The Bad River news. [volume] (Philip, Stanley County, S.D.) 19??-1912, 1908-04-09

who, moi having, "Thc fear of God
before their eyes and instigated by
the devil, promoted the adoption Of
Chapter 44, and of the governor who
would not sign it, but held it in his
possession and permitted it to become
law, when he could as we'll have re-
turned it TO the legislature with such
explanation as would have resulted in
such action by the legislature as would
have made the law constitutional and
fair and applicable to every county in
the state alike.
While sitting in my study late one
evening, seriously considering the
question have asked, and anxious, II
possible, to make their conduct square
with anything but "Aninus furandi," :"
| when sleep overcame me and l
dreamed. | saw the governor In his
richly furnished, steam heated, gas
lighted, private room In the capitol
building at Pierre: he was seated in
his great, easy chair, one foot upon
| an ottoman and the other upon the
rich, velvet carpet of the floor. Be-
tween the thumb and fingers Of the
| left hand, he twirled cigar; in his
right hand, he held the bill, now chap
ter PA: it appeared to me to he ''the
Witching hour of night when grave
yards yawn and hell breathes forth
cont agion to the world
With him was prominent promo
ter OF the bill the governor was hold
ing, and it was evident he was urging
the governor to sign it. l will call
him John, because that was not his
name. He reminded the governor
how, when young lawyer at Pierre
and in need Of clients, the cattle men
had stood by him as clients, and to
| promote his interest and ambition at
all times: ''and now.' said he, with
emphasis, "the time has come to help
us: stay with us and we will stay with
you:' and then followed a colloquy,
as | remember 1t, like this:
Governor-"I appreciate all you say
John, but this bill is fairly unconsti-
tutional: it is a general law for all of
the state east of the river and a spe-
cial law for all of the state west of
the river: while the constitution says
plainly and unequivocally in Section
%, The legislature is prohibited
mark the words, John-'prohibited
from enacting any special or private
law in the following cases. one of
which, Subdivision 4, reads as fol-
lows: Regulating County and Town.
ship affairs. And again, after citing
eleven cases specially as to which no
special law shall be passed, it con-
cludes the subject by the last two
lines of Subdivision II, which de-
clares That where general law can
be made applicable, no special law
shall be enacted Why not have me
return this bill with a recommends
tion that it be amended by striking
out Sections 10 and IL and providing
that any county in the state may have
the question of whether Chapter 244
shall be suspended or declared not ap-
plicable to such county referended, and
let a majority vote decide the matter;
such law would be a general law, ap-
plicable alike to all counties in the
state, and would comply with the con-
stitution."
John-"Because, Governor, the law
so amended would be enforced at once
all over the state alike, and would be
satisfactory to the homesteaders, and
they would not have to petition for q
change; they would be hot to enforce
it; and we, the cattle men, would have
to petition and that would do US no
good In such counties as Stanley and
Lyman, for the homesteaders would