The Minneapolis journal., 1903-04-21
D. .,- !. n
,HENNEPlN's PART

had considerable influence in a quiet Way
HENNEPiN'szP PART
The Delegation Made Prominent Shows
.-:@, ing During the Session.
= Hennepin county kept up it's reputation
for discord, especially in the house, where
the delegation from the metropolis could.
generally furnish debaters on both Sides
of the question, enough to supply al 1.-The
needs of the house. However, the averages,
of ability in Hennepin was high. Altho
disunited the delegation commanded re-
spect Of both bodies, and had a great in
fiuence on legislation.
The lack of agreement in the delegation
was nothing surprising. The twenty
three members represented a good many
different sorts of people, and they We're
thrown together with Very little common
ground to meet upon. Unlike the mem
bers from the outside, they saw very lit
tie Of each other except at the capitol,
and had no common social life to create
a bond of sympathy. There was always
good feeling, especially toward the end of
the session, when they got better ac-
quainted, but the delegation had no
| "boss," and there was good deal of
kicking over the traces. The discord was
especially vexatious on local matters,
which were fought over all session.
The senators averaged up about as well
as in the previous legislature, the house
members better. Tho nearly all new
men, the house delegation was ahead Of
any in recent years for ability and inf1u-
ence. -s ' ~.
Four Of the seven senators served in
their third consecutive legislature, and
knew the ropes well. Senator Wilson,
| whose long years of public life naturally
| made him head of the delegation, took a
| place in the front rank, as he always
l L.
| constituency faithfully and WELL He had
hand in all the important legislation of
| the session, including the tax amend
| ment and the gross earnings bill. He
| was depended on many times as a floor
leader, and that he often led forlorn
hopes was not the fault of his general
ship. He was, however, a man who
scorned to take advantage of parliament
tary tricks, and sometimes suffered at the
hands of men who were not so scrupulous.
E. E. Smith stood next in time of serv-
ice to General Wilson, He was favored
in the organization of the senate, and
jheaded the important committee on taxes.
In both state and local matters he was
conservative, and his thoughtful turn of
mind did not seek display on the floor.
When interested in the proposition he
COULD round up votes more successfully by
!, heart to heart talks. -
Lowell E. Jepson. was a lear-headed.
unassuming member whose opinion
always treated with respect. He was an
efficient committee worker, and especially
interested in educational and commercial
matters. He made the fighting against
the trading stamps, and got the grocers'
bill thru the senate. to have it killed in
the house by the attorney generals opin-
| ion. In local matters he was safe and
/ business-like, and was never astray on a
matter involving principle. Z
5 John II. MCGOWAN, the lonely democrat
in the senate from Hennepin, was even
more modest than at previous sessions,
and confined his legislation to one BILL in
troduced at the request of his Polish con-
! stituents. which caused considerable mer-
riment.
J. F. Calhoun, who succeeded r. G. Pot
r ter, took the same sort of interest in local
1 matters, in which he was progressive and
r efficient. He represented the business in
, terests of the city in creditable fashion
g on several occasions, and was no mean
: antagonist in debate. He never shirked
E a duty, and made a good record
d E. F. Comstock could not measure up to
d the standard set for his district by F.. b.
5. Snyder, and did his best, and was fairly
d successful in looking after the university.
: He gave this most of his time, but also
c represented the courthouse and city hail
commission and was active in personal
# interviews, not attempting any oratory Il
n Henry J. Gjertsen, who defeated S. A..
) 0lOChWell LOT Te-eleCL1On,t proved a narlt
e worker, but attempted to do several things
7. in his experience which older men in
1t the legislatu would not have attempted.
: He made a hard fight to clean out the
n bucket shops, and succeeded as far as the
It senate was concerned, but ran against a
= strong anti-chamber Of commerce senti-
ment in the house, where the bucket shop
d attorneys turned his flank with another
X bill. His soldiers home pension bill was
+ as badly beaten at w. I. Nolan's in the
80 house. He was active in. local matters
lie especially on the salary bills. At the next
le session he should make an efficient mem
s. Der. Z
le The house delegation was a sort of all:
a. star aggregation. It contained at least
r. a dozen men Of ability and positive opin-
\ ions, and altho few had any Legislative
I'd experience, they succeeded,in one way anG
he another, in making regulations for them
er selves in the house. The large majority
of them could be returned without dam
j. aging the city's interests, tho it would b.
e. hard to bring them all in one corral whef
lp it came to a senatorial contest The.
III could not even flock bys senators dis
e. tricts rDeming and Gillette differed
le Armstrong and Girling failed to hitch
and Johnson and Shepherd clashed.s The
e.I quartet from, the forty first came about as
l. near dwelling together in unity as any .oi
id the crowd.
st Five out of the sixteen had served il
s. the 1901 legislature. One Of these wa.
I'd the lone democrat Of the delegation
el Charles Fust, who took more activ.
e. hand than at his first session, but wa.
in not inclined to push himself, and scenes
it to feel himself on the outside in. delega.
oy tion matters.
s. The other four old men were Arm
er strong, Deming. Johnson and Stevenson
IN These four were not exactly happy fam
+ lily from the first, and the speakershil
ne trouble started among them Each mai
OF in his way did important work durint
% the session. Armstrong developed quail
= ties of leadership, and was besides pop
Is ular In personal way among the mem
70 bers. He filed. the gap in the speaker,
chair for a week very acceptably, an,
y. y. when on the floor was in all the import
u = ant debates. He fathered the unsuccess
- full constitutional convention bill, was on
-. -, Of the leading advocates Of the wide opei
,as a tax amendments, and got thru an import
-, and fire escape bill, besides taking a lead
? FL ing part for the institutions in the boar
- Of control debates.
johnson started in the session wit
~ considerable influence acquired In tn
7 speakership fight, but lost some OF It b
,rs his compromise In the matter OF pat
ve ronage. also by antagonizing some OF hi
in strongest supporters in legislation. Fl
rn is man with considerable force Of char
th acter, and always adds life to debat
its by his vehement style. He had a gres
on deal Of work to do at the head of road
: H. l. IT,. - ~. -