Emmons County record., 1907-03-28

ing the month Of Decemb0r preceding
a legislative session and not only pass
ON the constitutionality Of all proposed
bills, but also as to whether there are
not Identical bills presented, and, II
SO, throw out all but one. Bills to be
In the hands OF the court early In De-
cember. This would give the men,
bers-el elect the month Of November af-
ter election day in which to present
any bill that they may have made out
or wish to make out after they know.
that they have been elected.
~
The truth is. however, that our
critic down the street is a bit mistaken
as to his allegation that the resubmis-
sion bill was the lone and only" bill
presented by the house member from
this county. Outside Of the leading
issues such as resubmission. the
initiative and referendum, railway
legislation, the statewide primary,
etc.-the member from this county was
interested in only two reforms. One
was the securing OF payment to the
owner OF part Of the value OF horses
killed by state authority because OF
their having glanders. The member
from Emmons introduced one Of four
house bills on that subject. Each bill
had some good feature not in the other
bills. On motion the committee on
live stock was instructed to draw up .
committee bill in lieu Of the four bills
This they did, taking parts from each
bill. The composite bill was present.
ed as q committee bill" and passed.
The writer and other friends OF the
bill had hard fight on the floor Of
the house to keep members from the
eastern part of the state, where tuber-
culosis prevails, from extending the
bills provisions SO rs to cover tuber-
culous cattle killed by the state, which
would have made so much expense that
the senate would have rejected the
bill even ii it had finally passed the
house.
~
Another bill presented by the writer
was one to cure an evil Of which farm
ers tributary to Kintyre station, COM
planned last fall. There is no railroad
agent at Kintyre. Farmers would
haul their grain there and put 1t in
cars. No person representing the rail-
way appeared to seal the cars or to
give a receipt or bill therefor. The
cars would remain ON the side-track
day after day, and. ii thieves entered
the cars and took part or all of their
contents, the farmer would get moth
ing unless he got it as the result of q
lawsuit. In fact, wcll-known old
timer of the kintyre neighborhood in
formed the writer that 200 bushels Of
his fax was stolen from one of these
unsealed cars, and the bill was intro
duced with his case in mind. This
bill passed the house; but, having no
more support in the senate by the
senator from this district than the
bill to make Kidder county pay Bur-
leigh county a three -year-old
debt had opposition from him, the
bill was killed in that body.
~
From our experience of two sessions
In the lower house of the general as
sembly we have found that the men
who have the largest amount of in
fluence are not In most cases the men
who introduce bills by the peck or the
bushel. They are the members who
attend every days session, who take
part in the debate whenever a bill Is
under discussion which they think
will be for or against the inter.
ests of the people OF the STATE
In general and of the people o
their district In particular, but wlt
keep quiet when measures OF local in
terest to other sections are under dis
cussion: who serve willingly and faith
fully on the committees to which they
have been assigned; who, whether sue
cessful or the opposite in their advocl.
cy of or opposition to a bill, wipeevery
thing off the slate when "A certain bill
passes or is defeated, and come vi
smiling for the next round, and who
are willing to give credit for honest,
of purpose to those members who Op
pose the measures In which they
themselves, are interested. These
constitute the class of members who
come to be looked upon as reliable
and trustworthy by the entire mem
bership. Such member, when ap.
pointed on special committee, is al
ways willing to burn the midnight oil
II necessary, in preparing a report fol
the committee OF which lie is mem
ber. And we can assure our frienl
down the street that, II q committe.
report is to be written and there is 9
newpaper man on the committee, II
always happens that lie is assigned t.
write the report, whether or not lie bt
chairman Of the committee.
No; member cannot be fairl,
judged by the quantity of his bills, bu,
rather by their quality, and in man,
instances lie should receive the thank.
of his constituents for his energy IL
preventing certain kinds of legisla
tion, rather than for his success in
formulating and procuring the passage
| nf such lGrislaiinn