Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1907-02-21
AFTER A HARD FIGHT
HOUSE FINALLY AGREES TO IN
ITlATIvE AND REFERENDUM.
Motion to Indefinitely Postpone Is Car.
ried, but on Reconsideration the Bill
Passes-Proposed to Divide State
Into Congressional Districts.

sembly for North Dakota will have
passed into history and the good or
bad which may have been accom-
plished will be before the constituents
OF those who have spent sixty days il
lawmaking and ~lawmending. Some
men will hear thou good and faithful
servant II some will go down to
political perdition, never to be heard
OF again. That there are a few of the
latter there is no mistake and there
are a few who we'll realize that they
erred in allowing themselves to be
antered for the contest in the arena of
politics. A number of these have done
D best they could and used their
best Judgment after they had caught
on to the ropes.
The ueland bill, a concurrent reso-
luton providing for the submitting of
an amendment to the state constitu-
ton, section 26, article IL, was before
the house in committee of the whole
On Thursday. 1t was reported by the
committee on state affairs with a
minority report, the latter recon-
mending that the feature of submitting
constitutional amendments under the
initiative and referendum be stricken
out of the bill, and it was discussed in
committee Of the whole along those
lines and for nearly two hours the
battle of debate waxed warm. The
supporters Of the minority report CON
tended that the people of no state
were so we'll guarded in the matter of
changing the constitution than were
those of North Dakota. If unwise pro-
vision slipped in it was the peoples
" fault, for they had absolute con
troll during the four years the subject
was before them. The amendments to
the bill, to strike out the constitutional
feature of the bill, failed to carry.
Finally GEES Through.
There was more sparring for wind
by the advocates of the bill. A mo-
tiqn that the copmittee, when it rise,
rscommending that the bill do pass
Was defeated. Finally a motion that
the bill be indefinitely postponed pre-
vailed, SO voting in the affirmative, As
II the negative and four absent and
not voting. The clincher was not
forced so Mr.. ICELAND later moved for
a reconsideration and the bill was
passed, the constitutional feature be-
ing stricken out. During the discus
sion OF the bill the prohibition ghost
was stalking about the chamber in
various forms and true to predictions
made by MI. Stevens a few days ago
that when a measure came up in
which prohibition was endangered the
house would not vote for it, and. true
to representation, the friends of pro-
hibition had the members informed
that under the initiative and referen-
dum that matter could come UP in
spite Of the legislature. There We're a
few prohibitionists who favored the
LELAND bill because they thought that
The primary measure should have a
harmonious companion and their con-
tention was that if the prohibition law
could not stand the test after a trial of
twenty years, which would be the case
when the initiative measure became
operative, it ought to be repealed. The
LELAND bill. is closely patterned after
the Oregon law.
Two Congressional Districts.
The usual biennial attempt to di-
vide the state into two congressional
districts is under way. 1t originated
in the senate in a bill introduced by
Senator Strom. The bill provides for
two districts-one district to take in
the counties south and tributary to
the Northern Pacific railroad and the
Northern district to take in the Great
Northern country-7will satisfy some,
but many will desire a division of the
state north and south-that is, a con-
g~ressional district of the western part
of the state and another comprising
the eastern counties. A few leaders
in both branches quizzed on the mat
ter leads to the conclusion that the
possibility for a change this year is
very remote.
Not only does this legislature want
the issuance of passes stopped, but it
wants the Pullman company to pay its
porters and stop the public from doing
it as we'll as paying for their berth OF
seat in the observation car. If things
keep on the old r%ailroading customs
VIII Ut 81 Sl6uIcu llldI lley VIII uOl
be recognizable.
The Bill Hopper Still Open.
The spout OF the bill hopper in both
branches of the assembly is still open
and all sorts Of measures come trick
ling down. Among seventeen meas
ures introduced in the senate a day
Or two ago was one providing for five
Judges of the state supreme court;
n that diplomas issued in first class
high schools be accepted as a teach
ers' second grade certificate after Jan.
1 next; another one to prevent frauds
IN the exemption laws Of the state
and providing sever penalties. There
are several bills relating to the Ii
censing of warehouses, which mean,
IN other words, efforts to make the
elevators good and stop their alleged
grasping methods. 1t Is surprising
how much attention is commanded
when any subject relating to elevators
l onnooc N A poooc,ro uyhich &c 1;Iyo1v