Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-01-31
NECESSARY LEGISLATION.
One Of the l"SOrerigens" Makes Some Sen
siJle Suggestions to Oar Soyons.


To the Editor of the Globe.
The legislature is now fully organized;
the governor has delivered his message,
and soon the Senatorial prob
lem will be solved, and our
"Solons'' will then settle down
to business. AS our representatives they
will probably listen to few suggestions
given In a friendly spirit-by one of the
''sovereigns." Being biennial session
more work is expected of them than for
merly, and, as faithful public servants, |
have no doubt they intend to do all that
is required of them. Their constituents
wish them well and hope for the best.
In the first place would say to them
that if they would retain our good opln-
ion they must not indulge in "Dun-
combe" The people understand all such
tricks of the demagOgues, and many
representative has committed political
suicide by attempting to give them this
kind of "taffy," under the silly delusion
that we did not see through his conduct
and understand his motives.
usual amount for postage, stationery
and newspapers, and have no
great respect for him who won't,
as being ''more nice than WISE and ut
ter contempt for the one who will vote
against these perquisites, and then take
them. If they will only use the postage,
stationery and newspapers for the pur-
poses intended, that is all their constitu-
ents will ask as to that subject. But they
will expect them to have their 'eyes
peeled and wits about them when the
large appropriations are made, so that no
''steals" or "jobs'' may be concealed in
them
Their constituents expect them to build
up rather than tear down. That is, if
any change is made in the present order
of things, let them see to it that it is sub.
stituted by that which is better. Some
time ago some one signing himself 'Mem-
Der from Dakota proposed to abolish the
office of railroad commissioner land one
or two others) and consolidate it with
that of secretary of state, if remember
it rightly Now, that is not what we
want The Office of railroad commits
sioner is at present, admit, little better
than useless sinecure for superanuated
politician, and very different Office than
what 1t was expected to be when it was
first created But the interests of the
people-in the proper control of the rail-
roads-is too great to permit OF thus
Opposing of this Office, and providing
nothing more efficient and satisfactory,
in it's stead. We are to-day sadly in need
of railroad commission mot commits
slOner) that will do more than compile a
few statistics, and offer apologies for
these corporations, when the people COM
plain Of their injustice, as was the case
recently. There IS as much cxtortion and
unjust discrimination now practiccd by
the railroad companies as when a few
years ago the people rose in their might
and passed the granger laws" which
have since been repealed, and some re-
lief is demanded by the people. They
desire, however, sensible Legislation on
the subject No law can be passed
which will meet every case; hence we
need a board of railroad commits
sioners made up of upright,
independent and competent mem
with ample power, and reason
ABLE discretion given them, to which COM
plant could be made, and injustice recti-
fed, and proper law against cXtortion
or unjust discrimination or other injus-
tice enforced. That board should con
sist of three such men, elected so as to
secure representative of the minority
thereon; for it is well to have them of
different shades of politics-that they
might operate as check, or balance upon
each othor. If my Republican friends real
ly mean to labor for the good of the people,
4 nf oh tn foot If hn
proposition Give each of them as high
a salary as is now paid the "bald-headcd
charger | am i'll favor of paying good
salaries, and having our laws "ironclad'
in holding our officers to strict account
ability in the discharge of their duties.
This brings me to another important
point 1t is, that the State is making a
great mistake in paying some of her prin-
cipal officers lower salaries than the large
private corporations are doing. These
corporations are fast getting into their
employ the ablest citizens we have
notably those of tbs legal profession. One
by one our ablest judges quietly leave the
| bench to become counsel for some cor
poration, solely because they pay higher
salaries. This is the case with nearly all
our ex-judges. Our district judges are,
with hardly an exception. conceded to be
we'll fitted for their positions; and it is a
shame upon us that they are truthfully
styled ':the hardest worked and poorest
paid officers in the State" Many of them
could leave the bench to-day, and earn
from five to ten thousand dollars year
they certainly could if they
| labOrcd as hard in their
profession, as they do now.
The layman may not understand, as well
as the lawyer, the great amount of labor
which these officers have to perform, but
he does know the great responsibility
resting upon them, and the almost unlm-
tied confidence that has to be placed in
them, in submitting to them for adjudi-
cation questions involving the life, lib
erty or property of the citizen. The sal
airy of these judges should be, at least,
81, 600 per year. The present salary was
fixed when the State was poor, and they
had but comparatively little to do. In
the name of justice and decency, let it
not be said that the State will not pay its
officers as well as railroad, insurance and
other corporations do Our financial
condition will no longer excuse us for
not paying our judges salary common
surate with the labor they perform.
Our State is in very healthy condition
financially, but there arc one or two