Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1899-01-25
LEGISLATIVE GOSSIP.
Our Special Correspondent Tells of
the Solons' Doings.
Cushman X. Davis is Returned to the U. s..
Senate--The Name Of G. A. Towne
Was Presented by the
Opposition.

ing the St.. Paul Jobbers' Union and
| Chamber of Commerce, as we'll many
| other commercial bodies throughout the
| country, have decided that the bill Of
Senator Cullom, giving the Interstate
Commerce Commission authority to fix
the maximum rate for railroads, is mex
| pedient, Senator Miller offered a joint
| resolution yesterday urging its passage.
| He also offers bill declaring sleeping
| car companies common carriers and
| amenable to the railroad and warehouse
| commission. A similar bill has cropped
UP in many previous legislatures without
becoming a law.
The next most important matter con-
| sidered was a resolution providing for a
commission to present bill which will
result In taxing securities and other per-
sonal property which is not found, at
present, by the assessors. There is no
doubt that large amount of personal
property escapes taxation, but whether
law can be passed that the owner of such
property cannot evade, Is good deal of
| 4 conundrum.
Three more newspaper reporters were
given committee clerkships. At no pre-
ViOus session have so many newspaper
men been provided in this manner.
The cost of Minnesota's investment in
the Omaha exposition was definitely fixed
by bill offered by Senator McGill, ap-
propriating $245O0.
Some members of the house appear to
be agitated, and perhaps insulted by the
statement of Minneapolis paper that
only three members, which it named,
| amounted to anything, and a burlesque
resolution was offered that the rest of
the legislature go home. Perhaps the
mover of the resolution did not want to
be taken literally. A motion to expel
the reporters of the offending newspa-
per was indefinitely postponed so that
probably both the paper and the legisla-
ture will survive the session.
| No bill of especial Importance was Of
fered in the house yesterday, unless it
| may be civil rights bill presented by
Mr.. Wheaton, the colored representative
| from Minneapolis, giving colored citizens
| the same rights accorded to white people
| In public places. There Is already such
| law upon the statute book, but in it's
enforcement it has not proved very prac-
teal, and Mr.. Wheaton evidently wishes
to make it more binding.
| Two years ago the state bought s., 900
| worth of sugar beet seed from Germany
| and offered it for sale to the farmers at
cost. The farmers have only bought one
fourth of the amount, and now a bill
| comes In proposing to give the balance
| to them without charge. Perhaps as an
! additional inducement in the reverse d.
rection, to interest the farmers in sugar
| beets, Senator BATE presented a bill re-
| pealing the bounty which was offered in
| 1897 to those who would raise these beets.
| This is the stage of the session when
the average legislator having been away
from home so long, desires to talk with
his constituents to ascertain, if possible,
| what he is here for, and 1t is therefore
| no surprise to announce that both
branches of the legislature adjourned
| till next Tuesday.
| st. Paul, MIMI, Jan. 18.-Yesterday was
senatorial day in both branches Of the
legislature and while the election of u.
S. senator did not of itself consume all
| the time it was about the only thing
thought Of notwithstanding there was
not the slightest contest. The Senate
treated the matter with brief formality,
Senator Horton of St. Paul, nominating
c. K. Davis on behalf of the Republicans.
and Senator Baldwin of Duluth, nominat-
ing G. A. Towne on behalf of the Demo-
Gratis and Fusionists. Mr.. Towne had
been agreed upon at a caucas just prior
to the assembling of the legislature. 1t
was twelve o'clock, noon, when both
branches engaged in the work of select
| ing Senator Davis to succeed himself.
After the two brief speeches in the senate
the roll was called showing 43 for Davis
| to II for Towne and by twenty minutes
after twelve the senate had adjourned
and the crowd which had thronged that
chamber poured over into the house to
witness similar proceedings continued.
The house was in quite a talkative
mood and while Representative Yale of
.Winona was the spokesman to nominate
Senator Davis and Representative Sti-
vers of Brainerd to nominate Mr.. Towne,
the secondng speeches were numerous.
all but one being in favor of Senator
| Davis. Mr.. Yale called attention to the
fact that he had served in the state SEN
ate 80 years ago when c. K. Davis was a
member of the house and Mr.. Grondahl,
of Red Wing, nominated Senator Davis
as President McKinley's successor.
| Mr.. Stivers' speech in nominating Mr..
Towne was manly. He stated that the
| minority had a political duty to perform
| and while, as a matter of patriotism,
they recognized the services of the major
ity candidate in the war crisis he did not
represent the financial an economic
principles which the minority believed
| were for the best interests of the country,
| OF course, the calling of the roll was a
mere formality, SO voting for Davis to Is
for Towne. One Democrat in the senate
(Mr. McGovern) and one in the house
(Mr. Fosness) voted for Davis, but aside
from that the entire vote in both
branches was on party lines Nothing
now remains but for the two bodies to
meet in joint convention today and listen
to the reading Of the respective journals
when G. X. Davis will be formally de-
clared reelected to the United States
senate for the term of six years from
March 18th, 1899.
Senator Davis is the first man from
Minnesota to secure that position for q
third term. The war with Spain was the
cause of the great unanimity and elm
mated all of the usual excitement at
| tending such an event. Mr.. Yale in NOM
mating him in the house expressed the
! hope that he would also have fourth
| term.
The legislative proceedings were brief
and not of great interest though the sen.
l. q hot