Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-03-19

until 1t was an impossible abyss
and thus matters drifted while both
Democratic house bills climbed their
weary way to consideration under
special order for February 10, the
Bates bill having precedence, being
set FOR 1890 a. IN. and Anderson's
measure on the carpet for 2:30 in the
afternoon.
In the morning session the Bates
measure was recommended for pass
age by tho committee OF the whole. A
week later, February H. the bill passed
going over with Republican votes with
Whoop and a YELL As to 20. A bunch of
the minority climbed on the wagon as
1t went by, on the word quickly passed
along that Andorson's bill would be
scuttled, which proved to be true the
same day, when Anderson himself
moved the indefinite postponemant of
his own bill according with the demand
of q majority of the Democratic house
caucus hurriedly convened for the pur-
pose Friday night, February 16.
IN COMES ROCKWELL BILL.
All other activities of. the legisla-
ture were subordinated to the consid-
Grafton and discussion of the action
of the house in abandoning the An
derson measure. A Republican Joint
caucus was Immediately called at the
same hour on the same Friday even
ing, and after three hours discus
sion unanimously ordered the Rock
well bill introduced in the senate .as
bipartisan measure, if possible, but
Mt 70 tF,tr . H.
the authors name It is stated that
Rockwell in careful remarks to the
joint assembly, declared that he would
not stand as the sponsor of the SEN
ate bill or seek to induce any Demo-
crat to stand sponsor with him and
other Republicans on any other terms
than a personal pledge of every mem
Der of the minority of both houses to
stand fast regardless of the turn de-
velopments might take, for it was
plain that a vigorous contest was
about to be inauguratcd that the
pledge was unanimously given and a
rollcall was had and the caucus ad :
journed at midnight. A committee was
appointed to consult and assist and
with full authority to act on the NOR
row.
What Rockwell and his committee
did between that midnight hour and
daylight was in evidence Saturday
morning, the 18th, when on the tenth
order of business, senate bill No. 10,
with four Democrats leading as spon-
sors for the bill, to which were added
the four Republican senators, was in
troduced and read for the first time.
Decentralization of the old senate ma
jority automatically set it. The Rock
well-bound senate" was in motion.
made practical and possible by the
four stalwart Bourbon senator's who
as afterwards openly explained in de-
bate, placed principle above party.
Wedgewood, Bradbury. Evans and
Harding, were the Saving quartet
who signed the minority Republican
caucus roll, exceeding the required
10 necessary TO defeat the Bates bill
by one and thus controlled the des-
tiny of compensation measure. In
gard of Canyon Joined his Democratic
colleagues as a matter of conscience.
and stayed through to the finish of the
contest, never believing as he after
wards expressed it. that the principle
of a state monopoly based on the as
sessment plan in operating a pension
system could endure as against the
principle OF compensation paid direct
to employees. with its payment secured
and guaranteed, either by deposit of
securities for self insurance" or the
purchase of guaranty bond from cas-
ualty insurance companies, or surety
companies permitted to operate under
the conditions of limitations imposed
by the insurance department of the
state, and TO be further approved by
the industrial accident board.
The house measure, together with the
new senate bill. were considered by
the senate state affairs committee for
the ensuing three days and both re-
ported out for public hearing under
special order of the committee of
the whole. for Friday evening. Feb.
20. The house adjourned TO witness
the fireworksl Representative Bates
sought and obtained permission to
personally defend his bill in the senate
and he did it in an effective ways
but appeared to a great disadvantage
when pitted against older and more
experienced antagonists. Ex- Senator
Jerome Day occupied the floor for an
hour; his theme covered, from his
standpoint, the fundamental error in
volvee i'm any compensation law which
separated the mutual interest of the
employer and empioye, by introduce