The Dickinson press., 1912-10-19
'nANNA'S HAND
HOW He MANIPULATED MEAe.
UAke FOR COLE BENEFIT OF
SPECIAL INTERESTS IN
STATE lRQleLATuRg.
THE same IN CONGRESS,
Away from Home He Took His Stand
More Boldly With the System
Against Progressive
LEGISLATION.

1t is the hiAdep hend Of the "sys'
TENS" panalahentaetSu chat plunesa
the stiletto into popular legislation,
that earrotes the peehte's Will, that
mantpulates neasuYsB for the sole
benefit of special inteYeats. MI. Han.
ma ts recognized az Q master pastia-
mentarian. He has side.staDned more
legislation. coajured more BILLS, thin
any other representative in the North
Dakota Legislature. and his record foy
side-stepping ag1 voting against pub
lie interest is jast tAe same as repre-
sentative In odAersuS al II is at homo,
The game AZ parliamentary practice
is the hardest 81 all 10 legislative bod
les the public has to oontsnd with. It
is cunnia6ly played In the open and
still under eover. It snaHes the tool
Of the System" to apparently stand
by the people, to d%oublecross the pub
lie and not Be found cut. Mere are
some OF the examples Of Mr.. Hanna'a
parliamentary seicanery th the legis'
lature of North Dakota:
In 1896 HOUSE Bill No. 81, fixing the
maximum railroad passenger rate at
three cents a nile was introduced.
Mr.. Hanna was particularly friendly
to the railroads then as he is now,
The bill was refesTed to the railroad
committee, Of which MI. Hanna waa
a member. The committee kept the
bill terty deys cad then recommended
inde4nite tostpenement. Mr.. Hanna
moved the adoption Of the committee
report and tie bill was laid to rest.
NJ reA aAll was necessary 50 Mr..
Hanna saa44 out clean"
House Bill No. &S, requiring rail
roads to install cattle guards, safe
crossings and danger warnings, was
referred to Mr.. Kanna's committee.
and its fate was Identical with House
Bill No. 81, MI. Hanna playing the
same identical parliamentary tactics.
Thomas F. Marshalrs bill Ito pro.
vide for. greater safety Of bank de-
posts" foil iato Mr.. Nanna's parlia'
hentary net. Mr.. Hanna did not dare
come cut boldly and fight the bill on
account Of his large banking interests.
- that might place him in 4 bad light,
Instead he infected several amend
ments that removed features objec'
tionable to him, but making 1t objec'
tionable to the people, and then con.
Quoted a flibuster against the bill un.
til be succeeded in having it referred
bAek to the committee on banks and
banking, Of which he was a member.
That was the last seen Of the bill.
When Mr.. Hanna was in the senate,
House Bill No. 159, providing for an
honest valuation and assessment OF
public service corporations came to
the upper house for passage. 1t was
referred to the judiciary committee.
Of which Mr.. Hanna was a. member,
and It remained there until the last
day OF the session without being re-
ported. The house sent . message re-
ouesting passage of the bill. 1t was
recalled for the parliamentarian ia
got in bis work and he diverted it in
to tho hands Of the steering commit,
tee. That ended it.
House Bill No. II, requiring rail.
roads to fence their right Of way, OF
one side Of an adjoining field, when a
farmer wanted to fence q field, waa
'IndeAnitely postponed" through par
liamsntayy tactics Of Mr.. Hanna in
the senate. He did net vtoe against
the measure. He had another way OF
killing 1t without going on record.
One Of Mr.. Nanta's parliamentary
hattles.rpyal was over House Bill No,
70, a bill empowering the railroad
oommission to regulate the railroads,
VIXEN he was a member Of that body
IN 1896. After the bill came out of his
pemmittee, the railroad committee.
M. Hanna began playing hts hidden
band against It apd twioe'had to come
4Vt In tie epen To light 1t, but finally
wen out With parliamentary weapons
nj placed tho shroyd Of indefinite
kSltlehemept" areund the MEASURE.
Hire is kew he did it. When the
bu1 Was made a special order of bust.
ness, Mr.. Mama led a hlibuster to
prsvent q vote being taken and wound
p tho day by having Ills motion to
tAfer bldh to general orders adopted,
But before adjournment @. l.. Lind
strom, author of the bill, succeeded
In having 1t made a special order OF
ShsinesS for the next day. Mr.. Hanna
took Up tho fight for delay next day.
Apsl passage, but it was placed on
anel passage.
Hight here is where the hidden
hand came in play. A poll had been
1ecretly taken Of the house, discles.
ing the fact that there was not a me.
jority present to pass the tiM, SO MI.
Hanna reversed himself and voted for
the bill, after having fought 1t all the
way to roll call. This places him on
record as opposed to the railroads. BY
voting for the bill when he knew it
could not pass he placed himself in a
A-~yA.~A1> -~@Sk>- - -