The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1905-01-19
NEWS AND GOSSIP FROM THE
STATE CAPITOL.

H erald to contribute to his valuable
paper bunch of legislative "side-
lights and since promise is debt
that can only be paid by fulfllment,
/ presume it's up to me to begin the
fulfilling part-so here goes. How
ever, before saying any more I want
it distinctly understood that Pm not
going to tell all see or hear in this
new building of magnificent dis
tances" or about the hotel Hobbies,
and furthermore it is not my intention
to bore the Herald's vast army of
readers with too much detail about
the several hundreds of bills that will
be introduced during the legislative
session. What shall do-well, that's
another story.
To begin with, word or two about
the elegant new capitol building may
not be amiss. Beholding it from the
outside the observer finds it some
what difficult to believe that four and
a half million dollars are represented
in the "white marble pile," but on
entering it's stately portals there meets
his eye one of the most wondrously
beautiful and inspiring sights that
can we'll be imagined. The immense
dome with its splendid colorings and
gilded decorations and immense
| ohio p1oI;or ouopondod from, tho ,orx,
top, the two grand stairways, the huge
columns of highly polished marble,
the mural decorations, the we'll ap-
pointed suites # office rooms with
their elegant furniture and fixtures,
and finally the three grand chamters
OF the Senate, House and Supreme
Court one after the other OF these
come within the horizon of his gaze,
the interested observer is tempted to
wonder how it all could be done and
paid for within the specified amount.
| And yet when one has told of the
great beauty and splendor of the new
state house there remains little
enough to be said. From one depart
ment after another of the states
government have come complaints
and it is but fair to add that the
complaints are not without causes.
The Office suites are as a rule poorly
arranged in themselves as we'll as
with respect to those other depart
ments with which there is consider
able business to be transacted daily.
In some instances there is not suffi-
cient room, and the doubt has already
been frequently expressed as to
whether or not the new building will
be able to properly accommodate the
states growing business.
The first two weeks Of the session
have been unusually quiet, owing,
no doubt, to the early settlement of
the senatorial question. Had the
Clapp managers failed in their "early
caucus" plan, the story to be told at
this date might be much different and
again-well, it might not be. Van
SAINTS boom, apparently self-infiated,
collapsed before the ropes were even
loosened, and it appears from SUBJ
sequent developments that the one
vote with which he was credited was
merely temporary loan. Judge
Gilfllan, the Hennepin candidate,
failed to produce much enthusiasm
| for his cause even with his home
delegation. Senator Clapp had the
goods to drop into the vernacular, and
showed that he could "deliver" when
the time came. He will be elected
this week triumphantly and his return
to the senate will, firmly believe,
be a source of satisfaction to large
majority of the citizens of the state,
regardless of party. Some half a
dozen democratic members have
stated their intention to vote for Clapp
because they believe such a course
will reflect the sentiment of their
constituents.
|
There was very little friction notice
able in the organization of either
branch of the legislature, the senators
holding over and recognizing on the
lines of two years ago, while in the
house the speakership question was
settled some weeks before the opening
of the session. The selection of Hon.
Frank Clague as speaker seemed to
meet with general satisfaction and
his easy victory was instrumental in
bringing him into the limelight as
gubernatorial possibility in 1906.
Clague was touted as a looming
man." and he probably is. But
there is now a cloud lowering about
his political horizon, which may yet
prove more threatening than at
present appears. The why and where
fore lies in Mr.. Clague's assignment
of committee places, which, to judge
from what has come to my ears, has
been productive of considerable criti-
cism of anything but favorable
nature. The disappointed and COM