Devils Lake inter-ocean and Devils Lake free press. (Devils Lake, Ramsey County, N.D.) 1905-1909, 1908-04-10
ffANSBR0UGH'S RECORD|
GRk 9VQD12 e.
OffidialaAets5 i'm Congress as Shown by
s~=zz=r-z Congressional Record
W RI HE HAS DONE FOR THE STATE AND NATION

\ ((E seeA5fE 6fIlsenltor 'Haqqs Is, op-
ponenttSS have frequently asked, What
has be- done IN Washington. Every
ait and every Word spoken in
tie halls of congress is matter of
Ycord1 and it is an easy thing to make
seompa}isons with other members and
with other members from other states.
Some men in congress have waited
for opportunities to call and when the
opportune time came they we're not
equal to it. MI. sHansbrough was not
I of this class. ), He was bright, &C.
b tfyA B 43naeasgsspaper man with nose for
50 news, and an instinct for public af-
SS;5Afairs. He had been active for the d.
vision Of Dakota territory and for the
creation tof two states and had wide
acquaintance with public men to be-
gin with. He was elected as North
Dakqta's first member of congress by
aSvote of 26.077 to 1906 for his oppo-
nent.A
On taking his seat in congress, he at
once. .espoused the cause of Thos. B.
Reed for speaker and assisted in his
election. Mr.. Reed recognized his debt
of gratitude by putting the new mem
Der on the committee on accounts, the
first committee appointed in the house.
va Mr.. Hansbrough was also made a
member of the committee on agricul-
ture and the committee on irrigation.
He at once took prominence as a leg
islator, and In the few short months
of that session he introduced forty-one
% bills, and during the second session,
-, nine bills. Among those was his ia
NOUS anti-lottery bill which he sue
y, ceeded in passing in the house, and
also helped to engineer through the
{; senate. n, The law drove the Louisiana
81, lottery out 1of the United States, and
y, finally 2iaallll out of business. He introduced
Il / and secured the passage of a public
f BUILDING ri bin for the city of Fargo, and
u1inr the same congress secured the es-
tab is5hEampeanFt of an Indian school at
Fort T9tten. Among other measures
:, Introduced by him was the bill giving
-, taa Authority, to fourth-class postmasters
to. administer oaths in pension cases.
This, bill later became a law, as did
~ ,also his bills for additional divisions
>, and terms Of United States court, and
the bin for the creation of land Of
,, f1cce At Minot; also the bill relating
to grant of land for state institu-
ton at Grafton, now known as the
~ Institution for the Feeble Minded; al
= 50 creating the North and South Da-
" 'kotaP customs district, and the bill
granting the lands in military reserva-
lions to the state. He was closely
" fdentifed with the repeal of the tim
Der culture act, and with the amend
ment providing for the use of public
timber for domestic use under which
indictments against some sixty citi-
-4dzeps for cutting timber for fuel fen
70 ciDg and 1ildings in the Turtle mcul-
tains were dismissed. Later. the IT.
tie mountains having been set aside as
q forest reserve, depriving many of
the opportunity to enter the lands COW
cred by their settlement and improve
ments, he secured the restoration of
these lands to the public domain 1t
was largely through his work that the
Turtle Mountain Indian treaty was
ratified and the Fort Totten lands
opened to settlement
Anti Lottery Fight.
During his membership in the house
he made two notable speeches, one
on the anti-lottery law and one on
the tariff. The latter speech was used
by the national committee as a cam
paign document. This was a pretty
vigorous record for a first term in con-
gress. 1t has not been equaled by any
OF his successors. Notwithstanding
EAAo e~SSA'Aby LII puIIAuS tuIOuSu lIupUT-
tant legislation, certain interests in
the state, including those who sought
to transplant che Louisiana lottery to
North Dakota soil, connived at and Sc
cured his defeat for denomination to
the house. This defeat, however, sent
the fighting North Dakotan to the SEN
ate, where he is now serving his third
term and where he has a record of
things accomplished and of influence
/ and advantage earned for his state,
n that cannot but challenge the admira-
ton OF even his bitterest enemies.
That the senator has bitter enemies
II need not be dwelt upon here. He is
\ q positive and aggressive character,
&z: and all such characters have strong
antagonists as well as strong friends.