The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1903-05-01
Attempt to Force Passage of
Corrupt Traction Franchise
Act Causes Riot.
STRIKE ON LEGISLATION
Effort to Stop All Bushes Till There
Should Be Action on the Traction
Measures Starts Trouble
History of the Matter.

I'll action can be secured on the trac-
tlon question was clearly manifested
IN the house this morning. The test
came on the child labor bill, called w
oy Davies. NJ bill was on it's third
reading, and when the roll commenced
on its passage, Allen, whose name heads
lie list Of members on roll call, arose
and said:
Il notice by this mornings paper
that my friends in Chicago have gone
into the hands Of a receiver Qaughter),
n they must have relief before an
other wheel turns in this house; there
fore l refuse to vote on this question:
When the name Of Daviet was
reached he said he was the %introducer
of this bill and directly responsible for
having 1T put to a vote at this time,
n asked that the roll call be taken.
The bill failed Of passage, yeas so,
nays l., and Davies gave notice of a
motion to reconsider.
Lindley Bill UP.
T was 1920 when Speaker Miller
announced the Lindley municipal own
ership bill was the special order, on
second reading. The bill was read,
dnen Mr.. Lindley was recognized and
offered some amendments formulated
at Tuesday nights conference. Before
these were read he made a statement
to the house explaining them.
shortly before noon Speaker Miller
advanced the Lindley bill Ito it's third
reading, when the friends of the Muel-
Ter bill made an attempt to pull him
out of the chair.
In the midst of the turmoil the speak
er declared the house adjourned.
Immediately after Miller left the
chair Mr.. Murray took the floor and
called on the house to elect a peake
protein. Charles Allen of Vermillion was
declared elected speaker pro TEN, and
forced his way throug h a surging mob
to the speakers desk. Henry BETTER
acted as clerk.
Speaker Pro Tenn Allen ordered the
center aisle cleared, but discovered all
the house officers had left. Then the
janitors We're called upon, but failed to
respond. The roll call was then or
dered to see If a quorum were present.
During the reading of the names the
confusion became SO great it was i'm
possible for the clerk to be heard as he
called the roll, and two sergeants at
arms We're appointed and ordered to
clear the aisles and preserve order.
Representative Gray, in answering to
his name, declared:
The speaker has violated the oath
Of his office and the constitution of the
state of Illinois n we now are VIC
lating the law by running a rough
AAouoS a. 1llo Liz
After much confusion the roll call
was finally completed and showed 81
members present.
Mr.. Sherman then made an extended
ak on the constitutional status of the
existing session Of the house. He stated
that 81 members compose a constitu-
tional majority. He held that the house
mad not been destroyed by the abdica-
ton of it's regular presiding officer.
He might die" said Sherman, land
For parliamentary purposes, in this
house, he is now dead.'
After some further parliamentary
questions were disposed of the munich
pal ownership bill was recalled from
It's third reading.
the Mueller bill as a substitute for the
Lindley bill.
On the first two amendments there
we're roll calls, and the endme
we're adopted. Succeeding amendments
embracing several sections of the Muel-
.er bill and a new section, prepared by
Edwin Burritt Smith, specifically limit
.ng all grants to 20 years, was dopted
by a viva voce vote. 1t was then de-
5cided to leave the bill on the second
reading. Accordingly further consid-
grafton was temporarily postponed.
The trouble which brought a crisis of
violence at Springfield today has been
Brewing all winter. The people of chi.
eago, overwhelmingly committed to mu-
ton passed enabling the city to extend the
franchises Of the traction companies. on
conditions which should reserve to the
city the right to take oyer the lines on
as the city's financial affairs should make
It possible. The traction interests, pre-
sumed to be represented in Illinois poll
lies by VIM. r. Lorimer, congressman
from the Sixth district-a Chicago district
opened their fight by securing control
Of the speakership. Miller was their can
aard fight. defeating L. Y. Sherman,
speaker of the previous session. Miller
was branded from the start as a traction
tool.
The Mueller bill was drafted BY the Chi
cago people. 1t was agreed upon before
the Chicago election by all the candidates
Harlan, barrow, Harrison and stewart
But the traction power in the legislature
was in control. Lindley, chairman of the
corporation committee to which these bills
had to be referred, refused to let the bill
though republicans urged it's passage
would. save Stewards election.
Instead, Lindley got up a new bill, we'll
understood 10 represent the wishes Of the
Traction companies, and pressed it as a
substitute for the Mueller measure. Pc
fore the committee Mayor Harrison. after
he had been elected; Graeme Stewart, his
republican opponent, and John NJ. Har-
Ian, whom Stewart had defeated for the
republican nomination-all appeared to-
gether, together with a great COMMITTEE
q representatiye G%hicagoans and pleaded
relentless and had the COMMITTEES. The
traction companies bill was pressed to-
ward passage and the crisis came TODAY.
Present conditions recall the passage Of
ago, which. procured by %frightful corrl1p-
ton, permitted the corrupt council Of
Chicago, controlled by the street car COM
panies, to extend franchises. The people
of Chicago rose en- masse and at the CRIT
?ical council meeting, when the measures
were to pass, the council chamber was
thronged by citizens, armed; aldermen
had been kidnapped in order to prevent
their voting for the measure; lynchings
were threatened, and in the end the cour-
age and determination Of the citizens pre-
vented the passage of the traction meas
ures, and the Allen bill was repealed at
the next session OF the legislature.
The insolvency of the Union Traction
company. which was announced yester-
day as. q tremendous surprise, precipi-
3tated the crisis today, which, however,
was apparently inevitable before the ses-
sion's enc.
May BE vlcTiMizED.