The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1911-02-02
Rines Bill to Be Special Order for
Consideration on Its
Merits.
SPEAKER DUNN MAKES REQUEST
Asks Temperance Committee to Re-
port on Measure Without Rec
commentator or Amendment.

The county option bill which was
introduced in the Minnesota house by
Representative Henry Rines of Mora
last Wednesday will be considered on
it's merits Friday noon. If it fails
to pass it will be a dead issue; if it
succeeds. it will still have to pass the
senate.
The temperance committee met
Tuesday and unanimously decided to
hasten the bill to afinal vote. This
action was taken at the request Of
Speaker Dunn, who appeared per-
sonally before the committee and
asked that the pledge which he had
made before his election as speaker
be fulfilled. The bill will reach the
house without recommendation.
Il make no reflections against any
members of this committee or of the
house or against the author ofthis
bill, gentleman I hold in the high
est esteem,' said Mr.. Dunn, "but
situation has arisen that makes it
necessary for me to come before this
committee and talk to you plainly"
He said that when he became a
candidate for speaker of the house
he made his position in regard to
county option we'll known and thoro-
ughly understood de- and that every
member ofthe temperance committee
knew that he was opposed to county
option on principle and that he 80
stated to the voters of his district
during his campaign.
During my campaign for speaker
went to members from the differ
ent districts and said to them that if
l were elected speaker 1 would ap-
point a temperance committee that
would promptly report out a county
option bill on it's merits, if one was
introduced, he declared. Then he
made strong appeal to the commit
tee to report out the bill on the floor
of the house on it's merits, without
any hindrance so far as the action
of the committee was concerned.
"There is only one thing" he said,
that this committee can do to keep
faith with the speaker, and that is to
report out this bill promptly just as
the county option people have intro
duced it to you. Report it out on the
floor of the house as a special order
for next Friday. Let every men,
Der be heard and discuss it and then
vote it down or pass it on it's merits. -
Representative Alex Nelson of
Perham moved that the committee
recommend the bill for passage. Re-
preventative Mackenzie of Sibley
county moved to amend by recon-
mending that the bill be placed on a
special order for Friday noon. Re-
preventative Whiting, a county op-
zionist, seconded this. He agreed
with Speaker Dunn in that nothing
could be accomplished by discussing
the bill in the committee and that it
should properly go before the house.
Representative Rines, the author
of the bill, objected to this proceed
ure. He declared that certain coun-
ty optionists were to have been pre-
sent at the meeting, but had found
it impossible. He recommended that
action be deferred until they could
be heard. 1t was pointed out to Mr..
Rines that it had been advertised in
the newspapers that public hearing
was to be held on Tuesday and that
any one wishing to be heard should
be there. Professor Frank M An
derson of the University of Mime
sofa, a county optionist, was called
upon and agreed with Speaker Dunn
Chairman Palmer asked if any one
else wished to be heard and hearing
no reply put the vote. The Mac
Kenzie amendment was passed unan-
imously.
This means that the county option
proposition will be fought to finish