The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-03-12
ELECTIONS BILL PASSES
DUNN-HILLfOND MEASURE GOES
THROUGH THE HOUSE WITH
SLIGHT AMENDMENT
PARTY LINES NOT DRAWN
State Officers Are Removed From Its
Application at the Re-
quest of Its
Author.

Inc Dunn-Hlllmond primary election
bill passed the house yesterday on a vote
of So to H. Before final action on the
measure, Mr.. Dunn sent up an amend
ment to remove state officers from the
application of the bill AS it originally
excluded township and village officers.
the bill now affects only districts Qegisla-
tive, judicial and congressional, county
and city officers.
Mr. Hillmond the Democratic member
from Grant county, who was the orig
inal author of a primary election bill in
the house, through a mutual agreement
with Mr.. Dunn. consented to have the
Dunn bill substituted for his measure,
and then worked in unison with the
Ramsey county member for the passage
of the substitute
Before the bill got through there were
some half dozen amendments proposed
but the only one adopted was that offer
ed by Mr.. Dunn himself which provided
that the measure should not apply to
state officers A great deal of discus
sion arose over this. Mr. Dunn stated
that it was his personal desire to have
the bill apply to state as we'll as other
offices. but he was convincted that a meas
ure of so wide a scope could not be
passed at this session, and as the people
wanted some sort of a primary election
bill for an experiment at the next cleo
provision.
In the discussion which this amendment
provoked, Mr. Jacobson made himself
conspicuous as being in favor of the
amendment Among other things he said
the cities would control the nominations,
and the small fry out in the country
wouldn't get a hearing. He also stated
that the country districts would be oblig-
ed to suffer this injustice for a long time
to come. as they had no prospects OF
casting more than % per cent of the vote
for many years.
Mi Laybourn, who afterwards wheel
ed around to the other side and voted for
the bill as amended, took issue with
Jacobson, and said that at present the
people over the state had little to say
in making some of the state ticket NOM
nations. He called particular attention
to the nominees for the state railroad and
warehouse commission on the Republican
ticket at the last convention, and declar-
ed that the voice of the rank and file
of the party was not heard. A clique
has done the work. Mr.. Laybourn also
included in the city nominations candi-
dates for the supreme bench.
Mr.. Jacobson, who is said to be look
ing out for his interests as candidate
for the office of state auditor two years
hence, was accused by some of his party
brethren of being afraid to go before the
people in a direct manner for the NOM
ination. Mr.. Jacobson said his only fear
was that his term as a public official
might be prolonged for a period of twenty
years.
NOT GOOD FOR COUNTY.
Mr.. Kelly, of Rice county, fought the
bill persistently on the grounds that it
was not the thing for country districts
and would only result in forming a huge
0cl,f, i,l, J
the city politicians. Mr.. Wells, of WiIkin.
took the same ground and tried to amend
the bill so as to make 1t apply to no
county whose population was less than
5000. Mr.. Dobbin, who comes from
Hennepin. where the primary election law
had it's inception in this state, agreed
with Mr.. Kelly and Mr. Wells and other
country members in maintaining that it
was a good thing for the cities, but fatal
to the country districts
The Ramsey county delegation, with
one exception, Mr.. Rich, supported the
measure solidly, and Hennepin did the
same, although were some from that
county who talked differently than they
voted. When the roll call was finished,
there were twenty-four instead of four
teen votes against the BILL but ten of
these, all Republicans, changed their
votes in time to be recorded with the ma
jority
Party lines were not drawn upon the
bill, although there were but two Dsmo-
Gratis who voted against it, Mr.. Sageng.
OF Otter Tail; Mr.. finland, of Ramsey
and Mr.. Hickey, of Ramsey, spoke IN
favor of the measure, and said that their
constituents desired such a law. They
each were opposed to certain provisions
In the measure and endeavored to have
these Objectionable features changed but
failing they gave their support on the
roll call to the measure
The roll call showed the following re-
suit:
-. For the bill-Alford, Alley, Anderson.
Bean, Benson Burns, Bury Bush. Butler
Cooke, Cumming, Deming Dobbn, Dor
Bey, Dunn, Ferris, Fust, Gainey, Gand-
rud Grass, Haugen, Haugland Henricks
Herbert, Hickey, Hillary, HiImond
Holm, Hurd, Hymes, Jackson, Jacobson
IQhnSon, Lane, Larson, Laybourn Lee
Lommen. Mahood, Martin. Miller. Morris
Nelson, w; Neubauer, Nichols, Norman
Moves, Nyquist. O'Neil, Ocoback Ofsthun
OPpegard, Pennington, Peterson. s. D. :
Phllllps. PloWman, Pope, Pugh Roberts
Ryan, Sageng, Sander, Schurman. Schutz
6chWarg, Sikorski, Smith. Stark, steven
son. swanson, Sweet, TCrson. Tory I'm
isand Ven Wald. Wallace, Ward, Wells.
Whitlord, Speaker Dowling-83
Against the bill--Aanensen. Allen Ben
plkcn, Bosworth, Daggett, Harden, Kelly.
LeInke. Morley, Peterson, c.; Potter
Rich, Rider, Stites-14