Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-26
MOVING TIE PIE COUNTER
Bill TO Put Printing Of Amendments
in Hands Of Governor.
WARM DEBATE OVER MEASURE
Ransom shows Hts sore spot in His
Reference to the Secretary Of
state ConcerninE Abstract
of state Vote.
From a staff Correspondent.)

From a staff Correspondent
LINCOLN. Jan. %-Cspecisil-"The first
act OF the senate Is then to be q bill to
enlarge the scope OF the pie counter" ex-
claimed Senator King this afternoon as the
majority members made known their an
tention to recommend for passage Senator
Tanners bill giving the governor the right
TO designate the newspapers that are to
print all constitutional amendments.
Consideration of the measure had been
spirited and a number OF speeches had
been made from a partisan standpoint. In
which the three senators from Douglas
county all participated. The vote was
strictly along party lines.
s. r. Is. by Tanner OF Douglas, was the
mea sure under consideration. It merely re-
enacts the law slightly amended under
which at present the secretary OF state
says what newspapers in a county shall
for three months before election publish
the constitutional amendments as notice to
voters. The purpose was briefly stated by
the South Omaha senator, when King OF
Polk rose to declare It was plain, since
the governor was of the same political
faith OF Mr.. Tanner, there was not enough
pie to go around. He moved to postpone
the bill Indefinitely.
The governor in his campaign visits the
entire state" said Tanner, land In the
course of his journeyings learns the map
like a book and meets the newspaper men
ana knows them all. This duty does not
devolve upon the secretary OF state, hence
the chief executive is the one to say which
newspapers shall perform the duty for the
people"
King replied it was an innovation to take
from the secretary Of state the duty he
has always performed. with no better
reason than to secure more political pelt.
Tanner suggested there was nothing
scandalous in the request for the passage
of the bill.
"Ars you the owner of a newspaper"
asked Senator King.
'Yes,' replied Tanner.
Then why Is this not in the interest
of somebody" asked the Polk county
member.
Because I will not print the amend
ments," replied Mr.. Tanner.
This attack upon Douglas county
brought Senator Ransom to his feet and
he said the motive behind the bill might
be that the secretary of state was be-
coming too all-powerful for the good of
the commonwealth HE has set up a
stand between the legislature and the en-
forcement of the law already" said the
senator.
Mr.. Ransom thought the governor, no
matter what his politics, was the head of
the party in the state and as such was
a larger man than any officers under
him. Whether republican or democrat,
the governor was better fitted to des-
ignate what newspapers should print the
amendments than the other officers.
Why, the secretary of state has defied
the legislature already" said the senator.
THE request for certified copies OF the
returns on the vote on the constitutional
amendments was met by his placing the
Oldest man in his office on the job and he
has turned out four copies of county returns
In five days. We offered to give him help
and he refused"
You offered him senate employees, / pre-
sumo" said Senator King.
Yes admitted Mr.. Ransom.
The bill was finally amended in an inn
material manner on motion of Senator lib
bets and in committee of the whole the mo-
ton to postpone was lost-11 to Is.
Myers Of Rock moved to designate the
secretary OF state and the governor should
act Jointly in designating the papers and
made a fight for the proposition later be-
fore the senate. but the plan failed by a
strict party vote.