The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-01-17
HICKS RIhED 4 SAGE
AND NININGER'S LITERARY AND
FORENSIC CHAMPION SHOWED
BITTER FIGHT.
DUG UP ANCIENT HISTORY
DID THOSE VALIANT OLD SEA-DOGS
IN TIE HOUSE YESTER-
DAY.
CAMPAIGN OF 1879 REVIVED
BY Hicks, Furnishes Inspiration for
Rare Old-Tinle Co!IOquy
'TwiNt Veterans.

Just at the fag end of what may be
termed the accidental session of the
house yesterday, there was enacted,
much to the surprise and edification of
the members present the most vigorous
scene which has marked the present
session. and which recalled to the
minds Of some of the Older members
the lively ageS-at-arms which char
acterized the days Of yore
Yesterday the tilt lay between Ig-
natius DOnnelly and Judge Hicks, of
the Hennepin delegation and the Sage
OF Nininger has apparently lost little
OF his pristine forensic eloquence and
pungent sarcasm, for, in the language
OF the ring, he put it all over the
Flour City eX-jurist, who was the at
lacking party.
Those who fancied that the "old
mans relish of warfare had descend
ed to the shoulders of the younger
members, and that he would not take up
the gauntlet with his old-time asperity
were treated to a genuine surprise, and,
although the representative from Da-
kota county has scarcely been heard
save on the Mountain Iron question
since he took his seat, he spoke yester-
day and in no mistakable manner for,
after he had castigated the belligerent
Judge Hicks to a nicely, the latter had
the extreme felicity of seeing Repub-
lican members of his own delegation
walk over to Mr.. Donnelly's desk and
shake hands with him.
To begin with, Mr.. DonneIly's entire
freedom since the legislature met from
those fighting characteristics which
marked his earlier career has won for
him the respect and good will of a ma
jcrity of his fellow representatives who
were not a whit sorry when he came
out of yesterdays melee with flying
cOlors.
The struggle came like lightning out
of clear sky. inasmuch as the brief
session had been devoid of an inter
esting feature, and the house was on
the point of adjournment, when Judge
Hicks SHE'D his castor in the ring and
the fun ragged fast and furious for per-
haps half an hour, when it subsidized
and the house plainly expressed it's dis
approval of the conduct of the man
who brought down the trouble by leav-
ing the measure which he had cham
pioned, hung in the air. AS chairman
of the elections committee Judge Hicks
presented a resolution, whose purpose,
he said, was to discourage contests for
seats in the house where they were
originated without reasonable cause
and largely to secure attorneys fees.
The main question, he said, was too
often how II UGH was to be allowed the
opposing attorneys, and not infrequent-
~ a contest was the. result Of an at
torney's suggestion. .-s4
10 Mt cd 70
authorize the elections committee to re
port to the house both the cases which
had and had not in them the elements
of good faith and probable cause of
action. Opposition came to the resolu-
ton from Representative Johns, who
believed that the matter should go to
the committee on claims and not cleo
tions. With a contest on his own
hands some time ago, he had not, he
said asked for one penny of fees, but
simply wished the present cases ham
died in the regular way.
Judge Hicks, in reply to this said
the elections committee was forced to
devote considerable time to these cases,
hence was in a position to better adju-
dicate them, and, moreover, he simply
wanted the committee authorized to
place the information secured at the
disposal of the house, after judging
whether the contests were brought in
good faith or not. He added that the
action was in no way binding upon
the house.
The interest increased when Repre-
sentative Jacobson expressed himself
III sympathy with the resolution, but
said he considered it's provisions in
adequate. II he had his way, he said,
he would lop off the attorneys fees
altogether.
After little parleying, during which
Judge Hicks said his resolution was
but an entering wedge, Representative
johns, of Ramsey, gave notice of de-
bate. The noon hour was approach
iEg, and, although there was some anx-
iety on the part of the house to ad-
jcurn, it was thought best to remain
and give the debate necessary and