The Churchill county standard. (Fallon, Nev.) 1908-1920, 1915-03-24

presented. And, what is far more
to the point, he has shown the cour-
age necessary to leadership. To go
to the bat for the things he believed
to be right. and to oppose the things
he believed to be wrong. He has
easily outdistanced all the members
of his party in the assembly both as
a leader of q turbulent assemblage
and as a logician. The petty and
pernicious moves of the blind parti-
sans of his faction were not strong
enough to sway his judgment in
matters of real importance to the
state.
Notwithstanding the lack of of
fetal recognition, Goodman will be
recognized by the fairminded men
of this session as the real strong
constructive man of the Republican
ranks in the Assembly. His fairness,
honesty of purpose, and intelligent
grasp of the questions would, had
they been known, have made him the
speaker of the assembly; but that is
all ancient history The die had
been cast, and the mantle had fallen
on less worthy shoulders. for which,
his own. the Republican party, must
assume the responsibility.
Mcbride will occupy the same
place in history as has been accord
ed Giffen, a one-time speaker Of the
assembly, with this differences: Gif-
fen tried to be fair, but lacked Gu
pacity. Mcbride lacked both capaci-
ty and fairness. No better indica-
tion of this fact could be given than
the manner in which he was treated
in the closing days of the session
From time immemorial it has been
the universal custom for leader of
the opposing party TO make the pre-
sentation speech presenting to the
presiding officer some token express
sive of the esteem and goodwill of
the members of the body over which
he presided. For the first time in
generation this function has been
performed by member of the
speakers own party. No Demo-
cratic leader would condescend to
make speech entailing a eulogy of
Speaker Mcbride. Even Plate, a
renegade Democrat, was not on hand
to say a few words in praise of the
speaker with whom he had acted in
concert throughout the session.
After the battle is over, however
bitter the fight might have been,
the opposing party has always seen
TT to make allowances for the mis-
takes he made in the heat of con-
troversy, and part with a feeling of
amity and goodwill. But, on this
occasion, the rulings had been so
manifestly unfair. persistently and
unfair, that the leaders
of the Democratic party on the floor
of the assembly-big, broad guaged
men--absolutely refused to take
part in the ceremony, participation
in which they felt would stultify
their manhood. Not only this, but
a considerable number of the MEM
bers of the assembly refused to con-
tribute to a fund to purchase the
present for their presiding officer.
Henry Rives. a big-brained. big
hearted Democrat of the assembly,
was selected as a solicitor for the
fund, but met with so many refusals
that they gave up the job in disgust.
In contradistinction with this ac-
tion on the part of the assembly, it
is refreshing to turn to the action of
a Republican senate with reference
to a Democratic presiding officer,
Maurice j. Sullivan, who, while no
doubt in presiding over the deliber-
ations of that body made a great
many mistakes. made mistakes such
as any man might perhaps make,
in the same circumstances.
of the head, and not of the
heart.
President Sullivan has been cred
tied with being absolutely fair in de-
Gliding all questions of parliament
airy procedure that have come be-
fore him, and the tribute to him not
only by his party associates, but by
the most rabid Republicans, is
testimonial of honesty and fairness
of which he might we'll feel proud.
He never assumed to dictate the
policy of the senate, nor did he go
out of his way 10 secure the passage
or defeat of any bill by methods
recognized by all parlimentarians as
unfair and indefensible.
While shouting through a mega
phone the righteousness of its inten-
tions whatever occasion has arisen,
the Way and Means Committee OF
the assembly, in the closing hours,
disclosed the eloven hoof
Pitt, who has never lost an oppor-
tunity to advertise his pulchritude,
is chairman of that committee, the
economy statesman, with the big E..
attempted to raise the tax rate from
56 to GO cents for the year 1915, and
from 46 to Sc cents for the year
1916, justifying to his own satisfac-
tion, this unnecessary burden on the
taxpayers of the state by the senile
declaration that it was all right to
raise the rate but it would be all
wrong to raise the valuations. That
big business OF which he assumed
TO be spokesman would be satisfied
with a higher rate of taxation but
would strenuously object to higher
valuations for taxable purposes. 1t
was splendid exhibition of monu-
mental gall, and he put the PROPOSE
ton through the Republican assem-
oily. When the Republican senate
awakened to the fact that high tax
rate would not discredit the Demo-