The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1917-02-08
SOL0NS GROWING
MORE STRENUOUS
INTENSE F FEELING MARKED
FINAL WORK ON .'44"
Senate Working On Amendments -
Adjournment See-Saw - State
Trade Mark - Many Other Facts
of Interest

adjournment See.SaW - state
Trade Mark - Many Other Facts
of Interest
Bismarck-Conditions in legisla-
tive circles are becoming more
strenuous as the days go by. Ever
since the legislature assembled, the
question of an attempt to adopt a
new constitution has been the topic
of conversation. Finally came the
Introduction of House Bill a., which
contained the measure. For days
and days it was argued pro and con.
At times the situation became quite
acute; members of the house resort
ed to harsh words, and satire flowed
In abundance. Finally when the
time came for a vote on the bill the
house carried it by a vote of 80
ayes, 81 nays, and four absent and
not voting.
So strenuous was the situation
that each day after the session little
knots of men would gather in the
corridors of the capitol and carry
on heated arguments. Often these
arguments became so fierce that it
was necessary for friends to appeal
to the parties engaged in order t6
save their coming to blows.
All the time petitions were being
sent to the members of both houses
by their constituents insisting that
they either vote for or against the
proposed constitution, and delegates
were sent every day from various
towns and communities to labor per-
sonally with the members.
How "44' Fared in Senate
Finally the bill went over to the
senate. It was read the first and
second time, and when it came to
the final reading and passage the
tension of the situation was very
high. The minority of the senate,
which in that house Is the Leaguers,
made speeches in it's favor, but the
majority, the stand-patters, were 81
lent. Many motions were made in
order to delay the matter, but the
majority would not allow any quart
er. There were motions to re-refer
the bill to the judiciary, 20 the
temperance committee, to postpone
till the next day, etc., till W mo-
lions had been turned down. Finally
one of the stand-pat members moved
to accept the report of the committee
to Indefinitely postpone, and this
carried by a strong majority. Not
satisfied with this the clincher vas
applied. which settled the matter
beyond any hopes of resurrection.
Bitterness at Defeat of Bill
While 1t has been an accepted fact
all along that the bill would be de-
feated in the senate, and there was
little prospect of it's passage from
the first, yet when the singing fact
that it was killed became q reality
there was a bitterness engendered
which is hard to describe.
It is now reported that an attempt
will be made by the Lea guers to pass
a bill calling a constitutional con-
vention within 60 days, but with the
strong majority in the senate there
Is as little hope of accomplishing
this as there was of passing the
other bill.
Petitions are now flooding the
members of the senate both pro and
con on the question. but the major
ity Of the senate swear they will
stand to a man till the session ends.
OF course the members of the League
say that if they cannot get what
they want at this session they will
go into the field and fight it out next
time and elect the balance of the
senate and two years from now they
will put their constitution across
Senate Projects Amendments
Almost every day some member
Of the senate majority introduces a
bill as an amendment to the consti-
tuition, and incorporating n Of the
items in the proposed new constitu-
ton. This would of course take
four years to carry out these amend
ments. and the Leaguers are oppos-
ed to that way of doing 1t, and It
puts them up against it, as they do
not like to vote against the things
they stand for, and yet they don't
want them that way.
See-Saw on Adjournment.
Some time ago when the senate
wanted to adjourn for q week the
house refused to give its consent to
more than three days as provided
In the joint rules. The senate took
the three days. A few days ago the
house asked the senate for a recess
Of a week, when the senate returned
the evil for evil and refused. hence
the house could take but three days,
which was too short a time for many
to get home, besides the railroads
were all blocked with snow and but
few got away.
North Dakota Trade Marx
The state of North Dakota Is to
have a trade mark; one which will
assure quality and measure of all
articles which are allowed to use it.
Through this bill North Dakota pro-
ducts bearing 1t will have the top
place OF those Of any produced IN
the United States. It guarantees
the quality and measure Of all bear.
ing 1t. The trade mark is to consist
of an arch, the keystone of which
will bear the words Equality and
To Build Flour Mills
Senator Sandstrom's bill 1T Is a
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