The Dickinson press., 1912-10-19

road lobbyists were busy, and wher
the bill was brought up next day, &C
ton was Indefinitely postponed, Mr.
Hanna voting for the motion. So thu
ended the RAILROAD regulation bill, and
Mr.. Hanna voted for it. The record
shows it, but the record does not show
except on close examination that he
voted for it when there was no ohano(
OF its being passed.
House Bill No. ITO, a corrupt prac
toes act, passed the house in 1907, to
fall into the, Hanna committee on cleo
tions In the senate. and in due coursa
Of ,par1iam proceedings, Mr.
Hanna moved indefinite p~ostponement
and the motion carried.
Senate Bill No. 23S, providing pun,
ishment for bribing public officials
was referred to MI. Hanna's commit
tee on judiciary, and the paTliamen,
tarian's tactics never allowed it ia
even be reported.
A righteous measure, Senate Bill
No. 90, intended to safeguard the PEG
pies rights and interests, provided
that street railway franchises could
not be granted for a period longer
than I'VE years except BY vote Of the
people and limited that period to
twenty years, that the public should
receive compensation for the special
privilege granted and also that NUM-
oipalities should have the right to say
something about the service provided
It went to Mr.. Hanna's committee on
cities and municipal corporations and
later fell under Mr.. Hanna's favorite
weapon, indefinite postponement.
Senate Bill No. 232 was juggled in
the same committee and was never re-
ported. It was another public welfare
measure, a bill giving cities the right
to regulate rates for water, light and
the service of public utilities.
Six years after MI. Hanna had a
primary election bill indefinitely pest
poned- in the House. a similar refoBnn
measure came up in the senate. MI
Hama stried all the tricks of a parMa,
mettarian to defeat the bill and not
SLOW his hand, even voting against
the bill going to third reading. The
people were loudly clamoring for a re.
form election measure. thsy demand
ed it's passage, SO, when it came to a
showdown and there was no alterRa.
tive, no chance to secretly thwart the
peoples will, Mr. Hanna voted for 1t.
ThSn came the other trick. There
was the house and a chance to amend
and dismember the bill Of its vital
provisions. Boss Alex Mckenzie hur.
risd ID Bismarck from New York and
the work Of the real representatives
OF the people in the senate was un.
done by parliamentary tactics in the
AeMae. This 10 what Is known as the
SHUTTLE system" of killing legislation
TOR the people by representatives ol
seeefa interests. 1t is the last resort,
this football same Of kieklag meas,
4fes back and forth until th4y ara
dead. Dust is thrown into the eyes
OF the people, responsibility can not
be definitely hxed, and the "System'sd
delegates In the halls Of the lestbla,
ture point to their record and loudly
aeolatp, I'VE voted for 1t but the OH.
sf fellows killed it,"
Then, there is the Doctors oertaa.
cate" Of i'll health, pairing of, atsen.
tee lodges, all of which MI. Manna II
tAtensely familiar with, and which
play their important part In affeotina
aAorunas and keeping the records" 81
special interest delegates ostensibly
clean.
But parliamentary tactics work both
both ways, they give life or destroy,
When a measure, Senate Bill No. PA,
came up in the 1905 session, authoriz.
Ing oeanty commissioners, township
supervisors and trustees Of towns and
villages to grant electric railways the
rA1Ats' of streets, alleys and highways
without the consent of frontage prep.
erty owners and without compensatfon
to any one, Mr.. Hanna turned from
the bear side to the bull side. He in.
troduced the bill himself and had It
referred to his W judiciary commit.
tee. The committee promptly recon.
mended it's passage and four DAYS Ia.
ter Mr.. Hanna was an "absentea"
when the bill passed. The record
shows that he did not vote for this
bill against the peoples interests.
AT that time the Fargo-Moorhead
Street Railway wanted the use Of car.
tain streets without frontage consent
9 giving compensation, and It was |
the only electric railway in the state
at that time.
These aye only a few instances in
the legislative career of Mr.. Hanna
"a North Daketaa, where parliamentary
ingenuity enabled him to dodge side.
step and thWart the Will Of the peonla
kesR .on the naeefd at ayes" and
as,. III as as9sa u, II ssj 1sIs. .as, I!