has been
singularly free from the egotism which
has marked his earlier career, and his
conduct has won him place in the
hearts of the opposition which his ex-
perience and ability entitle him to.
The contest came up in a most un-
expected manner like a clOudburst on
the prairie. 1t ragged for half an hour
and then subsidized, but the house ex-
pressed it's disapproval of the conduct
of the man who had precipitated the
trouble by leaving the measure which
he had championed hung in the air.
Judge Hicks is chairman of the COM
mittee on elections, and as such he in
trOGuced a resolution the purpose of
which, as he said, was to discourage
contests for seats in the house where
they We're originated without reasonable
grounds to believe they might be sue
cessful, and largely, if not entirely, for
the purpose of securing attorneys fees.
He pointed out that very often the prin-
cipal question growing out of the con-
test was how much was to be allowed
the attorneys on each side, and fire.
qnently q contest was instituted at the
suggestion of an attorney who had a
great deal of time and very little t.
do, with the hope of getting good fat
fee Judge Hicks resolution was so
worded that it should authorize the
committee on elections to report to the
house those cases ryhich had and which
had not in tkem the elements of good
faith and probable cause of action.
Mr.. Donnelly took the floor and in a
quiet and unobtrusive manner called at
tention to the fact that the resolution
should be looked at by both sides. He
pointed out that an exparte statement
| that attorneys fees would not be grant
| ed might deter some men who were too
| poor to carry on a contest at their own
| expense, and that this was matter in
which the state was vitally interested
in not only seeing that every member
| got his rights, but that no member of
| the house should be permitted to re-
| main as a result of fraud or corruption.
| He had seen no evidence of any inten-
| tion on the part of the house to act
unfairly, but it should be remembered
| that it was establishing precedent in
| placing this power in the hands of the
committee which might not always act
| with so much fairness.
All through his speech he was clear
| ly impersonal in his remarks and
! gaurding only in mild way the rights
| of the minority to have their contests
made with the whole house for forum
| rather than a small committee.
Judge Hicks seemed nettled by his
opposition. He spoke with mild voice
and clear enunciation of a challenge in
| his reply He admitted that he wanted
to establish a precedent for the future
and then he turned his attention and
his face directly upon the veteran legis-
| 1otor from Dakota cOuntv
! "There have been cases in this house
| in the past" said Judge Hicks, ''in
which the time of the house and the
money of the state was expended with
out shadow of probability that the
contestants would be seated or had q
| right to be seated.
But it is not only in this house thai
such contests have been made, but in
the congress of the United States, and
in one case a contest was brought wher
the member had 5000 majority over the
contestant, and notwithstanding that
the contestant belonged to the majority
party was not seated"
The old timers present during these
| remarks pricked up their ears an(
whispered: That's a shot at Donnel
ly," and when Judge Hicks had con
cluded, Mr.. Donnelly was recognized
by the chair.
Il am sorry for the first time during
this session any element of asperity
bitterness or personalities has beer
dragged into the discussion" said the
gentleman from Dakota county, in a
quiet, grim and almost sorrowful tone
Il have had the kindest regard for
the gentleman from Hennepin, as a
man who had occupied positions Of dis
tinction, and 1 have looked upon him
as a gentleman. l did not think what
I have said had in it any element of per-
| sonality or was otherwise than wise
and right. He has seen fit to refer
back to the contest most unfairly waged
by a gentleman who at that time re-
presented the district in which the vote
decided at the time. l have no desire
to go into the merits of that contest
any more than to say that the commit
tee on elections found and reported 26;
| distinct and clearly proven cases O1
bribery traced directly to the sitting
member, Mr.. Washburn. 1t also founi
$40 600 had hpen eynondad. in sbuvin p n I,