Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1907-05-25

our readers some time
records as they appear in the Journal
of the house, does not necessarily in
sure familiarity with the course Mr..
Spooner pursued with regard to some
very important measures. With re-
gard to these, we must rely on the
evidence furnished by the newspapers
and by reliable witnesses. The journ-
ais will show that Mr.. Spooner voted
for the reciprocal demurrage bill, for
the two cent fare bill and for the anti
pass bill; but unless Mr.. Spooner is
greatly and persistantly misrepre-
sented, those votes do not indicate
an attitude persistently and consist
emily maintained.
The reciprocal demurage bill was
the first railroad measure to be con-
sidered by the house. Moreover it
was pivotal measure. What its fate
was to be would decide the fate of all
other legislation regulating railroads.
1t was the subject at number of
of public hearings in committee rooms
and Mr.. Spooner's attitude towards it
at these hearings was such as has sub
jected him to criticism. At no time
was he unequovocally in favor of the
measure. While he reported it to the
house with recommendation for its
passage, he made no secret of his dis
approval of it. He insisted on retain.
ing clause in it (known as the Klein
amendment), which the author was
willing to abandon and which he knew
subjected it to criticism. The result
was the rejection of the bill in its first
form, and the taking it out of the hands
of the railroad committee altogether
and its reference to a special COM
mittee which had no difficulty in re-
drafting it in few days so that it
proved acceptable to the house, al
though Spooner's committee had been
unable to effect that purpose in as
many weeks. ... ..
Another railroad bill which was the
subject of wide discussion and on
which there were a number of hear
ings Is referred to in an earlier para
graph of this article. 1t provided that
before railroad could issue any stocks
or bonds the purpose for which the
money was to be used must have the
approval of the railroad and ware
house commission and such stocks OF
bonds could not be sold at less than
par. Further provision was made
that the money raised from the sale
of stocks and bonds could only be used
for the purposes outlined to the COM
mission. The object of the bill was to
prevent overcapitalization and to re-
quire railroads to pat honest money
into their property. Mr.. Spooner op-
posed this bill on the floor of the house
in one of the strongest speeches made
during the session. Singular to say
however, his vote will not be found
recorded against it. Although his
name was twice called he did not have
the courage to give effective backing
to his talk. He sidestepped the re-
sponsibility and lodged the vote.
The support given by Mr.. Spoone1
to the two-cent fare bill was half
hearted. He was among the first to
begin to talk compromise and he urged
it upon the house in more than one
speech. After the bill had been pas
sed, speaking of another matter, he
declared that he with other members
had voted for it against their better
Judgment. And this Notwithstanding
the pre- election campaign he took a
stand in favor of lower passenger
fares, declaring that "the people are
now entitled to lower fares prevailing
in this state" In this connection, and
at the same time Mr.. Spooner denoun-
ced the free pass an evil, but the meas
ure which it proved most difficult te
pry out of the railroad committee was
the anti pass bill, and it was not un-
til very late in the session that the
repeated efforts of Judge Hicks to dc
SO proved successful. 1t then trans
pired that Mr.. Spooner had referred
this measure, which he professed to
favor, to sub committee of which
John Lennon, member from Min
neapolis who had opposed it as he hao
opposed the reciprocal demurrage bi!
and the two cent fare bill, was chair
man. Although Mr. Lemons pro