The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, February 8, 1917, Page 6

1 \ & | { - “ford moved that the bill be laid over until 3 p. m., Wednesday, which would be one day to consider the bill, but this was voted down, 26 to 22, Drown absent and not voting. Senator Ham- ilton then sought to have a recess until 10 o’clock Wednesday morning in which time might be gained, and Senator Drown, who had %een anxious to vote _for the bill, could bt mresent. This was voted down 26 to 21. Sxnatoi Hamilton then moved that the seawte take a 30- minute recess to give him time to no- tify Senator Drown, and this motion carried by voice and Senator Drown was brought to the senate chamber. That is the story of the fight of the League senators for the League pro- gram, which was indorsed by 78,000 voters against 18,000 last November and by a rollcall in the house of 351 to 28. HAMILTON GETS MANY PETITIONS “I have just received petitions from 250 of my constituents,” said Hamilton, speaking on his motion to recess until February 7, “and I would like time to go home and visit them, There have been hints that the names being-signed to these petitions were fraudulent, and I want to go home and see if that is so. I -know the handwriting on some, but others I do not, and if my people do-not want this bill, then I want to vote against it, but, Mr. President, if they do want it, then I want to vote for it. “So far as | can determine, they are for it. The names on this peti- tion here are not those of I. W, W.s. They are God-fearing, sub- stantial farmers, who pay their taxes, send their children to school and go to church.” Speaking in favor of the same mo- tion, Senator Cahill said: “Our governor has said this is the greatest piece of legislation that will come beéfore this body at this session, see no reason why we should not give the people who want this constitution to be submitted to them, a chance to be heard. It is 'mot for this body to deprive them of their right to an expression upon this question. We should have time to talk it over and learn what our constituents want.” Speaking later on Welford’s motion to allow one day for discussion, Senator Cahill con- tinued: ; McCARTEN “Must we submit to a mere ma- Jjority report of a committee of 17 members and be deprived even of the ' right to discussion? The people have common sense. There is no harm in letting the people have a chance to vote on a mat- ter of this kind. Some senators here seem to have the idea that the people of North Dakota are a lot of I. W. W.’s who would bank- rupt the state, but the people who signed these petitions, which |, have here, are the 'substantial business men and farmers of the state. There is no desire on the part of anyone to build elevators in every township in the state, and all in one day. We are only ask- ing that the people be given the right to vote as to whether they should have the right to establish such things at some future time. You are trying to quash their wishes, which they have clearly shown by their names on these petitions.” > WOULD DELAY IT TWO YEARS Senator Hyland, leader of the op- position, arose at the end of Senator Cahill’s remarks and said that he hoped “there isn’t a school child in North Dakota but who wants to see this bill voted on at this time.” ] “This bill,” said -Senator Hyland, “is blocking every bit of essential ate the people’s dema and. if that is so, I . legislation, and I understand it is go- ing to continue to block legislation relative to some of the institutions. that is so, I say let it come.” Senator Gibbons said: “I believe as the senator (Senator Cahill) has said that a vote on this question ought to be delayed—delayed for two years.” Senator Welford spoke in an argu- PENDRAY mentative tone, pleading for time in fairness to the people who are demand- ing the passage of the bill, saying in parf: “The people are demanding this measure at this time and in this place. We need more time for dis- cussion, for that is-the only way we can know what is best. There is an_old saying, ‘Come, let us These Men Supported the Bill DROWN Read how the gang in the senate killed House Bill 44. Read how a handful of hold-over sena- tors, under the liberal, progressive constitution North Dakota now has, had the power to repud.l- nds. The biggest demonstration of the need of a new constitution was this very action of the hold-over senators. Permitted to hold office four years, so that the people can not reelect or defeat them before each legislature meets, these senators under the present con- stitution had the power to ignore the vote of the people last fall and throw in the wastebasket the thousands of petitions which came in asking for the passage of this people’s measure. reason together', and it applies to this subject today as well as to the time it was spoken. There were 87,000 votes for Governor Frazier by people who expected the Nonpartisan League program to pass. They would be glad to send delegations here; many have signified their wish to come per- HAMILTON ' sonally and to be' heard. Let us give them a hearing and if the bill is not right, let us make it right.” Extended remarks were made by other League senators mentioned above in favor of the bill, and Senator Paul- son declared his reasons for voting against it, namely that he was not sent to Bismarck to help make a constitu- lon; but to make laws. As rollcall after People’s Temper is Shown Host of Letters Inform Legislators that Voters Want League Program Now, Not Later. temper of the people is shown in the flood of communications to League members of the house and sen- ate commenting on House Bill 44. Here is one to O. K. Lageson, a strong League representative from Grand Forks county: “I see you are having a hot time at Bismarck, although it is cold. As you know the people in this vicinity want the program of the Nonpartisan League carried out. We therefore want the constitution as soon as possible. Wait- ing two years is a long time. We spoke about this at our club . meeting, but didn’t send any petition as we know we have a man in each house who will stick.” Signed Ole A. Johnson, corre~ sponding secretary Walle Farmers' club. : A voter from Mohall, wrote to Repre- sentative Patterson, a League member, referring to the “delaying procedure outlined in the McBride bill,” and “the shorter, easier, more efficient and cer- tain plan of constitutional revision to carry out what the people demanded