St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-02-06
SENATORS isnCOMG WRATHY,
And Deign to Use strong Language
to Each Other.

Senator Bowen has bill before the
senate regulating the exercise of police
powers in Minnesota. This bill reached
its third reading yesterday, and in all
the stages Of its passage there had not
been e slightest objection raised to
any of its provisions. The spell was
broken yesterday. Senator Brown threw
the bomb on the unruffied calm OF the
senate when he said: Il would like to
hear some reasons given for the passage
of such bill as this" The provisions
of tire bill are:
II shall be unlawful for any person or per-
SONS not residents of this state to exercise
any police powers, or to participate in the
arrest of any person within this state, except
in cases of eXtradition, and except where the
arrest is being made at the time OF the COM
mission of a felony, or in the immediate
flight thereafter, and any person not q resi-
dent of this state who shall exercise or as
sumo to exercise any police power whatever.
or who shall in any manner participate in
any arrest or attempted arrest. except rs
above provided for, shall, upon conviction
therefor, be deemed gully of a misdemeanor,
and be punished by fine not exceeding
500. or by Imprisonment i'll the county jail
not exceeding ninety days, or by both such
fine and Imprisonment.
Any corporation doing business in the
state of Minnesota which shall employ or
cause TO be employed any person not a resi-
dent of the state of Minnesota, TOR the pur-
pose of having such person or persons eXer-
else any police powers, or to make any
arrest, or in any manner interfere with the
liberty of any citizen of the state of Mime
sofa, shall be subject to a penalty of 81 900
for each such oifense, to be recovered in all
action to be brought i'll the name of the state
OF Minnesota. by the county attorney of the
county in which such offenSe is committed,
said penalty, when SO recovered. to be paid
into the common school fund.
Senator BoWen'S explanation was:
sfThe bill contemplates that the state of
Minnesota is able to take care of its own
affairs, and select its own citizens as
police officers, without the aid of those
persons who make it a business to hire
themselves for pay for any purpose
whatever. And there are such. The
bill is aimed at the Pinkerton detect
ives, and it is one which is asked for
by certain labor organizations Of the
state. They do not ask for any prOJec-
ton themselves; they do not ask to be
excepted from any of the provisions of
the law, but they do ask that these
spies that make it their bushes to enter
into their organizations and give such
information as will put men of good
character and good standing upon the
black list of their employers-they SIM
ply want those men shut out as acting
it seems to me that it is reasonable
enough. The state of Minnesota ought
to be able to exercise its own police
powers over its own citizens. There
has been no objection TO the bill so far"
Senator BIZ wn was not satisfied with
the explanation, being of the opinion
that the act was Gin the interests of an
archy, murder and crime.'' No law
abiding citizen need fear detectives or
policemen from any state, and he did
not believe in giving m0nop ly of the
police or protective force to Minnesota,
The bill was net in the interest of good
order, good society, and he was opposed
to its passage.
Senator Bowen challenged Senator
Brown to prove that the bill was in the
interests of anarchy, murder and crime.
81 say" he continued, "the assertion is
false one. This bill is asked, not for
anybody representing anarchy or crimi
mails, but honest citizens-honest labor
ing men of the state; and if there was
foul aspersion upon them it is to char
acteriZe them as anarchists and Grim
inalS."
Senator Brown accepted the chal-
lenge laid down, and said that the first
section of the bill made it possible for
any one 10 fee into this state. q fugitive
from Justice, and no outside detectives
Or police officers could arrest him.
1.-The language used by the senator
from Brown" ne proceeded, lis be-
meath the dignity of any member of this
body. do not say it is false what he
has said, or l would have to stoop to the
level of the senator from Brown, and l
don't propose to do il. did not say the
authors of the bill. or the person intro
ducing it, were anarchists or criminals,
but do say the bill will prevent the
best detectives we have from coming
into the state to detect crime"
Senator Nachbar was of opinion that
the Pinkertons were the men who
threw bombs on the police.
Senator Halt moved to refer the bill
back to the judiciary committee. as It's
purpose was not well understood.
Senator Bowen said it had been
unanimously reported upon by that
committee, and it seemed rather pecu-
liar all the objections against the bill
should have been raised on the final
passage Of the bill, especially when OPP
ponents now characterized it as meas
ure put forward by anarchists and
criminals.
1t was SO referred