The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1897-01-14
FUTURE HANGINGS
IF THE FERRIS BILL PASSES THEY
WILL BE AT SALTWATER,

the John Day Smith Law-Ringdahl's
Rail 70. d e lls-Se. ection OF seats-rhe
Electoral College.
ST. PAUL, Jan. Special
ing perfected their their organization
both houses are now at work on more
definite preliminaries, the era of new
bills having introduced this stage of
legislative proceedings, but under it all
is keen anxiety in regard to commit
tee places, for it will be late in the
week before the speaker can finally
place the other 113 members in the 600
places on the SO house committees.
Lieutenant Governor Gibbs, having
fewer people to deal with, disposed OF
that problem much earlier and the sen.
ate is fully at work.
The senate's first bill was fathered
by Senator Wyman of Hennepin county
and provided for the usual appropria-
ton for the expenses of the session. It
was passed at once, the house also pass
ing it the same day. This bill calls for
$4,000, and after the passage of the
pense are voted by resolution. as they
arise in the two houses, and paid on the
presentation Of warrant Of the chief
clerk or secretary Of the senate, coun-
tersigned by the speaker or lieutenant
governor. Mr.. Ferris came to the front
with the first bill in the house, it being
one to provide that all executions shall
be at the state penitentiary under
charge of the warden or his deputy.
There was recently an execution in the
home town of Mr.. Ferris, and this fact
had much to do with the introduction
OF the bill. He is very much in earn
est in it's advocacy, and, as he usually
gets what he goes after, he will prob
ably secure the passage of his bill An
interesting feature of the bill is the way
it does away with one Of the peculiar
provisions of the present law, which
was passed in 1889, Mr.. John Day
Smith introducing and championing it.
The so called John Day Smith law,
among other things, particularly pro-
vided that no reporter should be pres
ent at the execution and no newspaper
should publish more than three lines
about it. How carefully that provision
has been enforced is known to the av-
erage newspaper reader. Mr.. Ferris
bill in specifying who shall be present
includes 'four newspaper reporters"
and as the last section repeats all preyi-
GUS inconsistent legislation the so called
newspaper-gag feature of the old law
will be wiped from the statute books if
this bill passes.
Selection of Seats.
On the first afternoon of the session
the selection of seats took place and re-
suited in very general shifting of
places by former members, only eight
of whom secured their old seats. Those
who were over SO years of age, or hard
Of hearing, Or had served before in the
house were given the first choice and
the new members stood back by the
wall and saw the best taken before the
lottery part of the selection began. Sec
rotary bowling picked district numbers
at random from hat, and, as the num-
bers were called, the members from
that district announced their selection
of seats, And yet the new members do
not always get the worst of it by any
means. One of the. choicest seats i'll
the house was secured by Mr.. Marin, a
new member, because every one had
supposed that of course SO desirable a
seat must have been taken long before.
But Mr.. Marin was governed by what
he actually saw rather than by what
he supposed, so that when his district
was called he walked slowly up the
center aisle, saw vacant chair right
in front of the speaker and sat down in
DR.. ssPatent Medicine" Tiers seat of
two years ago. When Ignatius Don
nelly was called, the famous apostle of
Populism, arose slowly and stated that
as an old member-over so years-as a
former member and as one slightly de:
ficient in hearing, he thought perhaps
he might be entitled to three seats;
that anyway it would be a good thing
as Populists were so few in number
in the house-to let him have three
seats in order to encourage the party.
Whereupon jacobson in his most seri-
GUS luONOu VAuu OAO SCAVAOe
mans request be granted" and led in
the laugh that followed.
Inauguration of Governor Clough.
Considerable interest always attaches
to the first legislative joint session. at
which the governor-elect is formally
installed in his office and reads his
message, giving his recommendations
for new legislation as suggested by a
review of the work of the various de-
partments of the state. The members
of the senate, headed by the lieutenant
governor, marched up the center isle of
the hall of the house, the representa-
tives standing until all were seated.
Lieutenant Governor Gibbs took seat
beside Speaker Jones, who presides
over all joint sessions, and the two
houses were ready for the governor.
The long house gallery was crowded
with interested spectators, who craned
their necks over the railing to see what
was going on below, while the more
favored few who had member friends,
stood or sat close to the walls on the
main floor of the hall. A joint com :
mittee of senators and representatives