The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1897-04-08
A VERY TAME WEEK
STATE SoLoNS DID NOTHING OF
ABSORBING INTNREST.

The Monotony Slightly Relieved in the
Responsiveness This Week-Suyder's
Divorce Bill Turned Down-Fusion in
the Next Election-County Local Op-
ton Defeated.
ST. PAUL, April 6.-[Speciall-Dull-
ness, slightly relieved in the house by
little April foolishness but unrelieved
in the senate, characterized the past
week in the legislature. The Hastings.
Anoka war was probably ended so far
as any attempt to change the location
is concerned, but the bitterness aroused
has not disappeared and the trouble
may come up before the end of the
session. AS stated last week the pres
ent legislature has gone on record
against the Anoka site and is not at all
likely to appropriate any money for
buildings on that site. In fact there
seems to be growing feeling in favor
of compromise on new site, prob
ably somewhere between these two
cities, as was the original wish of the
promoters of the fourth hospital when
it was established two years ago. The
one assured point is that no building
will be erected this year.
Those other bills whose fate was some
what joined to the fate of the Hastings
hospital proposition, the university tax
levy and the new capitol building
bonds, came through in good shape,
both being passed by the legislature
and approved by the governor.
Some April Fooiishness.
The first of April was duly observed
by the dignified members of the legis-
lature, some of whom We'd with the
pages in making sport of such persons
as were easily gullible, by having them
called to the door to meet some con-
stituent whose whereabouts became a
mytery to the seeking member until he
was handed a calendar by sympa-
thetic friend, or in some like manner.
Reading Clerk Jack Ryder was the
victim of numerous April wits and took
it all in the best nature. The reading
of the journal is usually dispensed
with, in the interest of economy of
time, on motion of some member not
often heard from on other occasions. If
read in full the journal would last
nearly an hour and is very dry reading.
The reading clerk was not long in find
ing out that he was in for good test
and settled down to his work in a
steady tone that seemed to please the
members immensely, for they sat back
in their seats and peeped out Of the
cloak rooms, with broad grins on their
faces, finally combining in hearty
laugh when Ryder was allowed to
rest after 10 or Is minutes Of reading
of roll calls and reports of committees.
His rest, however, was brief, for soon
afterwards Mr.. Holmen introduced a
resolution, which the speaker pro tenn
solemnly looked at and handed to
Ryder to read. 1t was read, but the
Scandinavian members insist that
Ryder's knowledge of their mother
tongue is not as accurate as
his English, even if he does give
an occasional Hibernian turn to some
of his English words Then an occa-
sional resolution was presented and
read touching up individual peculiari-
ties in ludicrous manner to the delight
of all within hearing.
snyder's Divorce Bill Turned Down.
There was decided opposition to
Representative Snyder's bill to amend
the divorce law to make habitual use
of opium and like narcotics ground for
absolute divorce. When it came up
for action in the house, and one of the
most effective arguments against it
was an amendment submitted by Mr..
Foss, providing as additional grounds
for divorce the wearing of boomers by
the wife or washing dishes and caring
for the baby on the part Of the hus.
band. The laugh that this aroused
walked up whatever opposition existed
to the bill and it was killed quickly
and completely.
Had to Count Quorum.
Speaker Jones has found it necessary
to follow in the footsteps of Speaker
Reed of the national house of repre-
sentatives. and the other day he count
ed quorum before announcing the
vote on a bill, having previously ruled
that he could not announce the vote as
a quorum had not voted. The loophole
Of escape was suggested by Mr.. Snyder
of Hennepin, and the speaker at once
saw the point and had no difficulty in
finding enough members not voting to
make up the quorum, and the house
journal records the names of four dig
nified legislators as present but not
voting.
wheels" are still bugaboo to leg
islators, and the senate the other day
took its turn at killing cycle path bill
Some of the cyclists have suggested
that the Legislators seem to have
"wheels" that need no cycle paths and
that they therefore think cycle paths
unnecessary.
Work Has Jagged.
With but two weeks more of the
session, the legislature will need to put
in harder work than in the past few
days or they will leave q mass Of
unfinished business" when final ad.
iournment comes. The usual sessions
have been held, but the work has not
been pushed with the same energy