The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-02-20
SENATORS CIT EXCITED
WILSON GARNISHMENT BILL, ROUSES
MEMBERS OF THE UPPER
HOUSE
WARM DEBATE INDUCED IN
Democrats Speak Against the Meas
Ure, but Cannot Muster Enough
Votes to Prevent Its
Passage.

There was lively row in the senate
yesterday when the Wilson bill, limiting
from garnishment a weekly wage of 49,
came up on general orders Senator Nc
Govern was the first assailant Of the bill.
and denounced the measure as one I'M
favorable to the workingman in a state
the laws of which exempt to the property
holder his homestead, perhaps a very
valuable piece of property, and eighty
acres of land. The workingTnan has
nothing but his weekly wages, and will.
under the measure, be exempt with only
50 per week. The senator went on to say
that it was not the grocers who were
most remorseless in pushing punishment
proceedings, but saIoon-keepers. several
of whom will assign small claims to one
who will press garnishment proceedings
against the victim, who cannot afford to
protest at law.
Senator Wilson dropped unconsciously
into the language of the court room III
defending his measure and stated that
the law may be abused, as counsel sug-
gests,' but he did not believe that groc
ers would be so blind to their own in
tereSts as to abuse the law, if the bill
shall pass. The law was simply intended
to reach those who receive credit and re-
fuse to pay.
Senator Schaller remarked that the
oSilebNC was SOillpOSSQ VI uSl WHO were
sent there largely by the votes of the
men who earn from $3.50 to $1.75 per day,
when prosperity smiles. He proposed
that the senate represent those men in
this matter and let the grocers find re-
fuge in the present law. The working
man is no enemy to the grocery. He gen
orally pays his bills. 1t looked to the
gentleman from Hastings like a weekly
garnishment of small wages, the first
garnishment to act, as it would gener-
ally act, as a notice to quit as en-
whom garnishment proceedings have
been begun. The limit was. in his opin-
ion, entirely too low. He served notice
that he should fight the bill and repre-
sent the workingmen for a brief space
Senator Ives moved that the bill be eX-
cepted from the report of the committee
to be considered Immediately after the
disposition of the report The motion
prevailed. Senator Schaller deman lei a
roll call, when the bill was considered,
and Senator Wilson wanted to know the
reason why the senator from Dakota in
sisted on such procedure This brought
from Senator Schaller the incisive an
swer, THAT is my right as a member
of this body. I give no further reason. -
Senator Wilson demanded call of the
senate. Senators MCGOWAN, McKusick,
Schellback and Everett We're excused.
The committees report recommending
the bill for passage was adopted by a
vote of 80 to 26, as follows:
Yeas-Barker, Batz. Buchanan, Chiffon,
Collier, DarS Dickey, Gauseweitz, Grin
deland, Halvorson, Hospes, Jeps IN,
Jones, j. D., Knatvold, Larson, Lord,
Macarthur, Mccarthy, Miller, Myran,
Nixon, Potter, Reeves, Roverud. Siv-
right Smith, E. E. Smith. J. H, Snyder,
Somerville, Stockwell, Thompson, VIII
son-32.
Nays-Baldwin. Brewer, Daily, Daugh-
erty, Du Toit, Fitzpatrick, Greer Grue,
Hawkins, Horton, Ives, Johnson, Jones.
E. j., McGill, McGovern, McNamee, Neil
icke, Ryder, Schaller, Sheehan, Shell,
Stockton, Sweningsen. Underleak, Vies-
selman, Young-26.