The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1915-02-18
SENATE SAVES
ROAD COMMISSION
UPPER HOUSE FAILS TO FOLLOW
LEAD OF OTHER HOUSE ON
HIGHWAY BILL
PARTIAL SUFFRAGE BILL PASSES HOUSE
Bill Would Allow Women to Vote on
All Unconstitutional Officers
New Primary Bill in Senate
Pierre, February IA.


Capital punishment was definitely
abolished in South Dakota, by the SEN
ate enacting Friday, after a week of
filibustering for position, the Steele
house bill, by 23-18 vote, a bare ma
jority of /. One day the pro forces
would have a majority and the ants
would jockey to prevent a final roll
call; the next day one or two votes
would be changed or a senator absent,
and the other side would have the
offensive. The object was finally at
tanned by changing the rules, so that
the chair could refuse to recognize
dilatory motions to adjourn, lay on
table, indefinitely postpone, etc.
Late Saturday the senate defeated
the Berndt senate bill abolishing the
voluntary state highway commission
1874, following n of the most bit.
ter fights of the session, lead by
Berndt, Kuhns, Odland and others
for abolition, and Chairman Stuten-
roth of the highways committee as
chief opposition. Earlier in the week
the like Evenson house bill was killed
in senate on committee report.
The Withee bill granting suffrage to
women on unconstitutional officers
passed the house $40, and is now
before the senate, the elections COM
mittee of which has reported it in
without recommendations. The anti
forces say that they will refer it to the
people. An attempt was made to carry
it with the emergency, by which meth
cd it could be prevented from being
referred, but it lacked ten votes of the
necessary two-thirds majority.
The senate elections committee,
after working most of the session upon
it, has reported in favorably the Nc
Master primary bill, repeating the
Richards law and %reenacting the old
Crawford primary with provision for
direct election of United States SEN
ators and for the creation of new
parties. It's hackers believe that if it
cannot be passed through the legis-
lature with the emergency, that it will
likely be referred, and that it will
stand better chance with the voters if
an old, rather than a new proposition
is put up.
The Notwithstanding committee,
Senator Van Denmark, chairman, has
been engaged all week in its work,
examining Executive Accountant
Truran and ex-Auditor Henry B. An.
derson, but still do not make report
until the 50th day.
On Saturday, Senator o. J.. Lundley
of Gregory county, introduced the look
ed for statewide prohibition of manu-
facture and sale of intoxicants consti-
tutional amendment as outlined by the
anti-saloon league earlier in the ses'
sion. If the legislature fails to pass it
on to the people. the league has all
ready for introduction an initiated
resolution for constitutional amend
ment in this line. The Withee bill pro-
hibiting sale of liquor within five miles
Of the Soldiers Home, which would
have put Hot Springs dry, lost in
house after being amended to prohibit
sale of liquor within FIVE miles of any
state institution. A bill requiring
pharmacists to sell alcohol only on
affidavit that the same is not to be
used as a beverage; and the Birch
measure requiring a majority of all