The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1901-02-22
Fate Of Every Important Measure
in South Dakota Legislature
Is Closely Involved.
SPIRITED FIGHT THE WEEA
ncDougan of Marshall County Is Deter
mined That the Record of Last
Monday Shall Not BE
Expunged.

s Pierre, S. d., Feb. 19.-The fight on
the wolf bounty question is the issue
of surprising interest in the legisla
ture. 1t is conceded that everything
on the settlement of the matter in the
house this week The mere question
whether there shall or shall not be a
specific bounty paid on the scalps Of
grey wolves and coyotes is not impor-
tant. There is fight on which has
involved every other measure of i'm
portance now on the calendar or IN
committee. 1t is one OF those bitter.
uncompromising struggles which be-
comes interesting not so much because
of the original cause as for the Strug-
gle itself and it's collateral conse-
quences. The expunging of the record
showing the killing OF the wolf boun-
ty repeal bill has caused most of the
difficulty. McDougall of Marshall,
chairman of the house committee on
correction of the permanent journal.
sWears that he win not eXpunge that
part of the journal of last Monday
showing that Sweets bill was taken
from the committee and indefinitely
postponed. He declares that the con-
stitution gives every member a right
to have his motions extended upon the
permanent journal and that the house
cannot constitutionally expunge any
record which it has once made. The
fight is SO hot that McDougall, Bene-
dict and Goddard, who are on the in
vestigating committee, will return from
Yanktoa Tuesday night in order to be
here for the fight over the reconsidera-
ton of the question of expunging.
Appropriations. the dairy bill, the
Ninth circuit bill. the codification bill.
negotiable instrument bill, the oil bill
and dozen other matters which
t NIL lNa .oF
during the next two weeks all await
the settlement of the wolf bounty
squabble. On Wednesday the speaker
was not able to call the house together
till 2:2O because of the wordy riot on
! the floor between the wolf bounty men
and their opponents. The lie was
passed freely and at one time it looked
as though there might be a general
flsticuff contest. The strictly agri-
cultural element is against the bounty
| bill. These men say the cattle inter-
est of the range which for thirty years
has escaped taxation can take care
OF itself and they point to the recent
exposure Of fraud made as evidence
that such a law will constantly bear
such fruit. The feeling has grown SO
intense that whichever way it is set
tied by the legislature an appeal is
likely to be made to- the people through
| the referendum.
The probable early passage through
the house of the amended bill regulat-
Ing mutual insurance companies has
| created stir among those who have
had a notion of organizing such COM
panies. Within the last few hours
mutual company, organized for the
purpose Of taking commercial risks
has been formulated at Pierre. Ex-
Commissioner of Insurance Frank G.
King is the promoter of the enterprise
and will be secretary of the new COM
pany while John D. Hilger one of the
foremost capitalists Of this part Of the
state will be it's president The incor-
porators are among the heaviest cap
ltalists of Pierre B. A. Cummins of
the First National ank, C. L. Hyde and
A. Ewert Of the National Bank of Com
merce being the leading men who have
| taken a hand in the new organization.
Under the new law it will be necessary
for mutual companies to have 5000, 900
of risks before engaging in business.
This will be we'll nigh prohibitive and
will give the several companies now
| doing business a monopoly of the field.