Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1901-01-18
Many Legislatures Meet.
e>>->><<->->-~->->->~-s->->>->~<>>~-

S,3lO statesmen. The largest number III
any one State is the 421 members of the
New Hampshire Legislature, while the
smallest is the forty-cight of Nevada.
The proportion of Representatives to the
population varies in the same way. In
New Hampshire, for instance, there is
one Representative TO every LAO men. !
women and children in the State, while :
in New York State there is one to 10000.
The Legislatures of all the States meet
every two years, except those of Georgia,
Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York,
Rhode Island and South Carolina, which :
come together every year. All but six
teen of the States limit by law the dura-
ton OF IL legislative session, the time fix
cd ranging from forty to sevcnty-five
days.
The salaries of members of the State
Legislatures vary widely. Kansas and:
several other States pay their legislators
VI day while the Legislature is in ses-:
sion. Nevada pays $40 day, New York
and Pennsylvania pay $500 IL year, and
Illinois $1,000 IL session. Thrifty Maine,
sn the other hnnd, makes its members get
along with $50 year. In all the States:
but Delaware, Iowa, Maryland and New:
Jersey the members of the Legislature;
are allowed in addition to their salaries
fixed sum for each mile Travelled in COM
ing to and going from the State capital.
Most of the members of the State Legis-
latures ride on railroad passes, so that
this mileage allowance goes into their
own pockets. In order that members
may be at no expense for postage, sta.
tionery, ETC., while the Legislature is in
SnSSinu most Nfnfoa ,uol.n still furt1oy
grant of fixed amount to each member
TO cover necessary charges of this kind
For salaries alone the meetings of the
State Legislatures will cost in the aggre-
gate an enormous sum. In Illinois, for
instance, the bare salaries of the mem
bcrs will amount to considerably over
$500. 900, which is but Il beginning OH the
total expenses of the session.
The terms for which members of the
lower house and of the Senate are elect
ed vary greatly with the different States.
In many eases the State Senators are
elected for terms twice as long as those
of the Representatives. Tho shortest term
for Il member of either house is one
year, which is the rule in Rhode Island.
alone among the States, for both Senators
and Representatives, while the longest
is four years, the term of a State Sena-
tor in Illinois and in IL majority of the
States.
The most important business before
most of the State Legislatures will be the
election of United States Senator. In
Delaware, Minnesota. Montana and Ne
braska there are two Senators each to be
elected. Altogether about one-third of
the membership of the United States SEN
ate is to be chosen by the Legislatures
which meet this month.
A striking thing about the senatorial
contests in many of the States is the
fact that number of the candidates are
men comparatively new to public life, at
least in national sense. In Nebraska
the three leading candidates are George
| d. Meiklejohn. Assistant Secretary OF
in the State; Edward Rosewater OF
| Omaha, and ID. Il. Thompson, banker
| Of Lincoln, Mr.. Bryan's home town, and
one of the richest men in the State. Mr.
| Thompson is, in addition, most unique
character. He was born on farm neal
| Coldwater, Mich, and began as brake
man. lie worked up to be division su
| perintendent, and then started into bust
ness for himself. He is now interested
in twenty different and profitable enter
prises. He does things in unique way
| When the State hesitated about bringing
the First Nebraska regiment home from
San Francisco Thompson did it him
self The regiment Travelled in Pullman
ears, and it cost Thompson $4,000
When the Omaha exposition was runnin:
Thompson invited all the children in Lin
coin between the ages of s and 16 tt
spend day at the exposition with him
In Montana it seems to be taken fo
granted that W. L. Clark will get him
self elected again to one of the senate
rial chairs which the State has to fill
while Il. Augustus Heinze is said to b,
in the lead for the other. Hcinze is on,
of the most striking characters in tn,
West. He is not yet 30 years old, ant
is already at the Eeau of several impor
tant mining enterprises. Twelve year
ago he appeared in Montana at the ag
Of 81. He was fresh from graduating Il
chemist and mining engineer. lie foun,
work in one Of the great smelters. With
in few years he had smelters of hi
own, and even Clark himself was force
10 recognize him as Il factor to be reck
pned with. He has been active in Stat
politics, was Il candidate for Governor
and is said to control Il sufficient numbe
Of votes in the present Legislature /
force Clark to come to terms with him.
In Utah George y. Cannon, head of TIL
Mormon Church, his own son, and hi
nephew, together with Il few outside til
family, are making Il lively fight for tn
place. In Delaware j. Edward Addick
is again IL candidate, and is said to col
troll enough votes TO get one of the tw
togas at the present command of tn
State. In Colorado c. S. Thomas, VIII
has just completed his term as Governor
and Il. NJ. Patterson of Denver are NJ
parcntly in the lead In Minnesota i
c. Evans of Minneapolis is looked upo
as the leader for the place in the Sci
ate left vacant by the death of Senate
| Davis. In North Carolina, which is no'
represented in the Senate by Republ
can and Populist, it seems that II. \
Simmons. who, as chairman of the Den