The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1911-03-18

| that it was for the senators now to
say whether this shall be true in
Minnesota" ..
1--WE have heard criticism said
Senator Hackney, chat the senator's
have not had an opportunity to aid
in the drafting of this bill Now
then I want to say that at joint
meeting of the reapportionment
committees it was decided that the
bill was to be drawn by the house
committee and all the members of
both branches were asked to aid and
members of the senate had as much
to do with the bill as the house men,
bers and if they didn't it is their
own fault
Senator Hackney then read the
pledge adopted by the democrats at
their state convention in Minnea-
polls on July % favoring reappor-
tionment and a like pledge in the re-
publican platform adopted at the
st. Paul convention, and, continu-
ing, he said.
.:And yet, honored citizens of this
floor are going back on these pledges
It is no wonder the people are cry
ing out for the initiative, for the
referendum, for the recall. 1t is no
wonder, l say, that they are calling
for primary laws. What else can
be expected if the people cannot de-
pend upon their public servants.
They pledge anything in the party
platforms and then come in with
subterfuges Southern Minnesota
doesn't want reapportionment of any
kind. I plead for a broad, liberal
view, for the killing off of the agita-
ton of the cities against the country
The governor of the state has made
the statement that he would be COM
PEELED to call an extra session and
believe he will do so but I hope that
he will not be compelled to do this.
Last night, the governor called a eau
Gus of republican members to con-
slider reapportionment bill. The
members would not even give him
the courtesy of their presence. Why?
Because they don't want any kind of
a bill
Senator J. E. Haycraft, republic
can from Madelia, Watowan county,
made lengthy argument against the
bill. There has grown up in this
state quite cry for reapportion-
ment. An association known as
the Northern Minnesota Develop
men association has come into exist
ance with reapportionment as it's
paramount question: 1t has a pres
ident and a secretary but how they
are paid and by whom 1 know not
Senator Haycraft looked upon the bill
as a steel trust measure and redi-
culed the foreign population of st.
Louis county as being not worthy of
representation, emphasizing the vote
casting strength of the. south as
against the north He concluded:
L doubt if a thousand out of a
million realize what this bill means
don't believe the governor will call
an extra session but if he does it
carries no terrors for me. This is
a vicious bill and the proudest mo-
ment of the session to me will be
when I vote no.
Senator w. S. Dwinnell, republican
of Minneapolis, followed in scathing
denunciation of the attitude of Sen
ator Haycraft, especially the infer
ence that it was a corporation bill
He made a deep impression when he
said:
Il congratulate our friends the
democrats for having placed the re-
publicans in their present predica-
ment. You have divided the repub-
! lican party and if the people also de-
eide upon a division the result may
be serious to the party Several
years ago it fell to my lot to state
the case of a contesting delegation
at state convention. l said at that
| time that the delegation, which had
been properly elected, could be
thrown out, but that anarchy would
! reign in the republican ranks. The
| delegation was thrown out and for
six years the democrats reigned.
The same thing may happen again. -