Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1907-03-02
st. Paul. Feb. %.

1t should not be asserted that the
House was intoxicated at the last
!, Thursday session, as one perplexeo
person limited. But there is room fol-
the suggestion that its entire intellec-
tuality iapsed for few short seconds
even tho the cause is a matter OF mys-
terry. For half hour its behavior
was hysterical, to say the least. After
six weeks of studied deliberation, the
character and conduct of the Minnie
sofa House of Commons suddenly be-
came changed and two very important
bills were passed under suspension OF
the rules. These measures were the
proposed law establishing farm ma
chinery plant at the state peniten-
tiary and a. two cent fare bill.
The two-cent fare bill was railroad
ed thru at speed of about ninety
miles an hour. 1t came directly from
the railroad committee and was trav-
cling so astonishingly fast that it
hardly slowed up while passing the
house. The bill was read as it dashed
by, but there were no printed copies
for the members to weigh and con-
slider. The rules were suspended and
it was all over in the twinkling of an
eye. A two-cent fare bill had been
approved by the house and as this
reality dawned upon the amazed
members there were cheers and hearty
hand -clapping. All realized that
something great has been accomplish
ed, they hardly knew how.
What was the occasion for such
feverish haste? The law, as proposed
in this bill, was not a matter of i'm
perative and instant necessity. 1t
was not to become operative until
May first. In view of this fact could
the hysterical haste of the House be
justified on the ground that the meas
ure was of supreme Importance? Was
that not reason rather for regular
routine deliberation?
The question naturally arises; were
the foolish friends or the designing
enemies of railroad reform RESPONSE
ble for the wild flight of the bill thru
the house2 Let us briefly review the
preliminaries. Earlier in the session
four different two -cent fare bills were
introduced and placed in the ieaafds OF
the railroad committee for consider
alton and report. So much time was
given to public hearings by this COM
mittee that several members became
impatient at the delay and an attempt
was made to recall all the bills bear
ing on this subject and create a new
committee to consider them and re-
port back to the house the best bill of
the four, or a redraft embodying the
better features of them all. The OBJ
ject of this move was not so much to
cast discredit upon the railroad com
mittee as to insure speedier action. A
great majority OF the members were
uncompromisingly in favor of this
measure and were honestly anxious 80
pass the bill and thus satisfy the geu
eral demand for its enactment.
But the attempt to supersede the
railroad committee with a special
committee was lost in compromise
move by which the House instructed
the railroad committee TO report back
twocent fare bill within five days.
Then followed some stormy sessions
of that committee which can only be
interpreted to mean that it's member
ship was not agreed on this phase of
railroad reform. A Subcommittee
was finally created without consulting
the chairman, to redraft two cent
fare bill so be reported back 'twitk
the recommendation that the same do
pass" All this was accomplished
with surprising celerity. On Thurs
day morning, just after the regular
House session opened, the railroad
committee was called together and
adopted the work Of its sub, com
mittee.
Immediately following this commit
tee meeting the House convened and
the redrafted two-cent fare bill was
placed before that body. When its
introduction and approval by the rail-
road committee were announced
motion was made to make the bill
special order for certain day, upon