Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-05-08
and prescribing penalties there

for.
Now on the face Of it, this seems
like very serious measure in the in
terest Of the people. What are the
facts?
In every state telegraph companies
make a special rate for messages to
| and from the state capital, it being
the Inference that every person in
the state may have more or less bust
ness necessary to do by wire with
the various departments, the SUI
| preme court and other institutions
at the seat Of government. This
bill proposed to repeal this rate-to
make it impossible for telegraph
companies to concede it. I would
merely have raised the rate to and
from the seat Of government, to the
detriment of every person who
might have message to send and to
the benefit Of no person whatever.
I was entirely justified in defeating
this bill, and the judiciary commit
tee agreed with me unanimously.
And SO I might go through this
conglomeration of half truths and
untruths and dispose of them, But
surely I have shown the entire an
linus of this review" and the fact
that 1t is not trustworthy for any
| purpose whatever.
| Now let me briefly dispose Of the
statement that the chairman of a
committee can suppress legislation
that he does not happen to favor.
/ Upon the judiciary committee for
the year 1907 wre Messrs. Young of
Barnes county, Sharpe, Crane, Tai
cott, Regan, Simpson, Cashel, Pierce,
Hanna, Purcell, Koffel, Movius,
Steele and Taylor-a pretty represen-
tative committee.
All members of the committee
should know what bills are before
the committee and their nature. Any
majority of the committee can re-
port a bill at any time. The ma
jority Of the senate can call any bill
I out Of any committee at any time.
To say that the chairman of 8
committee can suppress bills he does
not favor, unless his committee
agrees that the bills are not such
as should be reported, is to ascribe
to him more 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 coils on which
I was absent, are bills that favor
ed and my absence is surely not to
be construed as seeking to dodge a
vote-for II there were any desire
to make what your compiler desig-
mates gallery-plays, these are exact
~ the bills upon which the gallery.
player would not fail to be present
and vote upon. Your genuine gal.
lery-player never neglects an oppor.
tunity to record himself for any
measure which his vote can make nc
possible difference except to swell
the majority.
Reciprocal Demurrage Bill.
What Is the record of House Bill
153 Of the session of 1907?
This is the reciprocal demurrage
bill, and you charge that I was in
: tentionally absent and not voting up
on it. If you will see Senate Jour
nal of 1907, page 1874, you will see
that this bill came up out of its reg
ular order on 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 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. Ans so /
might go through this entire false
record, as 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.
If you will consult my record at
the last session you will observe that
| supported and voted for:
The bill to provide for stopping OF
trains at county seats-House Bill
"a, page 1920 Senate Journal.
u The bill requiring construction OF
cattle guards Bill Z, page
1922, Senate Journal.
The maximum coal rate bill, House
Bill 80, page 1874, 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 1898, Senate
Journal
The bill requiring railroad com
panies to report wrecks Senate