Gilpin observer., 1899-02-23
WHAT THE COLORADO
LEGISLATURE is DOING.

ton at the a rle session.
| b. Il. Roekafellow, representing the
Canon City Chamber of Commerce, and
Messrs. johnson, Tyson and ex-senator
Prior from the Pueblo Business Mems
Association, appeared Friday night be-
| for the subcommittee of the finance
! committee Of the Senate and the
finance and appropriations committees
of the House to urge further work on
state canal No. 1. 1t was shown that a
contractor had offered to build the ca
nal about the penitentiary land for
100000, and to build the whole ditch
for 100000. This was presented to
show the fallacy of the claim that ST.
100000 would be necessary to COM
plete the canal. 1t was also urged that
the building of the canal would furnish
work for the convicts. Nearly all 9th
er lines of work had been closed to
them by objections of laboring men,
even the proposition for farm having
met with most determined opposition.
The convicts could be put on the state
canal without interfering with any
branch of free labor, for if the work
was not done by that labor it might
never be done The estimate of the
contractor on the work showed that it
might be done for a reasonable appro-
priation. In opposition to the claim
that all the water of the Arkansas was
appropriated it was shown that 1900
cubic feet had been appropriated after
that of the canal and none of these lat
er users had complained of not getting
their. water; also, that system of res
ervoirs was contemplated for the canal
supply, making it certain.
The Senate chamber Thursday night
was the arena in which the gladiators
who hn
schools engaged in sharp and acrm.
onious conflict. The judiciary commit
tee of the Senate threw the doors wide
open for full and free discussion Of
the now famous Senate Bill No. 267,
known as the medical practice bill.
The gallery of the chamber, as well as
the body of the room, was filled with
many regular" men and women, but
there was host of hypnotists, Christian
scientists, osteopaths, magnet healers,
Christian healers, psychic healers and
physical therapeutics. The discussion
was opened by DR.. Eskridge. who
spoke in favor of the measure, explain
ing its provisions and the scope of its
influence. He did not believe that it
would in any way interfere with the
man or woman who was really quail
fled to practice healing. but would SIM
ply tend to generally elevate the pro-
fession and practice of medicine. Mr..
Shed sounded the keynate of the oppo-
sition to the bill. He did not want to
abuse the doctors, he said, but he want
ed them to let him alone in the prac-
tice of his method of healing. He de-
MED that there was an intention on the
part of the authors of the measure to
act honestly. The bill gave the medi-
cal board the power to say what a regu-
lar college of medicine was, what med
icine was. and to play on these words
all they desired. 1t would be giving a
medical prescription, said he, to advise
man to take breath of fresh air or
bath or morning cocktail. He read
copiously from work on medicine in
the seventeenth and eighteenth GEN.
turies, when boiled grub worms, hog
lice, ashes of sparrow feathers, pow
der of viper flesh etc, were healing
agents. Medical science was, he said.
founded on conjecture and improved
by murder, and he described the aver
age doctor coming into the sick room
like CONDENSED death"
The majority report of the commit
tee that investigated the insane asy-
lum has been adopted by the Senate.
This report exonerates DIR. Thombs.
The following was the vote on the
adoption of the report:
Yeas-Adams. Annear. Barela, Buck
ley, Evans, FELTON,, Fisher, Gaymon,
Harris, Hill, Maxwell. McCreery,
Parks, Porterfield, Stewart, Swink-16.
Nays-AmmOns, Bucklin, Ehrhart,
Philip, Roe, Whitford-6.
In referring to the above action
Judge Dixon, the attorney of DIR.
Thombs, says: ''The vote of the Sen
thiS af t.,
quittal. The vote announces the sense
of the Senate on the charges preferred
and the charges fell to the ground"
Judge Nixon said that owing to the
fact that Thombs' tenure of office is
fixed by law and he is n bonded officer
of the state, the governor of the state
has no authority to remove him. The
Senate, which would be the impeach-
ing body, had cXonerated Thombs, and
Thombs stood absolutely acquitted,
the procedure of the House being en-
tirely uncalled for and wholly without
precedent in the history of the coun-
try. The speedy action of the House,
In the opinion of Judge Nixon, indl-
Gated that the body was subservient to
the desires of some people who are
anxious to effect Il change in the Office
of superintendent of the asylum. In
speaking of the future of the case the
judge said: Governor Thomas is one
of the ablest lawyers of the state and
is recognized by those who know him
as man of firm character. have
no idea that the governor will demand
the resignation of DR.. Thombs nor will
he issue an order for the removal OF
the doctor. The governor knows that
lie has no such power. If the political
exlgencies were such that the govern
or could conceive that he had power
of removal. without speaking of DR..
Thombs personally. ! can only say
his counsel would advise him to resort
to the last extremity In meeting any