The Minneapolis journal., 1903-04-01
MEN AND MEASURES

Yesterday was a field day in the house
and one of the most important thus far
this session. . The passage of the st. Louis
fair appropriation and the state superin-
tendent's salary increase in the morning
were just foretaste. The defeat of the
Buck oil bill and the passage of the capt.
tol appropriation bill in the afternoon
made the session lively from first to last.
The debate on these two bills was not
particularly eloquent, but never Jagged,
and it was full of those short arm jabs
which delight the fighters soul.
:. The general opinion was that Bobby
Burns generalship defeated the Buck BILL,
but it might have been lost anyway. The
feature of the vote was that eight of the
eleven Ramsey county members voted
no." while on previous trials of
strength this delegation went almost
solid for the Morley and Peachey emascu-
lating bills. Counting on this vote, the
friends of the Buck bill were confident.
They had gained in Hennepin, where fif-
teen votes were cast for the bill, Girling
being the only negative. They brought
Daniel Sinclair from his sick bed in Wi
mona to make sure, and drummed up the
vote until all but six members were pres
ent. However, Mr.. Burns successfully
resisted the effort of the St.. Paul men.
to get the capitol bill out Of the way and
clear the decks for the Buck BILL z7Iie
forced action on the Buck bill, and the
generals of the state capitol appropria-
tion bill, realizing that they had every.
thing to lose and nothing to gain by sup
porting the Buck bill, went against it.
Messrs Hickey, McColl and Yoerg, all
democrats, stayed by it, but the rest voted
no, and those eight votes beat the bill,
saving the governor trouble again.
| There is still a chance for the uni
versity and normal schools. The Com
stock bill removing them from the board
of control will be brought up and passed
| in the senate, and may pass the house,
| though it, is not likely that the combina-
| ton will hold together there. The anti
administration influences which have been
| fighting for the Buck bill will do nothing
| for, the Comstock bill for it is just what
! the governor wants. Mr.. Burns held out
the "olive branch" yesterday with his
amendment, keeping the Faribault
schools under the board, but the uni
versity and normal school friends could
not take it without breaking faith, and
voted his amendment down: The admin
| istration influence will bexexerted for the
Comstock bill, which should have been
| introduced early in the session in both
houses, and it may be pulled through. It
is certainly desired by the board Of con-
/ troll l.5 Es.E III s.
One of the most interested spectators o
! the fight on the Buck bill was r. G. Dunn
the father of the board of control ides
in Minnesota, who has been working like
Ia Trojan against the bill, and was elatet
lat the board of control victory. In The
Hast two or three days Governor Van San
lmade his influence felt against the Rucl
Ibill He regarded the passage Of such {
bill as vote of want of confidence in the
board of control.
III The capitol fight is over at last and thu
commission has 81 800, 900 to spend In com
4 pletion of the building, with no restric
tior1s. The fight yesterday was not Owe,
! granting the money, but over the w. A
Nolan amendment to legislate the com
mission out of office Dec. 81, 1904. Thi
he backed by a letter from j. F. Jacob
son, declaring that the only way to ge
the capitol finished was to limit the time
The feature Of the debate was George w
Armstrong assault on the commission
for its big architects fees, and the sharl
Exchanges between Armstrong, Hickey
#l Sheppard and Burns.
| There has been Inisapprehension abou
1.-THE Jacoby bill relating to double trac]
istreet railways. 1t imposes an extra re
Istriction on building additional tracks. u
q requires that there must first be a peti
ton from two thirds Of the abutting prop