The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-03-05

of the state was fifty miles north of
Anoka.
The senate was not asked to turn
down the. action Of the committee, but
Of Mr.. Hopper. Was there anything so
sacred about an act of bad faith like
this that the legislature could not be
permitted to set it aside? 1t was not
a transaction that an honorable man
would lend himself to, If he took time
for reflection. Right and truth and
justice should and would triumph in
the end.
A recess was taken at this point until
7:9O p. m.
Senator Stockton was called to the
chair after a call Of the senate showed
but a few absentees.
Senator Wyman said the thing had
reached regrettable stage when a sem
ator from Dakota county was accused
by his constituents of a derolictfon.
Though no fault of his he had been
placed in a most uncomfortable posi-
ton, but that was not material to the
subject under discussion. Senator Wy
man said he had no word of common
dation for the man who changed his
vote. He did not blame the people Of
either city for coming before the legis-
lature in defense of it's rights, but the
question was simply this: Hastings had
gone to the particular expense The
people of Anoka, however, had given
a site fully IS good, in his opinion, as
that at Hastings, and had gone down
into their pockets and added SIS. 900 to
the amount appropriated by the state
for the purchase of the site.
Senator Young-Where is the evil
dence to show that?
Senator Wyman-Isn't it in the re-
port?
Senator Young-It is not. tits not a
proper subject for discussion.
Senator Wyman-The legislature is
to blame. if any one is to blame, for the
present condition, not either of these
cities. 1t is the result of the action OF
the commission created by this legis-
lature. do not excuse the commission
for it's conduct, but two wrongs would
never make a right. Would it be right
to placate Hastings by outraginS
Anoka?
Senator schaller then resumed his
said, that his memory Memory was as
more intelligent as to certain happen
ings shortly after than it would be
after year and a half. Mr.. Hopper
then said he was actuated by the petit
tons He evidently forgot that he was
to select a hospital for the whole state
and not for the Seventh district. These
massive petitions were signed by 1913
people, none Of them nearer than Alex
andria and Fergus Falls. IT do not
care how he was persuaded exclaimed
Mr.. Schaller. 1--WE are not attacking
the commission. but simply Mr.. Hoper's
bad judgment. Are we to be bound by
this unsatisfactory explanation of a
vacillating MANI"
1t was urged against the location at
Hastings that it would require a
change. of cars. And within his mem
Dry patients were taken to the first
hospital by wagon. The beautiful 10
cation at Hastings would ten times ex-
coed any possible harm that might be
done by this ten minutes delay at the
union depot. If the people of Anoka
had given $4,000 or any other amount.
no legislature would let them lose it.
1t had been argued that to change
this location would be to establish
bad precedent; rather he said, would
it be to disestablish a bad precedent.
He wanted the legislature to declare
that that sort of business was not to be
tolerated in a state where white men
live; in a state where honorable men
live. The legislature should take the
bit in it's teeth, and diSaffirm this To-
cation. Let it be understood hereafter
in this state that a decision once made
by such a. commission shall stand once
and for all. AS to the action Of the
Anoka people in "cinching the thing"
suspicious, were not above suspicion.
He called attention to the fact that the
Durham bill now pending provided
for an appropriation of &c. 900 for drain
age of the Anoka site. He also took up
the Waterpower question, and assured
the senate that it was just what it
had been represented to be. He sent
report OF the engineers to the secre-
tary's desk, and it was read.
Senator Dunhanl-Why didnt the
people of Hastings get this power for
their electric plant?
Senator Schaller-Because they could
not get it for that purpose.
Senator Stebbins, the author Of the
bill, creating the commission, said
that as he originally drew it, it provid-'
ed that the board of trustees Of the
insane hospitals should be on the COM
mission.
This was forbidden, however, by one
of the members being a member of the
senate. Then it was amended to pro-
vide for three members of the board
to have places on the commission, but
the senator from WinOna objected to
that, and the bill was drawn as 1t now
exists. AS to the present power of the
legislature, however, the law expressly
required that the commission report
to this session of the legislature.
Senator Howard said the question
was whether the commission had done
its work properly, and whether its de-
cision was satisfactory to the people
of the state. The fact that they once
favored Hastings, did not confer on
the people of that city any vested
rights There was no excuse for these
reiterated imputatiOns that Hopper had
been improperly influenced. 1t was
not unusual for a man to change his
mind. The highest tribunal had done
it.
Anoka's water supply was pure, that
at Hastings must be from shallow
wells. Hastings had no right to come
in to the senate with its grievances
any more than had Chaska.
Senator Thompson said that the par
tisans Of both cities having spoken,
he would try to represent the state at
large, which was the sole party in in
terest. and would have to pay all the
bills. He believed as he had believed,
that the hospital should be located near
the two cities, and he would like an
opportunity to see both sites before
he voted upon it.
Senator Greer said he had opposed
the creation of an outside commission.
Wright county had been promised the
hospital before the commission was
ever created. He believed that the
commission was appointed with clean
hands. 1t was not loaded No mem
Der Of 1t had ever lived in Hastings
If the president and secretary had any
predisposition to any city, that was
toward Anoka. Nothing recommended
the Hastings site but its prime fitness.
Senator Sheehan said that when
the hospital was planned it was in
tended to be for the accommodation
chiefly of the cities of st. Paul and
Minneapolis. He called attention to
Senator Cullzins charitable explana-
ton of Mr.. Hopers cratic action, that
1t was due to the petitions, and said