Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1904-04-05
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NORTH DAkoTA's REPRESENTA-.
TON.
Tho wisdom Of keeping good men
in office, particularly in the United
States senate where seniority is of
such importance in determining COM
mittee places and positions in which
men may achieve good work is aptly
proven in the following statement
from Webster Ballinger, the Washing
ton correspondent Of the Grand Forks
Herald:
No state in the union is more ably
represented in the national congress
than North Dakota, and no delegation
In congress has accomplished more
for their constituents during the pres
ent session than her congressman and
representatives. Senator Hansbrough.
as chairman of the committee on pub
lie lands, is the controlling power in
legislation affecting public land ques-
tons. He is one of the best posted
men in the country on questions per-
tanning to public land laws and this is
one Of the burning questions at the
present moment. Before the com
mittee on public lands there is now
pending a bill proposing to wipe from
the statute books every vestige Of law
pertaining to further settlement upon
public lands. II this bill should be-
come law It would place people desir-
: ing to obtain homesteads solely at the
mercy Of the land grant railroad com.
panies who have vast tracts Of land,
donated to them by, the government
which are now being offered for sale
at fancy figures. Through the efforts
Of a gigantic lobby located at the ma
tional capital determined efforts have
been made to force the passage Of the
bill through the house and senate.
Senator Hansbrough, however, has
stood between these railroads and the
people and has waged determined
fight against the repeal of the home
stead laws. At last it is conceded by
the advocates of this railroad scheme
that their plans have been frustrated
and their objects defeated by the
4 North Dakota senator.
That Senator Hansbrough COM
mands the confidence of the members
of the United States senate to re-
markable degree was evidenced the
6ther day when he called up in the
senate and passed bill repeating the
timber and stone laws of the United
States and enacting other legislation
comforting authority upon the secre-
tary of the interior to sell timber and
stone from the public forests under
rules and regulations prescribed by
him. The bill was of vast importance
to the western states, and yet when
it was presented to the senate with a
report from Senator Hansbrough not
one word of debate ensued. The SEN
ator was asked if the bill had been
carefully considered by the committee
and he replied that it had and that in
the opinion of the committee it was
legislation demanded in the interests
of the public. The bill was passed
. ru{f
Senator McCumber likewise occu-
pies unique position in the United
States senate. There Is no man in
that body that has the confidence of
his fellow senators to a greater ex-
tent than he has, and there is no mem
Der Of the senate who is greater
student of public questions. This was
evidenced the other day when the
Indian appropriation bill was up for
consideration There was not a line
in that great omnibus bill OF more
than a hundred pages with which Sen.
ator McCumber was not familiar.
During the running debate which
lasted more than three days Senator
McCumber was the leading figure, and
\ many provision was retained in the
bill through his clear explanation Of
the objects sought to be accomplished.
and the equities contained therein.
During the debate the senator demon
q strated that be ID the equal Of amy
member of the senate upon great M.
tionaI legal questions Senator Pat
tsrs0n of Colorado who II recognized
= one q the ablest lawyers Oh the
dsm0ctatic side antaEonised several
provisions d The Indian Eli On Legal