The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-02-20
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20. 1885.
NOTES FROM B1s,rAxcK

NOTES FROM BISMARCK.
The mills Of our Legislature, like the
mills of the gods, grind very slowly:
whether the rest of the aphorism will
apply, remains to be seen. But all
legislative bodies are slow, and that
Legislature which leaves many things
untouched but fully meets the public
demand in the direction of few
needed reforms, is the one that is re.
membered with the praises of it's
constituents. If the Dakota legisla.
ture of 1885 will give us a law making
railroads more amenable to the public
and affording free market for our
products, and Il revenue law more in.
telligen:ly adapted to the needs of our
country, and perhaps two or three
more notifications of our statutes,
and refrain from too much expert.
menting, it will be entitled to mucl,
praise from the people.
Six or seven bills have been intro.
duced touching the management of
public elevators and railroads, all of
them having some good features and
most revealing some fatal defect.
Perhaps it IS not SO easy as many
imagine to frame a law that will ad.
just the difficulties. so much com.
planned Of between the public and the
railroads. The people of Dakota have
suffered from the wrongs inflicted by
railroads. 1t is in the power of our
representatives in large degree to
remedy these evils. But the people
cannot do everything; they cannot en-.
force an unconstitutional enactment,
so that much study and care are re.
CURED in making laws to govern rail.
roads. Iii case where fools will
rush in where wise men fear to tread.
For instance: The Oliver bill which
passed the House of Representatives
contained a clause to compel railroad
companies to lease their ground to any
who wish to build elevators or ware.
houses thereon. A little reflection
should have convinced the author of
the bill that no law can compel cor.
poration more than an individual to
lease property of which it has an
indefeasible right.
The third house" has a large re.
presentation at the capital this ses.
sion. The house Of monopolists, like
the two houses elected, has been
doubled in membership since the
session of two years ago. Taken as a
whole these lobbyists are the most
agreeable body of men to he found.
In them is united the maximum OF
politeness with the minimum of con.
science. Railroads, insurance com.
panies and townsite companies arc
represented by the best talent avail.
able. of course, these lobbyists
represent a great many times the
wealth possessed by the membership
of both houses. TO what extent theil
resources are drawn upon for the OBJ
jects to be accomplished would be
difficult to ascertain. The hand il
sometimes laid bare, but the owner is
invisible to the uninitiated. Certain
members have found letters on theil
desks promising certain rewards or
certain conditions. How many mem
bers are in the habit of following out
these trails we could not guess. An
dcrson of the tenth district was
accused of being bought off, but thu
committee reported that they did moi
find that Hutchinson, whose sea,
Anderson contested, had any knowl
edge of the transaction!
Jud LaMoure has planted his hee
square on Tweedlie's corns in his bill
for horizontal reduction in the fees
allowed to register of deeds. The bill
provides for the following fees: Fol
recording deed, mortgage, or Other
intrument and indexing, for the first
four hundred words or less. excluding
from the count that portion of the
record which is printed, fifty cents
for each additional folio of written
record. ten cents; copy of record, fol
each ten words, one cent; certificate
and seal alone, twenty five cents; certii.
cate and seal on same, ten cents; max.
ing certified abstract of title for the
first deed or transfer, thirty.five cents;
and for each additional transfer. five
cents; entering satisfaction of mort.
gage or lien, ten cents; for filing and
indexing chattel mortgage, ten cents.
The question of woman suffrage
has awakened great interest at the
capital. If the council fail to pass
the bill it will not be the last of it.
The question is now squarely before
the people of the Territory and cannot
be laid aside until it is settled, and
settled right, too. Sensible men
should not oppose it. They might az
well get up and ride in the band wagon
and not be left to come numbering
along at the tail end of the procession.
Want Of space prevents me from
contin' ing these notes except to add
single word OF thanks to represent.
alive Stong for courtesies extended.
R.H.Y.