Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1901-03-08
A FINE SCRAP
The Minority Tire Out the Majority
in the Capital Fight at Pierre and
Finally Win Out.

The Minority Tire Out the Majority
in the Capital Fight at Pierre and
Finally Win Out. ."
Pierre, s. D.. March 1.-THE fight in
the house Saturday night over capital
removal will be handed down as one of
the memorable parliamentary battles of
the state. For over six hours twenty
four members controlled ifty-nine and
prevented a vote on the joint resolution
to submit the amendment. During the
time about thirty roll calls we're had
almost as many as during the great pro-
hibition fight of eight years ago. Be-
cause of a rule adopted earlier in the
week, the removal question could be
presented to the house only through a
committee or by suspension of the rules.
The chairman of the committee on cleo.
tons and privileges attempted to intro
duce the bill, but was met with an
objection and a point of order that the
bill could not be presented from that
committee, as it's subject matter was not
pertinent to the subject the committee
was appointed to consider. The chair
sustained the point of order, w%hereupon
Mr.. Bras appealed. The Pierre people
moved to lay the appeal on the table.
which motion was lost on roll call. Then
followed motions to adjourn, motions to
take a recess and amendments to the
latter, and each time the house reached
the appeal the motion to lay on the table
was renewed, followed by the same
motions to take a recess or adjourn.
About s o'clock both sides served lunch
to their supporters in the house, and for
a short time there was a cessation of
hostilities. The lunch masticated, they
went at it again, hammer and tongs, and
occasionally there was a sharp inter
change of courtesies between the chair
and Seward of WATERFOWL, Price OF
Yankton and Bras of Dawson, the lead
ers of the majority. Benedict of Garter
and Goddard of Sully spoke for the
university. Several times when the chair
was charged with being unfair he de-
Tended his rulings with great deliberatior
and seeming l%ucidness, twice claiming
plainly he was not to blame neither was
he going to violate parliamentary law
for the purpose of helping a majority
reach a point that could be reached
easily under the rules if the majority
knew how to proceed.
At times feeling ran high, but tn
presence of a large crowd in the lobby
if nothing else, prevented the carrying
out of any idea that might have been en-
tertained of ousting the speaker from
the chair by force. Naturally the major
ity claims the speaker was wrong, bu
r he produced rules for his decisions ane
t commended the majority had no right t.
raise the point of dilatory motions whe1
it was attempting to violate the law ane
} take advantage of the minority by at
tempting to bring in a bill from a com
mittee that was not competent to con
| slider it under the rules. On the whole
however, remarkably good feeling pre-
vailed and it was clearly demonstrated
that the minority possessed the bette
parliamentary talent. Beyond the pass
ages between Seward and Price and tn
speaker there was little exhibition of bit
=, %terness, although neither side Lacked
anything in determination. Finally abou
5 midnight a compromise was reached
that the resolution should be introduced
and read twice before adjournment, ane
that upon converting on Monday at
O'Clock the resolution would be given it.
; third reading and final passage Withou
> any attempt at fllibustering,:
). When Mondays session opened tn
anti-Pierre combine had gone to piece
, all sorts of treachery and insincerit.
was charged by the representatives o
: one community against another and tn
. capital removal bill was. killed.