The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1885-03-13
4 mr., passed the Minnesota state

assembly. IL 1OrDlub the saie, ght, ioah
Or exhibition of any immoral publica-
ton, and also prohibits the sale, gift,
loan or exhibition of any publication
which is principally made up Of crimi-
nal news, police reports, or stories OF
lust or crime. It's language
not only covers such periodicals as the
Police News and Police Gazette, but in
cludes blood and thunder story papers,
dime novels and kindred literature as
well. The penalty prescribed for any
violation of this law is imprisonment fol
not less than 3 months, or a fine of not
less than $25 nor more than 81 600, oil
both fine and imprisonment; one-hali
of the fine to be paid to the informer
All courts in the state have jurisdiction
1t is good law, and one which at least
materially lessons the distribution o
this injurious class Of reading matter
among the young Of to-day.
The position of the ReUissV toward the
legislature Just adjourned is neither just
logical nor commendable. The editor
in a labored article of column in length
expiates upon the extravaganza of oul
law makers, and one is forced, from
reading his remarks, to conclude tina
he is entirely opposed to all sort Of legis
lation which shall tend to place our STATE
among the progressive ones of the ma
ton, and especially of the west anc
northwest.
But intelligent and reading peopl,
cannot refrain from exhibiting smile
ut the position taken by our contemper
airy upon the questions of what he pleas
es To denominate extravaganza. "Bill
providing for 225 bridges in various part
OF the state were passed, aggregatin,
$Sl 900 from the internal revenue fund.
This item is included in the Reuiew's bill
of extravaganza. The funds applied t
the building Of bridges cannot be useC
for any other purpose. The bridges or
dered are all needed and the dema
gogic effort to imply that the Legislature
was extravagant IN providing them, il
hardly becoming even great reforme
liken unto Wise.
The $lO0,OO0 appropriated to improve
the fair grounds of the State Agricultur
al society, in the light Of the fact that TIT
appropriations were in excess of posi-
BILE receipts, was ill-timed, and it il
greatly to be regretted that the Gov
ernor did not veto the bill.
Another bill of extravaganza as notet
by the RerieD ls the law empowering tn,
Governor to appoint three additions
Judges at salary of $500 per annum
Now the truth is, and every one knows i
who isposted in the premises, that it haC
become utterly impossible for a singl,
Judge in either of the three district
reached by this act, to perform the du
ties required Of him. Judge Severance
remarked to us several weeks ago tina
it was a physical impossibility for hin
to do justice to his district. The bust
ness of Blue Earth county alone requires
his attention more than one-half of the
time. Look at the courts and Judges in
Iowa. Every county in the state has
eight sessions of court per year-foui
terms of the District and four of the Cir
cult. In this district there are counties
that do not have more than one or two
terms throughout the year, and the bust
ness becomes piled up so that il is i'm.
possible to clear the calendar. To our
mind, the legislature did not enact q
more necessary bill than that creating
three more Judgeships.
The law creating two new railroad
is directly and wholly in
the interest of the farmers as is also the
dairy commissioner. Every we'll regu-
ated state has u railroad commission of
from two to five, then why should there
be abuse heaped upon our law makers
Tor providing ways and means for the
suppression of railroad abuses? So far
10 commissioner for dairy products is
any state that fails to protect
he people against possible poison by
,lcomaragrine, and the destruction of
he dairy interests, is not fit for self
and yet the expense for
his commissioner in denounced as ex-
ravagance by the Reriew.
The assertion made by our friend
Icross the way that another State Nor
nal school is to be built, this time at
Noorehead, in the extreme northwest
'ra border of the state" is intended to
nislead. No appropriation was made
or such Il structure, and will not be
sked for until the next session of the
legislature, hence this bill OF extravaganza
will naturally fall upon that body and
lot upon the one just adjourned. If
here Is to be fourth Normal school in
he state it should certainly be located
n the northern part of the state. Moore
ead is one hundred and fifty miles
outh Of the northern boundary of the
tate, and with its railroad facilities is
ertainly we'll located for school of this
ind.
1t is plainly evident that the ReIsw is
ndeavoring, in its charge Of extrava-
ance against the legislature, to cast I'M
lst imputations against the Republican
arty. 1t does not say that the members
f this party are especially at fault, but
does not take a very keen eye to de-
sct the animus of his argument. Sena-
,rs Wilson, of Winona, and Castle, Of
with Durant, of the latter city
4 the house, were three as strong men
as could be found in the
'gislature, and they are ultra Demo-
rats. We do not know Of an appropri-
ton bill of any moment that they in
ividually and collectively did not favor,
nd in most instances were found among
le ready debaters to show cause why
lch measure should receive endorse
rent.
While there were sums of money APP
ropriated that could as we'll have been
eferred for two years, the great mass
( appropriations, as well as bills of
character which have be-
ome law, were needed, and to set
ack and whine at this time, without
wing better reasons than appear in its |
)lumns, the editor of the RerieU makes
imself appear rather ridiculous in the
yes of the people.
THE new executive outfit Is fully in. |
ngurated and running along briskly.
Now that the state has made provision
" farmers institutes, when and where