The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-03-07
TWO VERSIONS.

TWO VERSIONS.
Helena Herald: The agony is over.
Our reform, Corporation ridden"
democratic Legislature has ceased to tor
ment us. We can now contemplate its
relics. in the shape of statutes, at our
leisure. The courts, also. will soon be-
gin q study Of many Of these measures.
This will probably be the last demo-
cratic legislature to punish the state
for a number Of years. The record is
now made up. Even our democratic
contemporary shoulders over its work.
There may have been worse legislatures.
Our memory fails though, at present,
to suggest when and where. AS the
last democratic legislature for many
years we bid it adieu. 1t was a sore
trial but a necessary one for the state to
undergo, to punish it fttingly for join
ing the Arkansaw party. We have nov
endured the CALLING punishment, and it
is to be hoped will sin no more. One
such affection should suffice for a gen.
GRAFTON.
Helena Independent: The session Of
the Sixth legislative assembly is closed.
It's work is done and its record made
up. The last day was not of the usual
order. There was no hurly-burly no
reckless, inconsiderate action no mad
efforts to rush measures through in the
last hours. By concurrent resolution a
finishing programme was arranged by a
joint committee, and none but formal,
or unfinished business was transacted
after 6 o'clock. The record would
probably be better if the old rule had
been followed, for several bills are left
eon the general file that should have be-
come laws.
While the legislature made a good
record in killing a vast number Of
bills, it has been remiss is providing
sufficient revenue for the state. Sew
.eral important revenue measures were
not acted upon, and while the expenses
of the state have been to some extent
increased, it is not apparent where the
money is to come from to meet the
same. Besides the ordinary expenses
of the state government, the several ed
ucational and reformatory institutions
are making larger demands than here
tofore, and some provision should
have been made to meet this added ex-
pense.
The failure of the ways and means
committee was one of the noticeable
features of the session. Ordinarily this
is,,the strong committee of the house;
its chairman is the presumed leader,
and its members are supposed to be in
fuential in controlling legislation. But
it was not SO in CHS body. The ways
and means committee was a cipher. It
exerted about as much influence in
shaping legislation as the committee
on libraries, to which Speaker Stiff con.
signed Representative Day, his compet-
itor for the chair.
We do not want to be discourteous,
but it must be said, as according with
the facts, and as reflected in the work
OF the house, that the speaker was a
failure. His committees indicate it and
the conduct of the chair on various &C.
casions gives support to the statement.
1t may be necessary to call the legis-
lature in extraordinary session to pro.
vide the revenue required by the state,
but it is to be hoped this emergency
will not arise. The state administra-
tion has been able to meet all demands
the past two years, and we believe it
"a do SO in the future.
To the credit of the legislature it can
be said it has not added to the burdens
OF the state and has enacted no harmful
laws, apart from two bills distinctly in
the interest Of the corporations. It
probably had more sins of omission
than commission to account for.
AEN TOP NuADn
It Hon. W. A. Clark, s~enator-elect
from Montana. is correctly reported by
he Chicago Inter- Ocean, be is not
committing himself to any extent in