The Red Cloud chief., 1901-03-08
CONTEST BECOMING FIERCE
senate SIN Debating the Normal School
Bnu.


Bin.
Lincoln, March 6.-The f~ercest fight
waged over a bill In many years is GO
ing on In the senate. A bill authoriz-
ing the location of two new normal
schools, one In the Fifth and the other
in the Sixth congressional district,
carrying an appropriation of 500, 900,
is championed by Allen of Furnas and
ably supported by Currie of Custer and
other members. The opposition is led
by Crounse OF Washington, Harlan OF
York, Young of Stanton and Oleson OF
Cunning. Senator Arends of Otoe,
chairman of the committee on finance,
ways and means, has also taken part
with the opposition.
The bill has already passed the house,
following closely upon the heels Of n
bill appropriating Z 5000 for a new
building at the Peru normal school.
This latter bill glided through the en-
ate yesterday with practically no OPP
position, but the fight on the two new
school bills Is still on. Both sides
make charges and counted charges.
Those who champion the bill deny all
this and allege that two new schools
are demanded as the just duo Of the
western part Of the state, where the
youngpeople are practically deprived Of
educational facilities offered by the
state in the eastern part, that a dozen or
more private normal schools have men
here lobbying to kill the bill in order
to cut off competition ,th~atthese schools
are able to hire able lawyers to help
them in their Rght, and that members
Of the senate have threatened to injure
other state institutions IL this bill is
not defeated. The supporters Of the
bill believe they have enough votes to
pass the bill, but they charge the OPP
position with endeavoring to kill 1t by
amendments or by dilatory tactics.
Both sides occasionally inject a little
politics into the debate.
An amendment adopted in the com
mittee Of the whole yesterday substi-
tutes the board of public lands and
buildings for the state board Of educa.
ton as the body to select the sites. A
fight will be made on this when II
comes before the senate for adoption.
II the amendment is adopted the bill
will have to 60 back to the house and
there run the chance Of being killed
pThe senate indefinitely postponed
Martins bill placing the clerk of the
supreme court on a salary Of 50 500 n
year and requiring all fees to be turned
into the state treasury, five or six re-
publicans and a majority Of the fusion
lists voting in the affirmative.
Six bills were passed by the senate,
among the number being the bill to
appropriate SIS 900 for a new building
at the Peru normal school, aud one ex-
empting town, precinct and school Off
GERS from the provisions of the cleo
ton law commonly called the corrupt
practice act.
The house committee OF the whole
had q dissertation on constitutional
law yesterday. The senate bill pro-
viding for the appointment Of nine
commissioners of the supreme court
was talked over at length in all it's
phases. Mccarthy Of Dixon offered
an amendment providing that no more
than five of the commissioners shall be
appointed from the majority party
in the state and no more than
-four from the minority parties.
This was opposed by the fusion
lists as a partisan measure and it
was said on their part that they
hoped the bill would go through with
out any politics in it. The amend
ment was adopted by a party vote after
the republicans explained that the ac-
ton was no more than proper in such
a bill as it was the duty of any party
passing the bill to so distribute the
commissioners as the people would dis
tribute them were the proposition sub
mitted to them Whitmore of Hamli-
ton opposed the bill from constitution.
al grounds and the argument consum-
ed a great deal of time. The measure
was finally agreed npon and recon-
mended for final passage.