in the election on’'November 7, 1916,” and ended with these words: “I wish to say thatIwant tosee it done in the shortest possible time and think thateveryone who has the wel- fare of the Nonpartisan program at heart would want the same. But what- ever the outcome of it is, we'll stick.” Signed by James King, Jr. Representative A. A. Liederback of Mercer county received a letter from Alf O. Nelson, a lawyer of Dunn Center, in which Mr. Nelson says: “I notice by the papers that you are having a great time at Bismarck and that some of the old war horses are lining up against our League bunch, ‘Whatever you do, Aleck, stick by the League men on this constitutional question. The constitution needs to be revised and at the earliest possible date. Our present constitution has in many important respects outlived its usefulness, and it is of vital importance o the agricultural classes especially to have some changes made at once. “I am writing several 'mwembers of the house; also several members of the BISMARCK, Feb. 2.—The . Young, has also received communica- tions from constituents, and one large- ly signed petition was sent by a special messenger to him 10 days ago or more. At some farmers’ meetings, not con- nected with the Nonpartisan League in * any way, other petitions were circulat- ed and will be here for Senator Young. Representative Carr of Valley City, who has announced his opposition to the. League proposed constitutional changes, got several letters from home and left to visit his constituents after the sepnate adjourned.. According to rumors, one merchant at Valley City wrote Mr. Carr that he (the merchant) was losing much buS$iness because he had stood by Carr in the campaign and Carr had now turned against the League. An attorney of the same city wrote Mr. Carr it is rumored that his opposition to the League was was causing serious trouble and that be ought to lose no time in getting home to explain his position. Several League members from dis- tricts adjoining those of anti-League members, or from the same -districts, said that they had word from home of petitions being circulated now directed especially to senators known to be pre- - paring to obstruct the peoples’ program of legislative reform. : BACK 'LEAGUE PLAN oo BISMARCK, Jan. 20.—(Special.)— Farmers who assembled at Menoken “today commended the efforts of their .. legislators for supporting the league senate on the constitutional question.” - The senator from this district, John rlan ‘and protested against any oppo- sition delay in the senate. A telegram to W. J. Prater, secretary of the sen- ate, s!lfned by a committee of four farmers, received tonight is as fol- _lows: “We farmers of the- Nonpartisan league, assembled at Menoken, com-= mend: our pre-chosen representatives in "the house and our senator from Burleigh county for ably supporting / the league plans for immediate legis- lation to enablé North Dakota to carry into effect at once the league program of state owned utilities. We Protest against dilatory tactics of the opposi- tton to the speedy ending of D feed.” S..K. Hood, H. Glum, J. A. Saltes, D, W. Clark. | | SIX rollcall showed that the majority in- tended to run the “steamroller” over the League senate minority, Senator Cahill delivered a closing address, in +which he said in part: GRAVE IS DUG 'FOR FARMERS “Mr. Pres\ident, and gentlemen, this is solemn business, going to one’s own funeral, and it seems that is what the minority is doing. The pallbearers are picked out, and I am ndT sure but the grave has been dug. I should think from what has been sgaid here that the gentlemen would know their duty, and would do what the people want. I was always taught in school that our legis- lative bodies were great bodies of fair and noble men, who tried to do what the.people wanted, and I always believe ° ed that, and honored those men. Now ~ I .am here, a member of this body, and I know what they do. “Mr. Vanderlip, president of one of the biggest banks in Now York, sees this situation more clearly than some ° of you. He says: ‘Gentlemen, you must study conditions. There must be - something wrong, or there would be n0 - such upheaval as there is in this coun- try’ This upheaval extends all over - this country, and is. not confined to North Dakota particularly. This legis- lative body long has deceived and dis- appointed the people in the things that they have wanted and demanded. If they had been given what they de- - manded six years ago—terminal ele- . vators—there would be no such gathec- ing as this today. Today we see a great organization growing up as a.result of the rebuffs the people have received. 3 “l “have read something of the history . of North Dakota, but | don’t want to repeat it here, al- though | can if | have to, and it is not to the credit of this legislature (cheers, and shouts from the bal- cony). Things go on one after® another, and it comes down to us in this shape: Are we going to give the people what they want now, or are we going to make them wait two years or four years or forever and have ‘them in such wrath that they may go too far? “Down in Oklahoma they have a constitution like that we are proposing, and you don’t hear of Oklahoma going bankrupt. If we are going to ignore the very grounds upon which this gove ernment is founded, the pendulum may g0 too far in the other direction. That : is the history of people. § FIGHT NOT OVER SAYS HAMILTON =2 “Suppose we had House Bill 44 through this house and that it had been ap- proved by the people — who would build the elevators? This body that is gathered here today - would, and is there anyone who believes, after what has been said, that this senate would - turn around and run this state into debt? ‘Are we going to let 26 or 28 senators SIKES take away the right of the peo- Dle to say whether they want a constitution or not? Suppose we pass “44” and it goes to the beople., One gentleman here says there ig not a school child in the state who does not know what thig bill is, and if that 1s 50, why refuse to let those DPeople say?” At the conclusion of the final rollcall that clinched the vote, Senator Hamil- ton said: ‘“The vote has been taken by which House Bill 44 has been killed, But that is no-indication of the wishes of the sturdy sons and daughters of. North Daktota, who live on these prairies. 'We have fought for 24 years for woman suffrage and now “‘We have got it. Gentlemen we will be here aga.in."