The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-03-11
Republican Senator's in Caucus
Decide 1t Is Best to
Go Slow.
AFRAID OF The CARS
They Do Not Know Which
Track Will Be Taken
In 1898
BY THE FREE VOTERS
Of The Great And Glorious
State of Mime
sofa,
BY THE FREE VOTERS

The Republican party has decided to
keep its hands off the temperance ques-
tiOn through the present session of the
legislature, if practicable, in observ-
ance of the old tradition that discre-
ton is the better part of valor.
caucus of the Republican senators
was called yesterday afternoon. The
senate has had a caucus committee
ever since the original caucus but it
has not been working very hard. In
fact, it has been discharged. Not be-
cause Senator Barr, who was chair
man of the original committee, was list
less about his work, but because It
seemed to be the concensus of opinion
that in view of the fact that the orig
inal committee was appointed to con-
slider questions of a different nature
from those which do now or may vet
confront the party, that it was con-
sidered advisable to name a new chair
man, and he is Senator Collester, of
Waseca.
The caucus, if such 1t may be called.
for the senators present, with one ac.
cord, protest that it was lust little
conference" and II do not feel that It
would be courteous to the rest to be-
that no action was taken on any Of the
matters Of which you ask" The eau
Gus was called at the Instance Of some
or those who have taken an interest
on one side or the other Of the Knat-
void bill to prescribe a uniformaIicenso
OF $1,000 for every retail liquor estab-
hshment In the state. The bill has been
on the calendar for several days, but
there have been so many absentees eacn
day that the advocates of the bill have
been undesirous of forcing a vote for
lear they might find the requisite twen-
ty-el&nt votes. Finally some of them
suggested that the thing could be ami
cably patched up, if caucus was held
ana accordingly the informal confer
ence of yesterday was held
1t developed soon after the meeting
was called to order by Senator CoIIes-
ter that there were so many issues that
might be brought up which might. if
forced on party lines, result in embar-
fassment to the Republican party. that
great caution was observed in the con-
slderation of the caucus rule. Every
senator interviewed last night insisted
that no final action had been taken on
any measure discussed, and that the
subjects considered had been Of the
broadest character. 1t was admitted by
some, however while they insisted
that the Knatvold bill had not been
voted upon, that the general SUBJ
Ject Of temperance legislation had beer:
considered, as it is one of the topics Oe
most general interest. The number Of
petitions which have been presented
from the rural districts urging the
passage of county option bills have
forced that phase of the question to a
point almost as critical, if not as i'm
medtately so, as the present stage OF
the Knatvold bill. The result of the
deliberations, if information given tina
e last night by some of the sem
ators with seeming frankness, is relia-
BILE, was the conclusion that it would
be unwise for the Republican party. in
view of the badly mixed and exceed
ingly uncertain complexion Of the po-
Htfcal situation two years from now.
to complicate it by alternating, as par
ty, votes on either side of the oues-
ton. 1t was accordingly left to eacn
senator to do in this respect, what, in
his judgment was best for his party.
which was reasonably to be supposed
would not be against his own interest
in his own district.
That the Hastings-Anoka irnbrogIio
was taken up was strenuously denied
and in fact, the chief result of the de-
hberations, which lasted nearly two
hours, was the determination to select
Senator Collester as the head Of O
steering committee which should take
in charge all bills which would be di
rectly or indirectly likely to assume q
political complexion, and to guide the
vessel bearing the prosperity elephant
out of shoal water whenever rash
young sailors, by high license bills, or
other devices. had steered it into dan-
gerOus channels.