The Goldfield news. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1904-1911, 1908-01-25
LEGISLATURE STRONGLY IN FAVOR
OF LAW AND ORDER MEASURE
Editorial Correspondence

Carson City, January %, 1908.
Bv III time this letter is in print the Nevada legislature will be well on
it's way to the passage of a state police bill, that will meet all the requirements
of the Law n order element of the state, and place Nevada in the ngh. hgh'
before the people of the country at large. 1t will douo'sss also nee. the r um
mands of the president, who insisted upon the enactmen of legislation that VIII
enable h people of Nevada to handle their domestic affairs" without the
necessity of calling upon government troops
pride If the members of the Legislature; for be it said that there are many
members of both bodice who ire members of organized labor. N wo would,
Legislation of the character of that which is impending as it is open to the
charge Of being class legislation, or at least in tn interests OF the employing
class IS against the wage workers
At the opening of the session it looked as if here would be great difficulty
in passing such a measure as would be effective. 1t looked as if partsanship
and personal and political feuds would enteri into the fight. The organization
of the senate and the house ws against the governor OF anything he might
advocate as a result of quarrels tina sprung up IN the las regular session. N
lieutenant governor, exomeo president of the senate, quarreled with the gov
rnor overp patronage and until the end of the session they were nt IN speaking
terms. Lieutenant Governor Diekers0ni is editor OF the ny hxpos'ora a sne
the regular session has been the governors most bitter critic especially in his
policy with regard to the Godhed strike n the troops; moreover he is "a
miner Of the Federation stripe.
Il the house Speaker skaggs is the leader Of the opposition to the governor.
He las been a MINER is now rich and aspires to be thu next congressman, and
is playing for the labor vote He is a bitter opponent of the governor and mas
denounced him in scathing terms. The speaker pro TEN If the louise is F. G.
Folsom, a blacksmith and labor leader of Reno.
1t will thus be seen that the outlook for the legislation asked by the gov
ernor in his message vas not aattering at the opening Of the session. With all
these leaders against the governor and with a strong labor membership, and
still stronger labor lobby, there was plenty of work laid nut Tor the advocates
At first it was thought wise tt introduce a bill that would meet with the
least opposition possible, wen to sacrificing the measure in som respects hop
ing thereby to get the larger part of a loaf when the whole loaf seemed unattain-
able. But as the session progressed it vas decided to put in the strongest meas
into the lime light the mn who were willing to oppose the recommendations
of the president and the governor fort the protection of the state integrity, be-
lines presented by the president of the Goldfeld Chamber of Commerce, vas
a.astad h. the mini anno;ute5 From the subcommittee ii went to
the joint committee OF the houses and senate composed of twenty members. The
bill was adopted by the subcommittee almost without the change of a comma,
and this afternoon it will go to the senate.
The senate will undoubtedly pas the bill unanimously The senate, barring
the lieutenant governor, the presiding officer who has no voe, is solid
for a good, effective police measure. The Democrats of the senate supported the
governor throughout the regular session and decided to stand by him N the
special But the Republican members of both senate and house arc to be espe
ciany commended; for the governor is of the opposite party and they might
have found reason in this fact to have opposed him; but OF the first day or wo
Of the session the senate and house republicans held joint caucus and decided
to support an aw and order measure the governor might recommend, or that
might be presented to the assembly as an administration measure; and to the
Republicans must be given the great credit for the passing If the measure.
MAIN PROVISIONS OF THE LAW
The bill % before the assembly establishes and creates a Nevada State
Police 1t centralZes authOrty over the police by making he ooyprnor the
chief commanding officer. Several bills were presented to the committee which
divided the governors authority, naming four other state officers with the
governor IS a board, by a majority vote of which only could orders be issued
These measures we're presented by the governor opponents The bill presented
by the Goldfeld Chamber IF Commerce created a state board of police commits
soners, consisting of the governor, the lieutenant governor, who is exofcio
adjtant general of the state, an. the third member vas to be appointed by the
governor, who should be the ranking Office in the field, removable at will by the
governor. This bill centralized authority in the hands of the governor as effect
lively as the present bill, as it made the adjutant general only a clerical oil nomi
nal position, while giving the governor complete ontrol over the third member
who was his appointee. 1t also had the merit of making the force created a
quasi military force, by recognizing the adjutant general and removing any
possible constitutional objections that might be raised against martial law,
provided for in the act further along But the personal political friends of the
governor opposed recognizing the lieutenant governor on the board, as he was
an opponent of the governor and might blk him in the proper administration
of his duties as head of the force. Authorities also pointed out that there could
be n constitutional objections 20 martial law, whether the adjutant general
was recognized in the operation or not.
The governor, by the bill as drafted, las the power 10 appoint a superin
tsndent Of police, who shall be the commanding officer in the field, subject only