Morris tribune., 1911-01-13

White, Wisniewski. Mr.. Speaker.-62.
ABSENT OR NOT VOTING.-L.
D. Brown. Diesner, Healy, Henion,
Kelly, Mcneil, Nash, Ribenack,
Rines, Saggan. Untiedt. Washburn.
Representative Pfaender, of New
Ulm, said to be the minority floor
leader, "led'' the democrats, as far
as possible, in this first real clash be-
tween the progressives and reaction
aries. In the fight for public record
of standing committee actions he vot-
ed and spoke against the amendment. 1t
recalled to many the we'll known fight
over Cannonism in Congress when the
Tammany democrats saved Uncle Joe
by joining with the regulars. The
democrats who followed Pfaender were
Schuler. Virtue, Herzberg. Melting,
Keefe, Minette, Moriarty. Schwartz,
Peters, Clarke, Mcdonald, Hurley,
O'Brien, Sullivan, Thielan. Utecht
and Wisniewski.
Four democrats ats-Robinson. Farley.
Nygren and Just, voted with the pro-
gressives.
Messrs. Kelly. Saggan. Untiedt
and Ribenawck all democrats, did not
vote.
The lone socialist in the legisla-
ture. N. S. Hillman of Two Harbors.
and the four House prob ibitionists,
Rufus P. Morton. A. V. Anderson,
Geo. H. Voxland and C. L. Sulerus,
have taken their stand with the pro-
gressives.
The most significant and inexcus-
able thing about this battle between
the progressives and reactionaries is
the "steam roller method of the ad-
ministration forces in adopting the re-
port of the committee on Rules. The
new rules contained important changes,
particularly in reference to salaries OF
employees, and many members asked
that the report be printed and laid
over for day. But this request for
a chance to consider the changes was
voted down and the rules made the
basic law of the House. Now they
cannot easily be changed except by
two thirds vote.
In the fight over the rules the ad-
m inistration faction befogged the
issue. They insisted that every at
tempt to reform the rules was a slap
at Speaker Dunn. That was not the
issue ana it will not be the issue in
contests that are to come The issue
is to make the house deliberative, to
give. unhampered power to the ma"
jority; and to take czarish authority
from the speaker and his committee
on rules. It does not matter in
the least whether the speaker and
this committee are progressive or
reactionary.
It is is refreshing to turn to the
Senate. There Lieutenant Governor
Gordon presides with dignity and
justice. AS the organizing officer
of the upper branch he has fully jus.
titled the expectations of his friends.
He has made the important COM
mittees progressive. The Senate is
to be in the hands of majority of
the Senate. It will be a pleasure to
deal with this unusual condition in
later letters.
Representative Knuze. one of the
progressives from Minneapolis. pass
ed resolution under which all the
Libraries of the state will receive the
House Journals. Go to your library
and look over these records. If you
find them incomplete or unintelligible
on any important point, write to the
Minnesota Citizens League, 919 N.
Y. Life Building, Minneapolis, for
additional light. In this connection
it might be noted that if any COM
munity desires a public meeting to
consider legislative conditions. the
League has speakers who are equipp-
ed for such service.
l wish that every man, woman and
child in the state might know what
is happening to some of the new
members during these eventful first
days of the session.