The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1912-10-18
AANNA'S HAND
HOW HE MANIPULATED MEAS
UREs FOR SOLE BENEFIT or
SPECIAL INTERESTS IN
STATE LEGISLATURE.
THE SAME IN CONGRESS.
Away from Home He Took His Stand
More Boldly With the System
Against Progressive
Legislation.

It is the hidden hand Of the "sys
TENS" parliamentarian that plunEea
the stiletto into popular legislation,
h a garrotes the peoples will. that
manipulates measures for the sole
benefit of special interests. Mr.. Han.
ma is recognized as q master parlia,
m%entarian. He has side-stepped more
legislation. conjured more bills. than
any other representative in the North
Dakota Legislature. and his record fol-
Side-stepping and voting against pub.
lic interest is Just the same as repre-
sentative in congress as it is 1T home
The game Of parliamentary practice
is the hardest Of all in legislative bod,
les the public has to contend with. II
is cunningly played in the open and
still under owe It enables the tool
of the System" to apparently stand
by the people. to double-cross the pub
lie and not be found out. Here ara
some Of the examples Of Mr.. Hanna'a
parliamentary c%hicanery in. the legis-
lature of North Dakota: z
In 1895 House Bill No. 81, fixing the
maximum railroad passenger rate 81
three cents . mile was introduced.
NE. Hanna was particularly friendly
to the railroads then as he is now.
The hill was referred to the railroad
committee. Of which Mr.. Hanna was
a member. The committee kept the
hill forty days and then recommended
INDEFINITE p~ostponement. Mr.. Hanna
moved the adoption Of the committed
REPORT and the bill was laid to rest.
No roll call was necessary 10 Mr..
Hanna came out "clean."
House Bill No. -. requiring rail
roads to install cattle guards. safe
dressings and danger warnings. wal
referred to Mr.. Hanna's committee
and its fate was identical with House
Bill No. "a. Mr.. Hanna playing the
same identical parliamentary tactics.
Thomas F.. Marshall's bill ito pro
vide for greater safety OF bank de
posts" fell into MI. Hanna's parlia
mentary net. MI. Hanna did not dara
iccme out boldly and light the bill OF
account of his large banking interests
% that might place him in a bad light
Instead he injected several amend
ments that removed features obJeo
tionable to him, but making It objee
tionable to the people. and then con
Quoted a hiibuster against tbs bill IN,
It'll he succeeded in having it referred
back to the committee on banks and
banking. Of which he was a member
That was, the last seen of the bill.
When MI. Hanna was In the senate
House Bill No. 1ED, providing for a
honest valuation aud assessment Of.
ipublic service corporations cams "a
the upper house for passage. 1t val
referred to the judiciary committee
Of which Mr.. Hanna vat 4 member
and It remained there until the last
day of the session without being re
ported. Tho house sent . message 70
guessing passage Of the bill. 1t va,
recalled for the parliamentarian ia
get in his work and he diverted it in.
70 the hands Of the steering commit
tee. That ended It.
House Bill No. II. requiring rail
roads to fence their right OF way. o,
one side Of an adjoining Aeld. when a
farmer wanted to fence . neld. ~es
f'~Indehnitely postponed" through rar
Elementary tactics Of Mr.. Hanna In
the senats. He did net vtoe agairs,
killing It without going on record.
battles.royal was over House Bill No
70. q bin empowering the railroad
commission to regulate tho railroads
when he was . member Of that body
in 1895. After the bill !eame out Of !hhia
committee. the railroad committee
MI. Hanna began playing his hidden
hand against 1t and twice mad to come
out in the open to asht It. but 6nallJ
won out with parliamentary weapena
and placed the shroud Of "indefnits
postponement" around the measure.
Here is how he did It. When the
bill was made a special order Of bust
ness. Mr.. Hanna led a fIibvster to
prevent a vote being taken and wound
up the day by having his motion to
refer back to general orders adopted.
But before adjournment G. l.. Lind
strom. author OF the bill. succeeded
In having 1t made . special order OF
business for the next day. Mr.. Hanna
took Up the fight for delay next day.
6nal passage. but It was placed on
tinal passage.
Right here is where the hidden
hand came in play. A poll had been
secretly taken Of the house. disclos.
ing the fact that there was not a ma.
jority present to pass the bill. so Mr..
Hanna reversed himself and voted for
the bill. after having tough. 1t all tho
way to roll call. This places him on
record as opposed to the railroads. By
voting for the bill when he knew II
could not pass he placed himself In a
favorable position to move to recon-
slider, should an unexpected move dur
Ing roll call change the attitude OF
moses counted bsfors The vote was
The vote was 81 to 80, with