The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-03-07
THE SESSION OF '97
Turbulent, Noisy and Exciting From
the First Day 10 the Last
THE BRIBERY INVESTIGATION
Started by the Talk of Gambler
Crahan-The War Of the House
and Senate-Little impor-
tant Legislation.

Helena. March 6.-The Fifth legisla-
tive assembly of Montana was chiefly
remarkable for the radicalism of the
house and the cOnserva tism OF the SEN
ate. The antagonism between the two
bodies became so pronounced that dur
Ing the last days Of the session they
treated each other with scant courtesy:
and on the night OF adjournment with
open contempt. Neither was at all dis
posed to recede from its amendments
at the request of the other: with the
result that a number of bills were kill
ed In the cross-fire. Among the most
important Of these was municipal
bill. framed to meet certain suggestions
OF the conference of municipal officers
held In Helena early in January. The
house insisted that the office of city
attorney should he elective. the senate
that IT should he appointive. as is now
provided by the codes. No compromise
was found to be possible. so the bill
went down. carrying with II several
excellent features that We're partlcu-
larly desired in Butte, relating to po-
lice magistrates and justices of the
peace. Every time the senate cut down
salary the house took delight In rais-
ing IL, and when its amended bills
came back the senate was so hot under
the collar that II was for throwing the
whole batch into the waste basket.
Finally at 9 a. m. the last night the
senate passed motion that IL would
consider no more house bills, good, bad
or Indifferent. Eight or ten of them
had just been rushed In. Interested
members Of the house ran over and
begged. implored and threatened the
senators to give them a show, but II
was no use, the bills remained stalled
on the secretary's desk. Among them
was Woods county printing bill, the
| death Of which will not cause many
tears on the part of the newspaper fra
ternity.
The radical or populIstic tendencies
, of the house cropped out continually,
The populists. generally united and al
ways aggressive. we're just numerous
] enough to cut great and frequently a
winning figure. Various and discord-
ant were the elements of which the
house WAS composed. but on ineaSures
. towards which his attitude. as was
claimed. would affect a mans political
! future, most of the elements combined
under the populistic banner. So II came
about that the house by large MAORI
| ties passed the eight-hour smelter hill
the bill making eight hours the work
ing day on all public work: the bill re-
pealing the law making municipalities
liable for all damage done by mobs; the
bill compelling corporations to pay
their employees every two weeks. and
few others OF like character. All
these measures We're promptly killed In
the senate. The woman's suffrage and
the initiative and referendum bills
easily secured majorities In the house
but not the requisite two-thirds.
! OF the limited number of bills that
succeeded In passing both houses. none
is OF really first importance except the
| anti-gambling bill. the inheritance tax
/ bill and the arid land bill AS for the
last. great hopes are entertained that
\ 1t will be OF vast benefit to the state.
Considerable suspicion, however, was
manifested that somewhere in the bill
lay hidden a job of some kind or other.
and the fact that Tom Carter was said
| to be exceedingly anxious for Its pass
/ age did not improve its standing. II
was openly charged that it was a
| Northern Pacific scheme. The friends
of the bill claimed that II was all right.
and that II IL wasn't all right the fact
would come out and the law could he
repealed two years hence, the state
meanwhile having been to very little
expense. Stanton's insane commits
| sioners' bill on which Governor Smith
had set his heart. was one OF the meas
ures that got lost I'm the shuttle the last
day. quite a little other legislation
recommended and desired by the gov
ernor never saw daylight, or. as In the
case OF the railroad commission bill In
the senate. was killed just as soon as
il did. After a protracted struggle.
however. the governor did get one
thing to suit him. The capitol COM
mission bill was so fixed that he may
remove any commissioner at pleasure,
the words for cause" being stricken
out. He is expected TO remove DIR. {.
| X. Cole and w. NJ. Bickford in short
order. The whole fight has been made
on these two men. and II has been a
bitter, relentless fight. Such have been
the tactics pursued by their enemies
I that there is almost revulsion of pub
lie sentiment in Helena in favor of Cole
and Bickford.
Martin Buckley. whose expulsion last
| Thursday formed a sensational climax
| 10 a sensational session. IL a big.
| good hearted, good -natured fellow. He
! lives at Basin. jefferson county. lie
was elected on fusion ticket. and
though a democrat he has almost uni
| forinly voted with the pops. He was
/ not intoxicated when he went before
1 the investigating committee. though
he may have taken drink or two just
I before. Probably what threw him on
his guard was the informal appearance
of the committee. One member had his
hat on, having complained OF draft.
/ Nearly all were smoking. Some were
I sitting in chairs tipped back against
/ the wall and had their feet cooked M.
IL was not a scene calculated to strike
a beholder with awe or inspire him
with a sense of the committees dignity
and power. Furthermore. at least one
member was personal friend to Buck
/ ley. The first few questions were put
| to him in a mild pleasant. conversa-
tional tone. and before he was aware
/ OF IL Buckley was rapidly giving him
self away. Nor did he seem to become
fully conscious Of the gravity of the
situation he was getting into at any
| time. Some of the members of the CON-
mittee were very 10th TO report his tes-
/ timony 10 the assembly. but there was
nothing else TO do.
n Buckley was not sharp when he
went before the committee, Tom Crs-