The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1913-02-05
LEGISLATIVE BUSINESS
Varions Bills Out in the Open
and Retired by Defeat

Pierre, Feb. 5.-Playing politics and
a general scrapping mood was the line
of action in the house today. starting
with an effort to reconsider the vote by
which the Russell democratic senate
resolution for a general investigation
of the state departments regarding ex-
penditures was killed Saturday, and
then taking up the house resolution
by Anderson, a progressive. which
aimed at the same end by a little
different method and passing it by a
vote of 81 to II. The whole affair
was a play for political position be-
tween the two houses. Geidt at
tempted to oyerturn the adverse com
mittee report on the bill to add the
state treasurer to the state capitol
commission and place the hiring of
the statehouse employees In the control
of that body, but this went down
with a thud. The snake dance
bill, which was sent to the health
committee several days ago. has come
back without any recommendation,
and it will DO out in the open in the
house in a few days. with a lot of the
members waiting to be entertained.
The Mcfarland bill, which would
allow a Judge to enter Judgment in
certain cases regardless of the jury
verdict, went down after a tilt, with
Mcfarland and EIDE on one side and
Ordahl and Morgan opposed. Urdahl
took the position that most judges and
LAWYERS do not look with favor upon
the jury system. If the house wanted
TO kill that system, he said, it should
come out in the open and do it direct,
without attempting to undermine it
with such a bill as the one proposed.
Hawley. who Saturday got his
cement bill" on the calendar re-
gardless of an adverse committee re-
port, saw it defeated by a large major
ity after his attempt to pull it through
against the opposition of the judiciary
committee. He became bitter and de-
clared that whenever you attempt to
pass a bill which affects the big fell
lows it shows up on the floor of this
house in a hurry" The house did not
believe he had the right bill and voted
it down.
The live stock men are in with their
bills for county local option for free
range, which would put the west
country in a cattle class again, regard.
less of the adverse vote last fall through
the referendum, but which, instead of
forcing the farmer to make the fight
against free range, forces the stock
men to carry the burden of the fight
fol it, which Is the reverse of the old
system.
One of the sensations of the session
of the Legislature will be the introduc-
ton of a bill to permit the performance
of an operation on idiots, imbeciles
and confirmed criminals to prevent
procreation. The bill would make it
the duty of the institution where such
persons are confined to have a board of
medical experts pass upon the case and
il it is found to be incurable to per-
form the operation.
Such a bill was introduced four years
ago and was the subject Of consider
able discussion even on the floor of the
house after hints had been thrown
out by the lawmakers that they would
desire the galleries to be empty when
they took up the matter.
In connection with this bill which
is recommended by the South Dakota
eclectic and homeopathic societies is
another one which requires that all
candidates. fot matIimony pass q