The Minneapolis journal., 1901-03-08
HENNEPIN'S BEATEN
Committee Reapportionment Scheme
Goes Through the House.
TWO VERY MAD LEGISLATORS
Messrs. SOmerviIIe and Larson Say
the BiIrs Managers Broke
Faith.

The congressional reapportionment as
planned by the subcommittee OF seven.
went through the house this morning.
Guided by the skilful hands of the eoni-
mlttee members. it passed the house by
= vote of 50 to 81.
The generals in command handled thelr
campaign with consummate skill but
some OF them are charged with bad falth
by Senator Somerville and Representa-
tive Larson. the disappointed second as
Jrict members.
AS stated in h e Journ Tuesdas,
the committee members agreed to con-
cession leaving Redwood county in the
second district and Waseca in the first.
In return for this Somerville and Larson
agreed TO call off their opposition. In
the house this morning Mr. Larson pre-
sented the amendment and ii was lost py
a lie vote, some members of the commit
tee voting against him.
Larson Boiling. Mad.
Larson was boiling with indignation and
spoke freely TO Il man. lie
said:
They agreed to stand by my amendments.
Anderson, the chairman of the committee,
told me he would vote for it, and If l wanted
him TO. would introduce it. They said there
was no question about my getting votes
enough for the amendment. Last night at 10
o'clock some of them got their heads together
and decided to do AS late as this morn
ing Anderson told me he would not vote
either way, but when the division was called
he voted against my amendment. The mem
bers from Lincoln, Lyon and Yellow Medi-
cine counties also voted against my amend
ment My original plan left them in the
second district, where they wanted to be,
but that failed and as they did not get
what they wanted they would not let Red
wood have what it wanted. They voted
against us. l suppose it is too late to do any
thing, now. but if We had only had roll
cali / think l would have won.
The generalship of the committee mem
bers is shown by their success in dividing
the opposition. They took the second dis
tpict malcontents away from the opposi-
tion with their concession, Hennepln was
slaughtered easily and Larson and his
Redwood county plan were also disposed
Of.
J. A. PetersOn's Speech.
James A. Peterson OF Hennepin made
one Of the speeches of the session in op-
posing the bill. He certainly. gained votes
for the opposition. as no one expected II
to muster 81. When the roll was called
he wanted TO explain his vote and was
preparing to go after the committee
rough-shod again, but Mr. Jacobson raised
q point Oh OIu6I, anu WAAAC hS "~N0 A~S--
ing up authorities, Peterson announced
that he would not speak since Mr.. Jacob
son was so solicitous to shut him off
Mr.. Peterson in leading the minority
enjoyed one unique advantage. Tne
chances of defeating the bill were so
slender that there was no necessity 1or
moderation Feeling himself free to deal
beldlv with the injustice Hennep1n coun-
ty had sustained Mr.. Peterson took up MS
argument with great Yigor. He said in
part -
measure l feel that so far as the committee
is concerned l am speaking TO men who have
fully decided the matter and are only waiting
for an opportunity TO record their votes in
accordance with such decision. Nevertheless
Mr. Speaker, I feel it is my duty to call
the attention of this house to reasons why the
report of this committee should not become a
law. This bill is morally, politically and
legally wrong and if passed will do an in
justice to Hennepin county which l repre-
sent to the state of Minnesota, which l serve,
and to the political party to which belong.
If there is any principle that is sacred to
every true American citizen it is that all
men should have equal rights. This was
enunciated on the birthday of the republic
and has never been denied or lost sight OF
by the people Of this country.
Here Mr. Peterson read from the con-
stitution of Minnesota, declaring that the
majority bill was in violation of the con-
stitution, which prescribes that districts
are to be as nearly equal as possible. Mr..
Peterson then asked why Hennepin coun-
ty was Disseminated against. Was it be-
cause Hennepin did not pay its share OF
the taxes of the state? Was it because
Hennepin had received too much political
consideration? Was it because Hennepin
had not stood by the party? Hennepin
did not ask for any particular district, but
only asked to have the river taken as a
boundary line.
Continuing Mr.. Peterson said:
You may pass this bill, gentlemen, and do
an injustice to one of the fairest and bright
est spots in our beloved state, but you can
not rob our city of any of its vigor, strength
or fame. You are proud of her now You will
be more SO in the future. Do not do anything
to-day that you will be ashamed of re-
gret Gentlemen, We can always afford to do
right, but we can never afford TO do wrong.
A majority can control but, remember that
control must be just or it will put the min
ority in power. have confidence in you men.
You all want to do right. Throw off all en-
tanglements and rise above personal and local
considerations, interpret correctly the declar-
alton of independence and our own bill of
rights, defeat this unjust bill and send it
back to the committee where it originated
Do not breathe into it the breath of life
by your votes Let it die here and now and
you will have served well your constituents
and your state and the political parties to
which you belong.
AnderSOn's Defense.
Mr.. Martin, Ramsey democrat.
claimed the floor long enough to comment
on the political jobbery'' the bill rep
resented.
Mr. Anderson, chairman Of the sub
committee, undertook a defense of the
committee and the bill. He conceded
that much weight must attach to the ex-