The Saint Paul globe., 1905-03-15
HOUSE KILLS PERLEY
FREE TEXT BOOK BILL
Author Fails i'm Attempt to
Have Measure Saved for
- Another Debate

The house yesterday by a decisive
tote. killed the Perley free text book
bill. c. II. Klein's motion, that the
bill be indefinitely postponed, was car
ried by a vote of 55 to 81. Mr.. Perley
tried to have his bill excepted from
the report of the committee and placed
on general orders, but by the same
vote the house refused to take the sug-
gestion, and the bill is regarded as
definitely disposed of for the session.
The fate of the Perley bill had been
foreshadowed by the attitude of menu
sberS for some weeks. RemonstranceS
had been pouring into the house from
alI. over the state, and members had
been told by their constituents that
the present optional law was working
admirably, and more than three
fourths of the school of the state had
adopted its provisions for free text
books.
The debate yesterday indicated some
little religious feeling among the
members. Mr.. Perley, in advocating
his bill, said that the remonstrances
suggested that they had been urged
by interests supporting parochial
schools, and this brought indignant
denials from c. H Block of Stearns.
Mr.. Perley insisted that the parochial
interests were opposing his bill be-
cause they feared it would make the
public schools more attractive to
pupils.
Moves to Kill Bill
c. H. Klein of Carver moved the in
definite postponement of the bill, and
seconds came from all over the house.
O. T. Ramsland of Renville made a
lively speech for the bill He said that
the school districts of the state were
rapidly taking advantage of the pro-
visions of the present law and that
the passage of the Perley bill would
put the state in advance of its neigh
bors in the cause of education.
]. T. Mannix of Minneapolis said
that his judgment was that the bill
would materially increase the attend
ance on the public schools, and for
that purpose alone he favored the bill.
j. Z. Wyman favored the bill, and A.
j. Rockne declared that the bill was
an invasion of the duty of the parent
to his child, and his declaration
brought applause from opponents of
the bill.
Deesan Makes Hot Speech
1t remained for John Deegan of
Scott to attack the bill and the
speeches that had been made in its
favor He had construed some of the
attacks on the bill as rejecting on re-
hgion, and he broke forth in a TRADE
against the advocates of the BILL
"One would think we were in Rus
sia instead of in free America" he
said. "The present laws on the stat
ute books are all right. The passage
of this bill will be a step backwards
and in the direction of Russia. have
heard arguments uttered here that
should not be heard in America. If
you say to the people that they must
do so and so, you had better go back
to Russia or some other country where
freedom of thought and action is de-
MED to the people"
The house yesterday killed another
educational bill. The Anderegg bill,
providing for an optional plan for con-
solidated rural schools and for the
transportation of pupils at public ex-
pense, was defeated on its final pas
sage by a vote of 55 to "a The bill
had been recommended for passage in
the committee of the whole, and the
decisive negative vote on its final vote
was somewhat of surprise.