The herald., 1897-03-08

thereby destroying the effect Of all the
decisions in its favor, which would
mean another decade of lawsuits, In
functions and litigation.
The various scandals with which the
week opened so prolificly are apparent
ly going to end in smoke.
Mrs. Bartlett and Mrs. Murray have
adjusted their difficulties and distin-
guished senators may breathe more
easily. and congratulate themselves on
getting of so lightly. The Examiner
scandal is still In progress at this writ
ing. but nobody seems to take much In
terest in it, nor to fear that 1t Will END
in anything serious; In fact, the sole oe-
sire on all sides seems to be TO get
through business and go nome' ano
there is a growing murmur OF discohtent
with the long-winded orations Oh ,nehi, en-
bers in both houses. The Assembly this
year has been peculiarly unfortunate
in this respect. 1t has an enormous
amount Of oratory to endure, ana an
assortment of statesmen who never tire
of talking regardless OF what the supJect
is. To add to this enormous loss OF Val
liable time, the speaker rs utterly IN
comnetent and / presume that there has
rarely been a legislative body that en-
acted its business In a more
disorderly manner than the pres
ent assembly Of California. II Is
never possible to hear across the room
what anyone is saying. even Shanahan
tremendous fog-horn voice is uneqnai
to that. People who have no business
on the floor rush hither and thither; ev-
erv one carries on a conversation In a
loud voice, and when there Is lull the
sneaker adds to the disorder by engag-
ing in a more or less animated oepate
with some member over point OF par
ljamentary law which he should settie
at once without controversy some OF
the speakers decisions areas the boys
would say-yery rank One in partiou-
lar has caused no end of amusement at
his exnense. He decided that motion
TO reconsider only took majority OF the
members present and voting. AS II
takes majority of all the members
elected to pass bill it follows that while
1t requires Il votes to pass bill In the
assembly, it would require only Il votes
to reconsider it, a self-evident absurdity.
But then Coombs wants to go to Japan
as minister plenipotentiary, ETC., ana
he must decide questions or parlamen-
tary practice so as to antagonize no one,
even il the rules he goes by were un-
known to Jefferson. Gushing or Reed:
In one sense there has been very little
politics in this legislature; in another
there has been a good deal. Perhaps 1t
would be better to say there has not been
much partisanship, but good deal OF
politics Let me explain. Measures
have come up, been discussed and voted
upon, and except the election OF sena-
tor of the United States or the McLaren-
Kinsley election case, there has been no
drawing of party lines. But there have
been a large number of candidates for
office and they have been doing all they
could to increase their prospects OF WIN
ming the future honors they seek. both
President Pro-tempore OF the senate
Flint and Speaker Coombs are canoi-
dates. The former would like to De gov
ernor. while the latter wants to go 10
Japan. Flint, who Is an admirable pre-
siding officer, has sought to gain his op-
ject by voting as little as possible, and
figuring as inconepicuously as possible
on the floor; Coombs has tried to help
himself by making the worse possin;e
record as a presiding officer. l believe
both have made mistakes.
The man who does his duty fearlessly
and honestly regardless OF consequences
rarely gets turned down by'his fellow
citizens when he asks for their SURFACES
again. Flint, personally. is very pleas
ant fellow, and so Is Coombs, but the
former has a good deal more force OF
character The latter looks fiabby phys
ically, and think his mental condition
is like his physical. Flint, too. fxs wife
who will help him lots In his future cam
pleasant woman, who halls from the
state where the sheep have to stand on
ladders to graze-Vermont-and she Is
shrewd. But with all these advantages
Flint has not made hay while the sun
shines and is decidedly weaker as gu
bernatorial possibility today than he
was when the session began. He made
a mistake in selecting his committees
and he has made mistake In his voting,
Ar rather not voting, since. More
house, on the contrk'y, has grown with
the session. He is much stronger today
| than he was sixty days ago. He is easily
the best speaker in the senate. He has
shown his ability as lawyer, and his
action in the Examiner scandal cases
has helped him; for he showed nerve.
and men always admire nerve. and so
do women, for that matter. No one Is
listened to more intently when he speaks
and no one speaks shore to the point.
Morehouse IL understood to be candi-
date for governor, and / am sure Flint
will ind in him dangerous rival. Bulla
has the extraordinary record Of having