The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1915-02-18
THE.LEG|SLATUREII
MUNICIPAL SUFFRAGE FOX
WOMEN DEFEATED IN
THE SENATE.

TeduN UdSStu the HOuSF DFOdtt oh
the question filled the galleries and
the speakers were given frequent APP
plause. Senator Hayes perpetrated a
cruel joke on the suffragists when he
won their applause by a tribute to
women and talked in favor of suf-
frage and then announced hal as a
lawyer he would have to vote against
the bill because ii was unconstitu-
tional.
The Springfield Normal school had
a fight for it's life in the house, when
the bill to abolish it was lost by a
close vote, 46 to At. An attempt to
apply the cinch motion resulted in a
favorable vote on the reconsideration
proposition and the bill will again
come before the house.
The senate passed the administra-
ton bill for the guarantee of bank
deposits.
Although the bill to abolish high
way commission was finally put to
sleep by the action of the senate Sat-
urday, there is every prospect that
the commission and its future actiy-
tiles will continue to be one of the
chief controversial subjects in both
houses. The commission will I'M
doubtedly ask for an appropriation
of nearly $4,000. AS the time Is
past for the introduction of individ-
ual bills this appropriation must
come in as a committee bill. If it
does the fight will be renewed and
the prospects of getting a two-thirds
majority in both houses for the APP
preparation are meager.
In the dispute Over the bill which
waXed warm between Senators Stu
tenroth and Urdahl. the former de-
clared he did not believe the people
wanted the highway commission
abolished. They were handicapped
by the constitutional provision
against internal improvements. but
could do good work in an educational
way and in working out a uniform
system for good roads. IL they were
given some consideration they might
accomplish much good as the tax
commission has while also limited by
constitutional provisions.
Urdahl wanted TO be understood as
in favor of good roads. but thought
much more could be accomplished
and at much less expense by giving
the state engineers department
enough money to hire n road expert.
The commission would have TO en-
ploy an expert and he might better
be under the supervision of the state
engineer than a commission of three
who could only work in an advisory
capacity. Senator Stephens doubted
IL any appropriation for the commits
sion would be constitutional. The
senate vote against abolishing the
commission was 16 to %.
The office of the secretary of state
has become a bone of contention In
both houses. The bill to take the
custodianship of the capitol building
and grounds out of the hands of the
secretary of state and make the gov
ernor the responsible head is resent
ed in some quarters and a proposed
amendment to require that all auto
mobile license fees be RENTED by
county treasurers direct TO the state
treasurer instead of passing through
the state department was taken as a
reflection on the secretary of state.
In the senate stephens obtained
unanimous consent TO reply TO what
he considered a reflection on the au-
tomobile clerk in the state depart
ment, when Amsden referred TO there
being no check on the automobile
funds i'm the department. Stephens
declared the accounts of the automo-
bile clerk were the best and most
complete in the capitol and were
open TO all. Amsden disclaimed any
intention of rejecting on the automo-
bile clerk. but said there was no
check on the automobile department
by any other office. The same view
was taken by Warner In the house.
who wanted the funds to 60 direct to
the county treasurer so there would
be a check on the fund in two depart
ments. Bielski opposed the amend
ment as a discrimination against the
state department, saying that other
departments were not restricted as
was proposed in the amendment.
Ii is plain that there is some fric-
ton between the new secretary of
state. Frank M. Rood, and the admin
istration, and IL crops out occasion
ally in the legislature.
The elections committee OF the
two houses are trying to shape up a
primary election bill which they
think they can pass. So far there
appears to be so many different ideas
as to just what Is the right kind OF
a primary law that many members
doubt whether or not any bill car be
drawn which will meet the approval
of a majority OF both houses with the
Richards law standing for at least
another election. At the same time
Richards has friends busy with his
initiation petitions for a new act,
which covers principally the provis-
ions of the present act. but with
amendments to cover a few OF the
snags he found in the last campaign.
one of which is to make the indepen-
dent candidate of campaign au-
tomatically the minority candidate Of
the next campaign. Richards him
self has not yet appeared on the
scene, but I. III. Jones of Huron. his
agent, is here pushing the work OF
securing names to the petitions in
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