The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1897-01-08
OUR HELENA LETTER
The FIFTH LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY
CONVENES AT THE CAPITAL,

The Organization Completed and Ready
for Business-Kennedyo of Deer Lodge
County Speaker of the House-Populists
sidetracked at the First Station.
Special Cor. of THE New NORTHWEST
HELENA. Jan. G.-The fifth session OF
the Montana Legislature convened in
Helena Monday of this week. The open,
ing days were marked by even less than
usual of excitement. The fact that there
is no contest for seat in the United
States senate had something to do with
the quiet demeanor of the body, for since
Montana has been state there has not
been session that was not marked by
some more or less of the incidents that
attend that pleasing and sometimes
profitable-dutyt that falls to the fortunate
in legislatures throughout the land. And
there might have been another reason,
too, the timidity that comes from inexpe-
rlence. There is not in the fifth session
of the legislature of Montana single
man who was member of the now his
torical fourth session. There are few
who were ever members Of any legisla-
ture before.
Out of the 50 members who attended
two years ago, however, one, Representa-
tive j. G. Auld of Dawson county, is this
| year member of the senate from that
county. Lack Of experience may ac-
count for the lack of aggressiveness dis
| played thus far by the lawmakers.
The organization was completed only
after considerable of a struggle on the
outside, the matters being finally adjusted
in caucuses SO that it took but couple
Of hours to dispose Of them formally
afterwards. There was in the first place
an effort on the part of the democrats to
effect union of forces with the popu-
lists, not only with reference to the posi-
tlons directly in sight, but some of them
yet to come The democratic majority in
the house was clean one over all, but in
the senate the populists held the balance
of power. There are democrats, II re-
publicans, and 3popnlists The latter, as
they have often been in the United States
senate, held sway out Of proportion to
their numbers. In the efforts to unite as
to the appointments the populists at first
demanded half of the 1S offices to be
filled at the opening. The request was
refused, and after successive efforts to
get together that lasted all night the slate
was completed, the populists agreeing to
accept four places, one of them being one
OF the four committee clerkships. The
organization of the senate with State Sen
ator G. w. Hoffman of Gallatin county,
then followed as a matter of course, the
populists taking the secretaryship, which
went to Lawyer John Bloor of Kalispell,
the other places being distributed pretty
we'll over the state
The populists and democrats of the
house had a jolly row in their endeavors
to unite. There were several exchanges
of compliments through their conference
committees, the parties being in session
several blocks apart. The populists
wanted an equal division at first. Then
they indicated that perhaps they might
be content with little less, or there
would be no agreement Another COM
mittee from the populists was called
forth by message from the democrats
that they would give them just 80 min
utes to accept a proposition which ac-
companied the notice. There was fur
ther extension of the time afterward, but
the populists We're mad and they showed
it. The last committee from the demo-
cratic side met with scant courtesy, and
at last the reform members decided that
they would not treat at all unless they
would be recognized in proportion as
they regarded themselves important
That closed negotiations, and as the dem
ocrats were in a clear majority over all
they organized the first day by them
selves and thepopulists received nothing.
The victory of Representative j. NJ. Ken
nedy of Deer Lodge county in the speak
ership contest was not surprise and was
generally predicted by the best informed
politicians who We're in the capital at the
time. The clerkship, which went to
David Marks of Helena,w was another CON
ceded victory.
Another day was spent in listening to
the message of the governor, which he
himself read, which contained $500 words
and several figures besides, and took an
hour and 90 minutes to deliver. The
committees We're not appointed until the
fourth day, and the interim was not filled |
with acts of importance. The efforts of
the committee on rules to hit upon plan
for limiting debate, which was aimed at
a few members in particular, were one
feature Of the opening. 1t happens that
this year there have been chosen to rep
resent various districts of the state men
of regulations in the councils of their own
parties at home as speakers who never
tire. Their regulations had preceded
them, it may be to their undoing, for
plan was set on foot quietly to head them
Oft in the committee on rules and order
of business by limiting the time of each
speaker to five minutes on a question,
and then limit the number of times they
may claim recognition from the chair.