The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1921-01-06
LEAGUE HAS ONE
LEAD IN ! Stat. nj.
TWITCHELL OF CASS COUNTY
ELECTED SPEAKER OF THE
g1 HOUSE

Bismarck, Jan. 4-The seventeenth
legislative assembly Of North Dako-
ia began it's sessions today at IL
o'clock with Nonpartisan League
forces controlling the senate by an
unvarying majority of one vote, while
the I. v. A. element who have been
claiming straight majority of five,
have control of the house by major
ity that began with five votes and has
declined to margin of only one vote:
The first test of strength in the
house came in the contest for the
speakership, when L. L. Twitchell, OF
Cass county, was elected over Walter
Maddox, Leauguer by vote of SO to
So. Twitchell had been selected the
previous night by a secret caucus at
the Grand Pacific hotel nominated by
II. v. A. bosses. He is brother Of
L Treadwell Twitchell, who is charged
4 with being the author of the famous
saying "You farmers go home and
9 slop the hogs" during the session Of
the 1915 legislature.
)" I.V. A. Majority Down to One
The second test revealed that the
54 League representatives were still
standing like a stone wall, but two
Independent representatives, one OF
i, whom had left the I. v. A. caucus the
previous night declaring he would
not be bound by boss rule, had re-
sented the too crude attempts TO whip
them in line and had voted with the
Leauguers. By majority of only one
vote c. L. Dawson, of Beach, l. V. A.
caucus nominee was elected chief
clerk over George Totten, Jr., Leaug-
uer, the vote standing 81 to Sc.
Next came the election of Ser
geant-at-arms as a straw to show
whittier the wind was beginning to
blow. Barney Monaghan, Lacquer
was defeated by only one vote by the
I. v. A. caucus candidate, w. J. He
dalen of Pembina county, the vote be-
ing again Sc to 81, two Independents
against joining the minority -
- Old Guard, Votes Straight
'a Another showdown came soon aft
.er, proving not only the crudeness
with which the I. v: A. bosses are ap-
plying the whip to their followers,
but also the length to which they are
willing to go. This was a resolution
presented by Ness and endorsed by
Watts of Cass (an I. v. A. whip and
by Speaker Twitchell himself, adopt
ing as the rules of this assembly the
rules Of the Fourteenth assembly OF
1915. In the face of the fact that
not a half dozen members of the house
had either the rules in hand or knew
what they were, the resolution was
adopted by the usual vote Of 81 to S.
two Independents again voting with
the Leaguers.
In the meantime in the senate the
League majority Of one vote was
maintained in every case, from the
selection Of senate secretary down to
custodian and in every other test OF
strength. There seems little doubt
that the vote of 26 Leaguers to Is Of
the opposition will be- maintained
thruout the session, but if any change
comes it will be in favor Of the
League.
League Forces Optimistic
All things considered, League forces
feel satisfied with what this day hal
brought forth in the capitol. For ons
thing the rule Of the bosses is nov
on shaky legs, which is revealed BY
the fact that Secretary Nelson Of thu
I. v. A. was seen during the various
roll calls, walking up and down th'
house chamber inside Of the railing
helping to apply the whip. Also Pres
ident Everson and w. H. Stutsman