The Saint Paul globe., 1905-01-04
HOUSE NOW READY
TO GRIND OUT LAWS
Lower House of Legislature
Elects Slate and Is For
malIy Organized

The Democratic members of the
house of representatives Joined with
the Republican majority yesterday in
putting through the slate prepared at
the Republican caucus Monday night.
The slate went through without so
much as scratch on its surface, and
practically every member of the house,
Republican and Democrat. voted for
all the caucus nominees. The usual
number of resolutions relating to
mileage of members, rules for the
government of the house, appointing
a committee to notify the retiring and
incoming governors and the drawing
of seats were passed at the first meet
Ing of the house body, but only in one
minor instance was there the faintest
semblance of friction.
A resolution offered by Represent
ative Asher Murray, of Wadena, pro-
vided that H. e. Craig, the oldest
member of the house, be given his
choice of seat; that the old men,
bers of the house be given first choice
after Craig had made his selection, and
that the new members then be permit
ted to select their seats. In all except
the complimentary reference to Craig
the members We're. under the resolu-
tion, to select their seats by drawing
their names from hat, a page doing
the drawing.
Resolution Starts Debate
N. f. Hugo, of ST. Louis, moved
substitute resolutions, providing that.
members of the house at previous ses-
sions, members who are deaf and
members over sixty years of age, be
given first choice of seats and others
n snI IE<,f .<a{xr
Adams, of Otter Tail, moved a substi-
tute that the Craig motion be exempt
ed from the original resolution, but it
was laid on the table, and after w. B.
Anderson, M. d. Flower and others
had attacked the Hugo substitute its
author withdrew it. The debate was
a bit heated, and this was the only
suggestion during the session of two
hours that invited discussion.
At exactly II o'cleckSP. E. Hanson,
secretary of state, called the members
together, and designated B. S. Bennett,
OF Polk, as secretary pro tenn. of the
convention. He invited the presenta-
ton of credentials and introduced c. L.
Brown, associate justice of the supreme
court, to administer the oath of office
to the members.
The representatives came forward in
groups of ten, and were sworn in. The
roll call showed J.. L. Oleson, of Chi
sago, and B. S. Timberlake, of Henne-
pin, absent, but Mr.. Timberlake ap-
peared later. Mr.. Oleson was at the
Merchants hotel, and his physician had
forbidden him to leave the house
The taking of the oath of Office de-
yeloped funny things. The members
We're called alphabetically, and Haskell
and Hammergren, of Ramsey, came to
the desk in one group, and Tanning and
Fraser, Of Olmsted, in another. Repre-
1foff 81
"a luxuriant growth Of whiskers, and it
was remarked that the other two
thirds of the crop of the ST. Louis
county hirsute adornment was over
in the senate chamber in charge of
Senator'S Laybourn and Pugh.
clague Made Speaker
When all the members had taken the
oath. j. T. Oftshun, of Pope, nominated
Frank Clague, Of Redwood, for speaker.
There were numerous seconds, and M.
L.. Fosseen. of Hennepin, moved the
nomination be made by acclama ton.
George w. Armstrong gave his col
league a panied look, and informed the
house that the nomination must be
made by roll call.
On the call of the roll, M. j. O'Laugh-
lin, of Wabasha, the first Democrat on
the list, voted for Frank Clague, and
all the other Democrats followed suit
The vote was 1T for Clague,
Speaker Clague was greeted with an
outburst of applause in assuming the
chair. He grasped a handsome ebony
and ivory gavel, a present to A. N.
Dare, when in 1899 he was speaker of
the house, from the State Editorial as
sociation. Mr.. Clague spoke briefly
but pointedly on his policy as speaker
He said:
I thank you again for this office to
which you have elected me. wish to
again reassure you that I will be fair
in the appointment of committees, but
there are 119 members and you must
remember that no one member can be
on four or five of the best committees
You are all my friends, and would
like to reward you all, but shall rec
ognize the various districts in the ap-