Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1889-03-09

for the position Of Judge to
succeed Garland Of the Sioux Falls dis.
trict, resigned.
The great statesmen arc becoming
more numerous daily. but q large mum.
Der Will be carried to the political GENE.
tary on March 8. IRA SWAIN.
Farmers 1egislat,en.
Z B.snassk Trllna. d.
The Watertown Courier levi, speak.
ing Of some Of the bills now pending
in the legislature truly says:
'The. present Dakota legislature Is
oonfessedly . farmers legislature, both
branches having q large majority Of far.
mer and alliance memben. The far.
mers made . tight for. the legislature
and won. In fastin tnsny districts the
members were conceded to them with
practically no opposition. The result
is that they have 70 large q majority IN
the legislature that they have every.
thing their own way. Tho power to
legislate 10 IN their hands, but this power
carries with It a responsibility Of more
than ordinary weight. When legislative
bodies are composed Of members. vari
ously distributed among al classes aud
professions. no clsss or profession can
bs held responsible-tor the acts OF s1ch
a body. Nos3so with The present Da.
kota legislature which prsssnts the ano.
maly Of = class legislature, avowsdly
elected ~ such, % that whatsver leR,s.
lation is had will be regarded - farmers
legislation and they alone will be held
responsible. Their majority is 90 great
it cannot be otherwise. - They
have allowed themselves 70 be carted
about by the railroads, the same q
other legislative mortais. &nd their
friends who are .shrewd enough to zee q
few rods in advance M their political
noses are becoming concerned about
the record this legislature 10 going te
make for itself, and the influence i
will have upon the elections In the fu
ture." 1t will not do to %,
that they were led or forced into I
thing against their judgment. or tina
there was pressure brought to bea
which they could not resist. Such q,
admission, would be fatal, a. showinl
that a farmer legislature Is no moro Il
be trusted than the average legislator
composed Of politicians"
Truer words were meyer spoken. 'rh
legislature is farmers legislature bu
they have no intelligent idea as to whs
they want to accomplish or how the
expect to get it. Take the railroa'
legislation for instance: House bill No
% was introduced. 1t contained tn
accumulated wisdom, resulting from
two years research as TO railroad legiu
lat,on. Ono OF the brightest younI
attorneys in the territory drew tho bill
II was revised and rc.revised agar
and again by the alliance officers ant
considered by tho alliance convention
at jamestown. 1t was further revise'
by alliance members, most Of its radi
cal features beng removed. and thol
further re viaed by tho ra,lroad com
mittce of the two houses aud tlem pre-
sented TO the legislature. II appeare
to be satisfactory to the farmers. an
the railroads did not object to it, bu
the bill was slaughtered In the hous
the frat chance they got to vote on i
Then came the Morris bill, which Ia
copy of the Minnesota law. 1t il III
questlonably strong medicine. II rate
are 100 high. they could be reduce
under that bi lii there are wrongst TO col
rect it would reach them. II there VI
interests Of the people to protect th
bill would effect that purpose: but
wns regarded too radical and the farm
-rs fearing it would work injustice
+ the railroad building it WAS voteo dow
. or what amounts to the same, seems
be left Suspended beyond the reach Of
, majority.
Now the alliance bill is again Intro
duced-emasculated it Is true-and "
it is all that can be had and the farme
Of the territory demand ita uasssge
may not do any good, but everybod
, comedies that it will do harm, and Il
T, farmers want It.
But there Is another bill pending th'
will amount TO something; that will p'
n 340O. .00O into the treasury during II
6 coming summer, ne .rly $500, 600 With
4 ten days. but it isn't farmers msasur
r 1t is in conflict with their express
g opinions-contrsry in spirit at least
the demands that they have made upt
tue legislature. aud yet there are f"rr
). ers in the legislature who tremble wht
it, passage Is spoken Of lest it should
q condemned by their constituents.
al The people Of this territory are n
n idiots or children. They can make I
the record of this Legislature even b
= ter than the solons who cit in either Il
, east or the west end Of the capit'
. show them something better than Il
4 measure they have been talking abo'
), and they will adopt and approve.
Give them their alliance billto salts
), their den,a in that direction, al