Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1897-02-18
LEGISLATIVE CORRESPONDENCE.


HELENA, co. IL, 1871
One Of the most important ques-
tions before the house this week was
that of woman suffrage. The vote
stood q agains. and Al in it's favor,
but being a constitutional amend
ment it required a two-thirds vote
and was therefore lost. A change of
five votes to the affirmative would
have carried the measure. These Al
votes. however. represent more than
the real strength Of the measure. A
number voted yes who would not SO
have voted had theirs been the de-
Gliding vote. and several voted in the
the proposition if submitted to the
people. i e no reason why the
loyal and intelligent women of Mon
tana should be debarred from par
ment. Whenever they demand that
right they should have it and my OBJ
servation leads me to conclude that
whenever they seriously express a
desire to vote their wishes will be
speedily complied with. There are
many women in Helena who are in
terested in the cause.
About 100 bills have been introduced
i'm the senate and about 275 i'm the
house. Many will never be acted
upon. The sentiment is daily grow
ing stronger in favor of less talk and
more business. A rule limiting de-
bate to five minutes was adopted to-
day. 1t met with opposition from
the Populists, who regarded it as an
effort to apply the gag rule. 1t
should have been adopted before.
There il no danger as regards the
appeal of bounty laws. There is now
apparently no opposition to the
present bounty system and certainly
no reason why there should be. The
members from the mining districts
are reasonable men and when they
came to understand that the burdsn
of expense for bounties rested mostly
upon the stock interests, they wisely
ceased their opposition. Working
men are beginning to realize that
their interests are identical with those
of the ranchmen and stockmen, that
wealth producers everywhere have
IA common cause against greedy
corporations.
The house yesterday passed to a
third reading a number Of bills, the
most important of which was one
relating to county commissioners.
1t provides for a constitutional
amendment 80 regulating the terms
of commissioners that while their
terms will continue to be four years
all three members will not go out OF
office at n time. The terms OF
those elected last year will, by this
amendment. be extended to January
LIST, 1903.
The school book bill came up foI
third reading, but some errors weIe
and made a special order for Satur
| day. The meat inspection bill which
passed the senate some time ago,
was largely amended by the house
yesterday and will probably be de-
feated. Meat inspection III entirely
proper for cities. but we want Mt
law that will prevent a ranchmaI
from selling a pound Of neat in q
city unless he has had the animal ex
amined before it was killed, or q
pound of butter unless he has haG
the COW and all her surroundings in
spected by some veterinary surgeon
Senator Chambers bill for the Tor
rens system OF land transfers passed
the senate yesterday. An important
bill relating % the taxation Of i'm
surance companies will soon come vi
for discussion. also a bill regulating
the management Of loan and building
associations. There il a tendency tt
occupy a large amount of time Oh
matters which especially concern
cities and towns.
CHARLES IL. PERRINE.