The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1912-10-18

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the bill was brought up next day, &C
ton vas indefinitely postponed, Mr.
Hanna voting for the motion. So thu,
ended the railroad regulation bill. ans
Mr.. Hanna voted for 1t. The recort
shows it, but the record does not show
except on close examination that h
voted for it when there was no chance
Of its being passed.
House Bill No. 40. a corrupt prac
tees act, passed the house in 1907. t.
fall into the Hanna committee on cleo
tions in the senate. and in due course
Of parliamentary proceedings. Mr.
Hanna moved indefinite postponemen'
and the motion carried.
Senate Bill No. 23S. providing pun
ishment for bribing public officials
was referred to Mr.. Hanna's commit
tee on judiciary. and the parliamen
tarian's tactics never allowed 1t t.
eve be reported.
A righteous measure. Senate BIZ
No. 80, intended to safeguard the PEG
Plies rights and interests, provided
that street railway franchises coult
not he granted for q period longel
than five years except by vote OF tn,
people and limited that period ts
twenty years. that the public SHOULD
receive compensation for the specia
privilege granted and also that mum
cipalities should have the right to say
something about the service provided
It went to Mr.. Hanna's committee OF
cities and municipal corporations ant
later fell under Mr.. Hanna's favorttt
weapon. indefinite postponsment.
Senate Bill No. 732 vas juggled IL
the same committee and was never re-
ported. It was another public welfar.
measure. a bill giving cities the righl
to regulate rates for water, light ant
the service Of public utilities.
Six years after Mr.. Hanna had F,
primary election bill Indefinitely post
poned in the House. . similar reform
measure came up In the senate. Mr.
Hanna tried all the tricks Of q parlia
mentarian to defeat the bill aad MOI
show his hand. ever voting agains
the hill going to third reading. Tn.
people were loudly clamoring for q =
form election measure. they demand
ed it's passage. 30. when 1t came to I
showdown and there was no alterna
tive. no chance to secretly thwart tn,
peoples will. Mr.. Hanna voted for It
Then came the other trick. Their.
was the house and a chance to amend
and dismember the bill Of it's Vita
provisions. Boss Alex Mckenzie hur
ried Bismarck from New York and
the work. Of the real Representatives
Of the people in the senate was un
done by parliamentary tactics in tht
house. This Is what 10 known as this
shuttle system" Of killing Legislation
for the people by representatives o.
special interests. It IL the last resort
this football game Of kicking meas
ures back and forth until they are
dead. Dust is thrown into the eyes
Of the people. responsibility can not
be definitely fixed. and the ""System's'
delegates in the halls Of the legisla
ture point to their record and loudly
acclaim. we voted for 1t but the 9th
er fellows killed IT,"
Then. there is the Doctors certif.
cate" Of i'll health. pairing OF, absen
tee lodges. all of which Mr. Hanna /,
Intensely familiar with, and which
play their important part in affecting
qnorums and keeping the records" Of
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 sessions authoriz'
ing county commissioners. township
supervisors and trustees OF towns and
villages to grant electric railways the
rights OF streets, alleys and Highways
without the consent of frontage prop.
erty owners and without compensation
to any one. Mr. Hanna turned from
the bear side to the bull side. He In.
troduced the bill himself and had II
referredSto his own judiciary commit.
tee. The committee promptly recon.
mended its passage and four days ID!
ter Mr.. Hanna was ~ absentee
when the bill passed. The record
shows that No did not vote for this
bill against the peoples interests.
At that time the Fargo-Moorhea6
Street Railway wanted the use OF cor.
tain streets without frontage consent
or giving compensation. and It Wa
the only electric railway n the stats
ct that time.
There are only ! few instances In
the legislative career Of Mr.. Hanna
IN North Dakota. whore parliamentary
Ingenuity enabled him to dodge, side
stet andsthwart the VIII .ofsthe people.
keep on theafocord of ayes and
mays. hut aceomplish the purpose ~
the asystslnl' e. Z! II vel kaown subtle
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