Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1912-10-24

CHAS. D. PERRY, Crosby
road lobbyists were busy, and when
the bill was brought up next day. 40
ton wal indefinitely postponed, Mr.,
Hanna voting for the motion. So thus
ended the railroad regulation bill, and
Mr.. Hanna voted for 1t. The record
shows it, but the record does not show
except on close examination that hi
voted for 1t when there was no chance
Of its being passed.
House Bill No. ITO, q corrupt prac
tees act, passed the house in 1907, ta
fall into the Hanna committee en- cleo
lions in the senate. and In due course
Of parliamentary proceedings. Mr.
Hanna moved indeanite postponemsn'
and the motion carried.
Senate Bill No. 23s. providing pun
ishtnent for brfbiag public officials
was referred to Mr.. Hanna's commit
tee on judiciary, and the parlianen
tarian's tactics never allowed It ia
even be reported.
A righteous measure, Senate Bill
No. 90, intended to safeguard the peo
pies rights and interests. provided
that street railway franchises could
not be granted for a period longer
than FIVE years except by vote of the
people and limited that period ia
twenty years. that the public should
receive compensation for the special
privilege granted and also that NUM-
cipa1ities should have the right to say
something about the service provided
1t went to Mr.. Hanna's committee or
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 eve re
ported. It vas another public welfare
measure. a bill giving cities the right
to regulate rates for water, light ani
the service Of public utilities.
Six years after Mr.. Hanna had q
primary election bill indefinitely post
poned In the House, a similar reform
measure came up in the senate. Mr.
Hanna tried all the tricks Of a parlia
mensarian to defeat the bill and moi
aAow his hand, ever voting agains'
the bill going to third reading. The
people were loudly clalnoring for a re
fossa eisetIon measure. they demand
ed its pasSkse, 60, when It came to Z
Sbew.d6wn snd there vas no aiterna
tive. 10 ENGAGE to secretly thwaft tAa
paobtIs Viii. Mr.. Hanna voted for It
4f1n came the othsf trick. fAsra
Was tAse house ead q chance to amAui
G1d 6tsmeuieer The bib Of sc viGal
1gevie!ens. Boss Alex Mckenzie hur
ffed ID Bismarck from New Yoyk ant
tho work q the real representative.
Of the psople IN the senate was I'm
done By parliamentary tactics In tha
house. This is what 10 known az III,
"shut$ie system" Of killing Legislation
for tho people BY representatives o.
speclai Interests. It is the last resort
this football game Of kicking meas
res back and forth Until they are
dead. Bust Is thrown into the eye,
Of the people, responsibility can moi
be deAnitely fixed. and the "syatem's'
delegates Ia the halls Of the lSgisla
ture point to their record and loudly
acclaim, I'VE voted for 1t but the 9th
or fellows killed It."
Then, there ia the Doctors certih
cate" Of I'll health. pairing oil. absen
tee lodges. all of whfeh MI. Hanna /.
Intensely familiar with. and which
play their important part in afectins
queruMs and keeping the records" o
special interest delegates o6tensfbl,
clean.
Bnt parliamentary tactics work boil
both ways, they give life or destroy
When a measure, Senate Bill Ne. 214
same up in the 1905 session. authoriz
ing county commissions rs, township
supervisors and trustees Of towns AM
villages to grant electric railways tn,
rights Of streets, alleys and highway
without the consent Of frontage prop
erty wne and without compensation
to any one, Mr.. Hanna turned fron
the bear side to the bull side. He Ia
trodueed the bill himself and had
referred to his wi judiciary commit
tee. The committee promptly recon
mended its passage and four days Ia
ter Mr.. Hanna was an absentee
when the bill passed. The recor,
shows that he did not vote for thi
bill against the peoples interests.
At that time the Fargo-Mcorhea,
Street Railway wanted the use Of GO,
tain streets without frontage consen
or giving compensation. and II wa
the only electric railway in the stat
a. that time.
These are only a few instances II
the legislative eareer Of Mr.. Ham,
in North Dakota. whore pariIamentar,
ingenuity snabied HIN to Dodge. sidt
stsp and thwart the will Of the people
keep of the record Of "ayas" an,
"nats," But accomplish tho 1lsposs Q
the "Vystsm" ii its we'll fASWa sEVfi
ways.