New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1911-04-26
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Continued from fret page
DAY OF the session. This bill aO0l'
ished capital punishment In the state
Of Minnesota. 1t had special and d.
rect application to the case OF Martin
O'Malley OF lie Sueur county. con-
yicted of the murder Of his stepchii'
dren and sentenced to be hanged. The
governor had refused to sign the death
warrant and the grand jury OF LIE
Sueur county had asked the legisla'
ture to inquire of the governor why
he did not do his duty. O'Malley's
sentence has been committed by the
board of pardons to a life term OF I'M
prisonment.
/. !. i.
In reviewing the work OF the SEES
sion the general suppression prevails
that it accomplished little. Probably
about the only constructive bit Of leg.
islation passed was the R. c. Dunn
good roads bill recognizing the high
way commission. This bill approprt-
ates $4,000 for immediate use and
proposes a constitutional amendment
for the levying Of 1-mill tax for the
permanent support OF good roads in
the state Many reform measures
were suggested. like the direct prf-
mary, the initiative and referendum,
the recall, bill to prevent the lssu-
ance of watered stocks by railroads,
but all were killed. most OF them in
the senate. 1t appears that the one
trouble with the legislature was, In
both houses, that there were no lead
ers and every one wanted to be a
leader. This was not true OF the DEM
ocrats. In the house they acted as
unit under the direction OF Represen-
tative Pfaender of New Ulm, while in
the senate, with Senator Works as
the nominal leader, and with men like
Schaller, Moonan, Weis and Collier al
ways on the job, they were able to
hold the balance of power in both
bodies.
!. + +
Trouble has arisen over the passage
of the seven senator bill. A restrain
ing order may be asked from the
courts by Representative Washburn
of Hennepin county on the ground
of irregularity in the passage OF the
amended bill In the earlier part OF
the session Speaker Dunn used all his
influence to secure the passage Of the
Congdon reapportionment bill, but In
the latter part Of the session, follow
ing the filing of the Klemer charges,
he underwent change of heart. He
used all his influence to secure the
passage of the seven senator bill.
The amended measure was passed mi
the house amid scenes of wild tumult,
In which Representatives ONeill and
Frankson engaged In personal en-
counter and the speaker threatened
to ask the governor to call out the|
militia. Representative Minnette OF
Stearns county moved to reconsider
the vote While this motion was
pending motion to adjourn was
made and carried. The senate held a
session that evening and the bill wac
rushed from one house
to the other Chief Clerk Oscar Arne.
son explains that he was instructed
to send 1t over by the speaker. The
next day the senate passed the bill
The house journal shows that mo-
ton to reconsider was pending before
the bill went out of the possession OF
the house and the contention is made
that a bill could not properly 60 out
of the possession of the house while
a motion upon it was pending.
!. !. f.
Both Speaker Dunn and Lieutenant
Governor Gordon changed front dur.
ing the closing hours of the session.
The rulings of the lieutenant governor
had been made in favor of his senate
and in opposition to re.
During the last week
he made one definite ruling in favor
of the reapportionists and had he stood
pat on his decision that it required
two-thirds of the senate to lift a call
of the house the seven senator bill
would never have been passed, but he
threatened to reverse his ruling the
next day, a fact that resulted in a
surrender on the part Of the opposi-
ton to the seven senator" bill
One of the most dramatic incidents
of the session was the defeat Of the
recall bill by fluke in the last hours
of the session. The bill had been
amended and reamended so as to in
clude the judiciary and later to ex-
clude them. On the last night for
passing bills vigorous fight was
made for and against in the senate.
The clock had been turned back time
and again to avoid the constitutional
that the passage OF bills
should cease at midnight. A vigorous
filibuster against the bill was led by
n C,,ll ~f 1l,ryot o.