The Dickinson press., 1908-06-06

jority of the senate can Gail any bill
out of any committee at any time.
To say that the chairman of a
can suppress bills he does
favor, unless his committee
agrees that the bills are not such
as should be reported, is to ascribe
to him o power and authority
than the body Of the senate. Which
is entirely ridiculous.
Those bills which passed by prac-
tically the unanimous vote of the
senate, and from roll calls on which
I was absent, are bills that I favor
ed and my absence is surely not to
be construed as seeking to dodge a
II there were any desire
to make what your compiler desig-
mates gallery-plays. these are exact
ly the bills upon which the gallery
player would not fail to be present
and vote upon. Your genuine GAL
l~ery-player never neglects an oppor-
tunity to record himself for any
measure which his vote can make no
possible difference except to swell
the majority.
Reciprocal Demurrage Bill.
What is the record on House Bill
1853 of the session of 1907?
This is the reciprocal demurrage
bill, and you charge that I was in
t~entionally absent and not voting up
on it. If you will see Senate Jour-
nal Of 1907, page 1924, you will see
that this bill came up out of its reg.
ular order on a suspension of the
rules moved by Mr.. Regan. It was
passed while the senate was con,
sidering another order Of business
than the passage Of bills and a sena-
tor who did not happen to be on the
floor at the time the motion was
made would not be aware that the
bill was up for passage. And so I
might go through this entire false
record, as I have with the greater
part of it, and prove that each charge
is false and intended to deceive the
man who reads it hastily and with
out an analysis Of the facts.
A Few Bills Advocated,
II you will consult my record at
the last session you will observe that
1 supported and voted for:
The bill to provide for stopping of
trains at county seats-House Bill
"a. page 1920 Senate Journal.
The bill requiring construction of
cattle guards-House Bill Z, page
1922, Senate Journal.
The maximum coal rate bill, House
Bill 81, page 1884, senate Journal.
The bill to require railroad COM
panies to maintain an Office in the
state for the transaction of business
House Bill 43. page 1893. Senate
Journal.
The bill requiring railroad COM
panies to report wrecks-senate
Bill 10, page 249, Senate Journal.
The anti-pass bill-senate Bill
%. page 4o5, Senate Journal.
The bill requiring bulleting of
trains-senate Bill "a, page 1914, Sen
ate Journal.
The bill limiting service hours Of
employes-senate Bill 40, page $50,
Senate Journal.
The bill compelling railroads to
construct Y's-senate Bill 273, page
478, Senate Journal.
The employees personal liability
bill-senate Bill 276. page 727, SEN
ate Journal.
Never Been a Gallery Player:
For the work of the judiciary COM
mittee Of the senate, I will say that
a favorable report from that commit
tee has meant, nearly without ex-
ception, the passage Of the bill re-
ported. Bills which the judiciary
committee has opposed, and which I
have opposed, in many instances have
been found unconstitutional when
tested by the courts. I have never
stood for legislation that I believed
tobe unconstitutional and that could
not be enforced. I have never pre-
tended to be infallible. I have never
been q gallery player.
Supported Best Laws.
I have supported and worked for
the best laws that are on our statute
books today.
I have supported and worked for
the state irrigation measure, for the
pure food laws, for laws fixing the