Omaha daily bee., 1899-03-03
ANTI.PASS BILL ADVANCED
Lieutenant Governor Gilberts Measure is
Placed on General File.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS PoSTPoN!ME
Report Calls out Lively Discussion in
which Republican senators Score
the PopuIistS for Their Fast
Record.


LINCOLN, March 2--(Speciai. )-President
Gilberts anti-pas bill won first blood in
the senate this morning. The railroad COM
mittee to which the bill had been referred
returned an unanimous opinion that 1t
should be indefinitely postponed. Senator
Farrell believed the measure merted dis
cussion and moved to amend the report so
that the bill would go to the general file.
That precipitated the discussion, which be-
came quite interesting to the lobby and gal
lery, as we'll as the members themselves.
Senator Farrell favored going on record"
How about going on record two years
ago?" asked Steele of jefferson. you were
in the majority then"
well it seems to be the unanimous dis
position of the committee not to go on
record this year" replied the senator from
Merrick.
What about two years ago?" insisted
Owens of Dawson seconded by other mem
bers.
I'VE are glad to extend the glad hand and
meet you half way this year" said Senator
Farrell, after slight hesitation not caring
to review the record of his party on this
bill at the last session, when they had
majority.
ator Farrell's answering that question ire
ferring to two years ago." remarked Van
Dusen of Douglas. ITS blow below the
belt"
Currie of Custer made an able talk upon
the motion to put the bill on general file.
He said he came from a district that had
not elected a republican senator before in
ten years. Every officer in the district was
a populst. after ten years OF reform in
that district there is not single office
holder that does not ride upon a pass
said he. He referred to the 100000 pass
record Of Auditor Cornell Miller of Buffalo
challenged that statement
IF you were a member of the investigat-
ing committed or have read the testimony
taken before that committee, you would not
doubt that assertion one minute, replied
Senator Currie.
Continuing Senator Currie said that thou
sands of dollars had been used by officials
of all parties in passes. 1t was an injustice
to the people who had to pay their fare. He
would not charge officials with being bribed
by passes, still If railroads managed by the
shrewdest business men of the land gave
$40, 900 worth of passes to one official they
must have expected something in return.
If they didn't 1t was the only time they had
been found giving something for nothing.
SurF1e fhSs has
Referring to his senatorial campaign, he
said his opponent (BeaD had been in posi-
tion to receive railroad passes and had dis
tributed them to some OF his friends in his
district Finally the limit of the number
he could receive was reached. Three friends
applied for passes and he could not fulfill
their request
~ got those three votes,' said the senator.
Schaal of Sarpy-Did you furnish them
passes?
'I never gave anyone a pass in my life
I never asked for a pass for myself, even.
l never rode a mile on pass in my life,'
was the blunt reply.
Miller of Buffalo thought he held the dis
| tinction in the senate of being the only one
who had never ridden on a pass until he
| heard the senator from Custer go on record
He pictured the opulent officeholder and
decrepit old woman riding in the same seat
of a railroad train. The former pulls out
his pasteboard while the latter bought her
ticket. He touched up the lobby that could
| make things appear white as snow that were
| really as black as the internal regions. The
platform he ran on in his district was given
as follows: II will have enough money left
after paying my campaign expenses to pay
my way to Lincoln. If they rob me Of all
| my income up there I'll walk home before
l accept a pass
The bill has gone to the general file, but
as there are now some $50 bills on file in
advance of it there is prospect that it
will fall into the hands of a sitting com
mittee. If it comes up in committee of the
whole several amendments will be tackled
| onto the bill. Van Dusen of Douglas will
| offer an amendment that stock passes shall
| be prohibited as well as other kinds. He
says a stockman has no more right to ride
on pass than a lawyer.
Supreme Court Commissioners.
When H. R. 114 the bill renewing the
| lease OF life of the supreme court commits
sioners for another three years. came up for
passage few days ago it was laid over at
| the request of some of the senator's. No
| reason was given, but 1t appears that Gov
| ernor Poynter had arrived at the conclusion
that he would try his veto AK on the bill
! to see how we'll it worked. For that reason
the senators have been laboring with him
| to have him change his decision.
1t is rumored that S. F. 3O2, the bill fixing
the salary of the governors secretary at
( 50 900 and also fixing the salaries of all
the deputies at the state house, depends
somewhat upon the treatment OF II. II. ia.
The fusion members have arrayed them
selves against this bill. 1t places the ap-
pontive power in the hands of the supreme
court, which is still controlled by repub-
licans. With the three judges and three
commissioners the court is now two years
behind on all cases before 1t.
The clerk OF the supreme court has filed
| the following report, in accordance with the
| Dtmar- Pollard resolution:
To the Chairman and Members OF the
| Committee on Fees and Salaries, House of
Representatives Gentlemen-ln compliance
with the resolution adopted by the house of
representatives February n, 1882 l beg
leave to submit the following report
The total amount of fees received by me
from July II, 1890, to January /, 1893, was
$53 S64,50.
! | have expended of the above amount for
/ clerk hire and assistance in my office $l7,-
1856 30.
Net receipts for period named in resolu-
/ tion, about nine years, $36. 709.20.
! Respectfully submitted,
! ID. A. CAMPBELL,
| Clerk of Supreme Court.
| pROCEEDINGS OF THE SENATE.