The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1911-04-19
Representatives O'Neill and Frankson
Nearly Come to Blow, ON Closing
Day of Session.
SENATE PASSES KEEFE MEASURE
Minnesota Forestry Board, Which Was
Established by the Recent Legis.
lature, Now in Session.

(By F. Il. Wilson)
Bsmidji Pioneer Legislative Bureau
St. Paul, April 19-After an all
night session of the senate and a
day of wild djsorder-so wild that
Speaker Dunn in all seriousness
threatened to ask for militia to pre-.
s-rve ACCOMPLISHMENTS bloody
thirty-seventh legislature gave its
last frantic kick some time after
midnight last night and today at
noon expired by constitutional limita-
ton.
In the dying moments of the famous
thirty-sevenh" some legislation was
buffeted through, the senate passing
the House Keefe bill providing for
the election of United States SEN
ators by popular vote of the people.
The upper branch also concurred in
the House amendment to the Moonan-
Duxbury-Haycraft- bill limiting
the number OF senators from any one
county to seven. 1t was about this
bill-a spectre of reapportionment-
that the tempest ragged.
1t was over this bill that our own
representative, D. P. O'Neill of Thief
River Falls threw the House into
confusion by resenting with personal
violence the repeated insults of
Thomas Frankson, republican mem.
Der from Spring Valley, Fillmore
county. Mr.. O'Neill did not, as
printed by the city pap. rs, strike Mr..
Frankson. He did grab the Fillmore
member bv the head and shoulders
and shake him like a terrier shaking
rat. Members rushed in and
separated the angry lawmakers.
The clash came as the House was
taking vote on recalling the six
senator" bill from the senate where,
it is now claimed by many, it had
been illegally sent by Speaker Dunn.
Friday afternoon Mr.. O'Neill
delivered a ringing talk on the folly
and injustice of the six senator"
bill and based his arguments on
such undeniable arguments that Mr..
Frankson was unable to make any
sort of showing in reply. This
caused Mr.. Frankson to become
bitter toward Mr.. O'Neill. Yester-
day he continued a series of slurring
remarks intended Tor the gentle.
man from Pennington" but Mr.
O'Neill curbed his Irish temper
until as a last thrust Frankson
called out
"l'll get you. old fellow. I'll
send you to oblivion"
L told him to stop talking to me
in that manner" said Mr.. O'Neil in
speaking of the incident, and when
he swore at me reached over and
grabbed him by the neck and
shoulders and gave him good
shaking. | would not hit him for
l did not wish to cause disgrace.
full scene in the House chamber
When the House adj ;urned, Mr..
Frankson in passing Mr.. O'Neill
made the remark
I'D like to have had this happen
somewhere outside the House cham.
ber."
Mr.. O'Neill heard the remark and
he shouted:
You can name the time and
place, sir, and | will be there and
plead no protection on account Of
my gray hairs"
Mr.. Frankson, who is ~ years
old while Mr.. O'Neill is 81, did not
press the challenge.
1t was as a result of the disorde,
into which the entire house wa.
thrown by this episode that Speaker
Dunn shouted:
If necessary to preserve order ]
shall call on the governor for troops
to be stationed in this hall. l mean
what l say, and l will notify the
governor to be prepared for such al
emergency"
The passage of the Keefe bill b,