The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1905-03-23
NEWS AND GOSSIP FROM THE
STATE CAPITOL.
St. Paul, March 20, 1905


general orders and from general orders
to final passage, has really been a
caution, at least in comparison with
the first half of the session. Naturally
enough not all bills have been SO
fortunate, it being the lot of many to
fall by the wayside, some mourned by
many friends, others mourned by few
or none. One of the measures which
the Senate killed last week was the
Dale anti-cigarette bill, and although
its failure to pass was quite generally
prophesied it did not "down" without
hard fight. Senator Dale OF Lac
qui Parle, was the author and it is but
fair to him to say that he put up a
vigorous defense in face of the deter
mined onslaughts Of the bills
opponents, chief among whom was
Senator Horton of St. Paul. The
motion made in committee of the
whole recommending the passage OF
the bill was lost by the narrow margin
of one vote.
J. J. !.
On Friday another of the most
talked of measures of the session was
buried without much pOmp or cere-
mony, namely, the Eberhart bill
providing for the adjustment OF
private banks. Under the provisions
of this bill all private banks in the
state would either be compelled to
cease doing business or else incOrpo.
rate as state or national banks. The
bill was supported strongly by large
number of bankers who own state OF
national banks and as ardently
opposed by nearly every private banker
in the state. The Senate committee
on banks and banking submitted a
bill as a substitute for the drastic
Fberhart bill The substitute was
drawn up by subcommittee consist.
ing of Senators Ward, Stone and
w. A. Smith and it appears to me to
offer a most satisfactory salution Of
the problem. 1t provides that private
banks shall be under the supervision
of the state public examiner and that
in no case shall there be less than
$4,000 ca pital, all paid up. The
amount of capital is graded up to
5000 according to the population OF
the village or city in which the bank
is located. look for this bill to pass
An up-country friend of mine asked
me the other day whom | considered
to be the ''leader'' in the Senate. 1t
didn't take me very long to realize
that this simple question was al
together too hard nut for me to crack
but is opened up rather interesting
subject for thought. l confessed to
my friend that simple as his query
might seem to him | was utterly un-
able to answer. Two or three times
later, as | have sat at my desk looking
out over the senatorial bunch, the
question has REQUIRED to me. So far
have satisfied myself as to one thing
only, and that is that the Senate has
no real "leader'' or else has several oil
them. On the other hand there are
very few "followers,'' in the generally
accepted meaning of the term
Senator Albert Schaller's title to the
leadership of the minority will
probably not be seriously questioned
while on the republican side for one
should be 10th to choose between such
men as Lord, Brewer, Somerville
Thompson, Morgan, Ward, Horton
Thorpe and-well, really, there are sc
many men of considerably more than
average ability in the Senate that il
would almost require man of the
most exceptional ability to attain to g
position of leadership among them.
+ + +
The house presents a somewhat
similar condition of affairs, though j
cannot be successfully denied thai
among its members there are severa
would-be leaders, men who would like
pretty we'll to attain to the distinction
of "leader" if it were only possible
The present house has often beer
referred to in my hearing as probably
the most peculiarly and oddly con
stituted of any house in the history O
the state, not even barring the Justly
famous populist house OF some years
ago. Some commentaries are
brave enough to attribute this condi
ton to the primary election system
while others are content to explain il
as being merely one of the inscrutablt
mysteries of the age. Certain it is
and those who have followed its work
ings at all closely, will agree that thu
House has this year furnished more
than the usual number of surprises
Men who are serving their second OF
third term, who in previous sessions
have contented themselves with re-
naming in the seats of the lowly
have suddenly developed talent fol-
leadership apparently inconsistent
with their past records. Others who
before aspired to prominence have as
unaccountably stepped down and GU,
Of the limelight. Ofsthun. Gandrud