Omaha daily bee., 1909-03-21
Majority of Members Are in Hurry
to Get Back to Homes.
RANSOM CONTROLS LEGISLATION
Has Things So Well in Hand Nothing
Can Pass Without His o. K.
ALBERT LOOKING FOR HIS PAY
Drafts Banking Bill on Authority of
Legislature, but No One Has
Inserted Item In Appro-
Driation Bill.
Crrnm a Staff CorrespondentO

LINCOLN. Neb., March 20-(Speciai.)-
The house has two days with pay and the
senate has four. before the end OF the
sixty days for which the constitution pro-
vides members shall draw salary.
One member has been sounding other
members for several days on a proposition
to be excused for the remainder of the
session. Others are anxious to get away.
Spring work has started on the farms
and II Is doubtful II quorum is present
on the day of final adjournment
There is another class of men in the
Legislature who are anxious to get away,
To this class belongs those democrats who
reallv believed a democratic pledge
counted for something. They are disguised
with the legislature up to this time Many
republicans who have been members Of
previous legislatures are eick at heart.
They are powerless to do anything for the
good Of the state, however much they may
desire to do so.
All legislation to be enacted from now
until the end of the session, will be secured
bv barter and trade, between the bosses
Of the senate and the now thoroughly
cowed members of the house. Little atten-
ton will be paid to the merits of pending
hills and little attention has been paid to
anv measure save one or two since the
session began.
Mr. Ransom will put through the senate
anv measure some house member Is inter-
ested in, provided the house member sa-
utes the king and does his bidding. He will
hold up any measure from the house which
he sees FIT to stop.
The banking bill got through the senate
only after house members had agreed 10
eat from the hands OF the stock yards
attorney House members sought to re-
taliate on the senate boss by killing the
South Omaha charter bill, but the insurrec-
tion lasted about thirty minutes The boss
senator sent over his messenger, Senator
Tanner and his aide, Senatoi-aHowcll. and
that was all there was to It. The bill went
on general file after it had been killed.
Taylor of Custor told the truth about the
legislature and spoke his mind. but he
sto6d from under when he saw the steam
roller coming.
Barren of Results to state.
An inspection of the legislative records
will bear out the statement that this legis-
lature has not passed one single measure
of Importance or benefit to the state at
large.
Measures of state Importance which are
now pending nave little chance to become
laws unless the meat is cut out of them.
, II any measure is in any way Objectionable
to a corporation of any Importance In the
state there Is absolutely no chance of II
becoming a law The corporations have
Joined their interests and the legislature
has proven beyond one single doubt that 1t
is subservient 10 the demands of the spe-
cial interests
Examples of irconpotency havo cropped
out in this legislature probably more than
I'm any other ever assembled in Nebraska
either incompetenry or n lack Of inlc'est,
or a failure to realize the importance Of the
proceedings. Bills are rushed through the
house I'm the committee of the whole with
| the members paying no attention, and then
is someone raises howl. the house, with
out blinking an eye, reverses It's former
/ action.
! For instance, this morning the committee
of the whole indefinitely postponed bill
| by Ieidigh of Otoe to prevent camping or
| the public highway for more than fifteer
hours at a time. The bill was killed by a
vote of IL 10 u. A few minutes later, wher
| the committee arose, the report of the com
| mittee das rejected.
! This 10 the legislature Governor Shallen.
berger said should meet, enact into law:
| the party pledges and adjourn within forty
| CONTINUED on Second Page)