The Saint Paul globe., 1899-02-13
WHEN SPEAKER DARE
is NOT LOOKING.

The temperance committee of the house will
consider the bill introduced by Mr.. Pope, of
Kanabec, increasing the liquor license fee
from $1,000 to $1,50O, during the present
week.
Former Representative Schmidt, of Duluth,
however, will not be present at the hearing.
He attended to the bill all he was able the
day it was introduced, the night of the same
day and the following day, and has quit.
Mr. Schmidt, who Is attorney for Dulutn
brewing firm happened to be in the house
at the time the bill was introduced. he
listened to the title at first merely from
force of habit, having been member OF the
house two years ago, and then became in
terested as attorney for the brewing company
in the measure.
He noted that 1t was referred to the COM
mittee on temperance, and looking over the
list Of committees ascertained that his friend
Mallory, Of the Duluth representatives,
was on the committee
Shortly afterward he dropped into a chair
alongside of Mallory, and at once commenced
to speak in opposition to the proposition.
Representative Mallory, quiet joker in his
way as soon as Schmidt began to talk in op-
position to the new bill, took the other end
of the argument.
Schmidt made a date with Mallory at the
Merchants for that evening, and on arriving
divers and sundry people, who he was quietly
informed were members Of the committee en-
temperance Realizing that this would be the
proper time to commence his crusade against
the bill in the interests Of his employers, Mr.
Schmidt made himself agreeable. For some
reason which he could not understand at
the time but does now, all the members Of
the temperance committee he was introduced
to, as well as their friends. appeared to be
in favor of the passage of the bill.
He argued, and in between arguments
bought cigars and other things at the bar for
the committee and friends of the commit
teemen So assiduously did he labor with the
crowd that at midnight he was completely
out of money.
Before he retired he telegraphed Duluth
advising them Of the situation, and at noon
the next day a representative Of the firm
was on hand. Mr. Mallory found in his
seat but when 1t to the other men,
bers of the committee they did not answer in
any way to the gentlemen Mr.. Schmidt had
met the evening before at the hotel. It
suddenly dawned on him that he had been
deceived by the guileless Mallory as to the
members of the temperance committee, and
this is one of the reasons Why MIR. Schmidt
will not attend the hearing before the COM
mittee this week.
A treaty OF peace between Ar. jacobson,
the house member from Lac qui Parle and
Mr. Thauwald, one Of the Ramsey county del
egation, has been signed. For time things
looked very squally. and the best part of the
Joke was that Mr.. jacobson was unconscious
of the fact that war had been declared on
him by the gentleman representing the Fifth
ward in the Ramsey county delegation.
Last Tuesday, when the Jacobson bill in
creasing the gross earnings tax on railroads
came up for passage, Mr.. Thauwald was not
present, having been excused by the speaker.
One of the letter heads bearing the name
of Mr. Jacobson was secured and note writ
ten to Mr. Thauwald, in which he was Sc
yerely censured for not being present to vote
on the bill.
This was handed to Mr.. Thauwald Wednes-
day morning. and then those who were ION"
sat back to enjoy the joke 1t was no joke
SO far as Mr.. Thauwald was concerned. He
read the note and thrust it into his waste
basket. Then he glared at Mr.. Jacobson and
half raised in his seat IL to consult with
the member from Lac qui Parle as to the
meaning of the communication. Then he
fished the note out of the waste basket and
read it again. If he read the note once dur
ing the morning session he perused it a
dozen times, and each time his anger in
creased.
At the noon recess he waited for Mr.. ia
cobson to demand an explanation, but the
gentleman from Lac qui Parle. all unconscious
of the play, was deeply engrossed in pile
OF law-books, and gave no heed to the pacing
back and forth of his colleague from Ramsey
county.
In the meantime someone who Darty
to the "job" abstracted the note purporting
to have been written by Jacobson, and when
Mr.. Thauwald returned from dinner he was