Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-07-12
WILLIAMS MENTIONED
FOR House SPEAKER
CORRESPONDENT TO ST. PAUL
PIONEER PRESS THINKS HE
is RIGHT TIMBER
Has had Long Legislative Experience
and is Well Trained for the Posi-
tion-ShouId Suit Factions.

bismarck correspondence. st. Paul
Pioneer Press: General E. A. viii.
liams, president of the Bismarck city
commission, who was nominated as a
republican candidate for the legisla-
ture from Burleigh county, which is
equivalent to an election, will prob
ably be a candidate for speakers of the
next house of representatives of the
state.
General Williams is the oldest legis-
lator in point of legislative service in
the state of North Dakota, with the
exception Of Senator Jud LaMoure Of
Pembina county, and he and LaMoure
are the only surviving representatives
Of the part Of Dakota territory, now
included within the limits of North
Dakota who served in the legislative
session of 1912 or prior years.
Williams was first elected to the
territorial legislature in 1872, when a
young man just past p. The district
he represented then included old Buff
falo county, which was more than half
of the present state of North Dakota,
and extended down into South Da-
kota as far as Charles Mix county.
The population of this section Of
the territory then was sparse, and a
large share of it was still in the
possession OF it's original settlers, the
Indians and buffalo.
Travel to the territorial capital was
by occasional railroad trains on the
Northern Pacific to St. Paul, and then
by rail again to Yankton, and some
times part of the trip from Bismarck
had to be made by wagon or stage
to connect with the terminus of the
road, which was in the earliest seven
ties some distance east of Bismarck.
The river was dotted with frontier
military posts, and there was little
hint of the future growth and great
ness of the two states in the sparse
settlement and crude frontier condi-
ton of Dakota.
Williams served for several terms
between 1872 and 1882, and in the
session of 1883 he was chosen speaker
of the territorial house of representa-
tives at Yankton. That was men,
orable winter in the history of Da-
kota, for it was in the course of that
session and nearly the last day of the
session that the capital removal bill
was introduced that nearly precipitat-
ed riot in the territorial capital at
Yankton and engendered bad blood
between the north and south sections
of Dakota that was not wiped out I'M!
til the territory was divided in 1889.
Although young man, williams
stood firm as a rock for North Da-
kota, and with gavel and lungs re-
stored order in the house, ordered the
sergeant-at-ar:ns to clear the cham.
Der, and saw the capital removal bill
passed and sent to the senate, where
it was passed the following day and
became law. That was perhaps the
most exciting legislative incident of
Williams career.
Subsequently he was member of
the constitutional convention of the
state, served as speaker of the house
of representatives of the state in 1897,
and should he be chosen as speaker
again will have had a legislative car
eer of nearly forty years in the ter.
ritory and state, with speakership
at the end of it, and he is still a
man in the prime of life.
His nomination this year was as
an independent republican candidate,
without the support of either stalwart
or progressive republicans as faction
al republicans, and this should make
him an especially acceptable candidate
to both sides. He is splendid par
eminently fair as pre-.
siding officer, and in the absence of
especial strife for the place may be
agreed on for the speakership without
much struggle.