Red Wing sentinel. [volume] (Red Wing, M.T. [i.e. Minn.]) 1855-1861, 1860-02-04
THE.LEGISLATURE.

ccssary work of the session is scarcely COM
menced. 1t was supposed that Minnesota
had reached 4, pretty low deep in -legisla-
tive imbecility and worthlessness, but this
Republican Legislature has attained still
lower deep. There is an utter want in it o.
industry and brains. A Republican caucus
controls and stultifies the private judgment
Of the more intelligent Republican members
and renders utterly powerless the Demo
cratic minority. A fanatica and ignorant
majority Of q majority, have strength t.
ovcrpower union Of all the conservative
and intelligent Of the majority with the
Democratic minority. :,-4 ...........
An expenditure Of $4,000 to $4,000
has already been incurred by this Legisla.
ture Of reform (?) professions, and nothing
done. The heavy weight of taxation must
Of necessity rest still heavier, and the PEG
pie must foot the bills From the dissatis
fled mutterings we hear from every class o
citizens, and especially the Republicans, We
are confident they would infinitely pre-.
fer to foot the members. The argument q
posteriori from cause to effect, is the only
one that is adequate to reach the case.
1t in the duty Of the press to speak GU,
in regard to this matter, and bring to bea1
upon the Republican majority the full
weight Of their responsibility. 1t may b
said, that the Democratic press should not
interfere, but allow the Legislature withou,
question to triae with the peoples rights
No such want Of responsibility will suffice
We must arraign the Legislature before the
bar Of public opinion, and strive to avert
taxation if possible, for this is burden
borne alike by Democrat and Republican.
The offenses Of the Republican majority
are grievous. They 60 to the very subver.
sion Of popular liberty, without the apology
Of precedent, or the justification Of right
or even the poor ecxuse Of political neces.
|sity, the Republicans turned out of both
branches Of the Legislature, Democrats le.
gally and rightfully elected. The Dakota
and Fillmore county election cases stand
before the people as the most unjustifiable
and unwarrantable assumptions of arbitrary
power, that have disgraced legislative &C.
ton anywhere.
The peoples money wantonly squandered,
is trifing ofense compared with high
handed violation Of the ballot-box, and the
rights Of popular majorities. Such parti-
zanship disgusts even the Republicans. The
people demand reform in the reform Leg
islature. The expenses are daily enormous,
and unless the Legislature goes to work at
once for the good of the State-the sooner
it adjourns and its individual members sink
into actual insignifcance the better.
1t is public duty to expose their fanati-
cism, ignorance and Incidence, and it is the
only way to whip these Republicans to
work. We certainly entertain high re-
spect for many in the Legislature, and we
dislike to speak thus of body that con-
tains as many good men as the Lord prom
ised if found in Sodom, would save that
doomed city. AS body, the Legislature
richly merits castigation, and if they can
not with Christian fortitude "kiss the rod,'
must do the next best thing.
What has become of the proposition to
cut down salaries, to retrench expenses, to
modify the present expensive system
Of town and county organizations,
to smoke out the cloud Of office.holders
that eat out the peoples substance, &c. p
Such subjects are forgotten, and members
journey to and from the capital to their
homes, to make brokers' profit on the sale
Of $40, or $50, Of State warrants. Mem
bers who have not sense enough to talk or
brains to think, should ask somebody how
to move the previous question, and how to
vote, and then vote something up or down,
and thus do the public business to the best
Of their ability, If not, adjourn and go