The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1889-05-25
THE THIRTY.FIFTH, GENERAL AS
SEMBLY.


he leading features of the session.
1t has been declared by certain dem
newspapers of the state that the
of this Legislature to adopt a
course of legislation had weak
,ned the hold of the democratic party
ipon the people OF the state.
II has been declared by nearly all
he republican newspapers that this
assembly had proven abnormal, aoor-
tive and false % its purposes.
Both declarations are 80 manifestiy
untrue as to convict the first named
class of newspapers OF the meanest
sort of selfshuess, followed by chagrin
and disappointment at the overthrow
of net measures, and to convict the
second class, for the t%housandth time'
of the same old sin of abusing the
state in which thsy live, from partisan
and malicious motives.
ID TIE first place, the ~thirty-fifth gen.
eral assembly passed a law prohibiting
grain gambling. 1t Is a law de-
signed to secure to the farmers OF TINS
state a reasonable advantage In the
natural fluctuations of the Market
without unwholesome interference
from those spectators who happen 10
be "long" or ''short" on marginal
guesses as to the output.
In the secopd place it has passed a
law to secure reform in the exercise OF
the right of suffrage. The act covers
the best features of the Australian
svstem, with-as Senator Major said
recently of another measure-"some
| North Missouri improvements" which
give it local habitation and color. The
fact that this new law is yet only ap-
plicable to cities having over five thou
sand inhabitants is in its favor, be-
cause if electoral reform is urgently
needed anywhere it is in the larger
cities, and if the law shall prove ehec-
tual, it may gradually spread thence to
cover the entire state. 1t was OF this
law Senator Vest spoke when he told
the general assembly that II it had done
nothing more than pass the electora
reform bill it would deserve the graft
tude of the people of Missouri.
In the third place the legislature en-
acted a law prohibiting the formation
of pools, trusts and other conspiraciei
against public rights, and provided
elaborate punishments for violation
thereof. The law may not prove sui
fciently strong to accomplish all tina
it was intended to accomplish, but 1t il
a good beginning, and paves the way
for stronger legislation at some future
day.
In the fourth place, a law has. beel
enacted requiring foreign building ant
loan associations to give security to TIT
state in the sum OF 500 900 for III
proper conduct of their business ant
the just treatment OF our citizens.
In the fifth place, the legislature ha
passed a law providing a uniform sys
tenn for the management and control o
the eleemosynary institutions OF tn
state, a measure 30 urgently demands
as to occasion surprise at its not bein
; adopted years ago. This law appear
: to be admirably framed in all its essen
: tial features, and will give TO the al
:, ministralion OF the eleemosynary IL
situations a degree of efficiency hithert
not attained.
l. In the sixth place, the legislature hs
!. reduced the rate of taxation levied fe
the payment OF interest upon the sta
. debt one-half, DR. from one-ffth to on
tenth of one per cent. 1t is almo
needless to say that this measure w
: meet the hearty approval of all tai
II payers.
In the seventh place, a law has BET
enacted authorizing county courts
loan the surplus funds OF the countie
:, to the end that a continuous reven'
, may be derived thereirom to the coul
:, ties instead of to local banks, as her
tofore, and that the unseemly strife b
tween banks over the county deposi
= may be entirely eliminated from /
field OF local politics.
J.. In the eighth place, the Legislature b
10 30 changed the law governing the d
post of the state funds as to insure t
enhancement of the interest on Il
i daily balances, at the same time that
l. makes it possible for banks in the
le terror OF Missouri to secur a porti'
of the states deposits.
In the ninth place the Legislature b.
D. after trying for ten years to accompli
ut it, succeeded in putting on the statr
l. books a law to govern the elevators
E. the state, to secure iair inspection
W the farmers grain, to guarantee to b
a. the weight that he actually has in t
le car, and to prevent the pernicious 9!
l. tenn of mixing, always to his detrime
i'll and to the elevators profit, a syst'
10 which has robbed Missouri farmers
IN millions of dollars.
I'd These are the nine most promine
special enactments of the thirty.f
general assembly, and from present
e. dications they are sufficient to give
D. this legislature an honorable name
L every household in Missouri. In a
D. dition, the statutes have been revised
'e not, perhaps, as thoroughly as til
IT, might have been, but still revised a
W amended where revision and amen
!" ment appeared most urgent, and
III The time the joint committee on rev
u ION shall have concluded its labo
W there will be ready for publication t.
er splendid volumes of wholesome law
+ laws, too, which may be sold to
B. public at 90 for both volumes, inste
of $5, as heretofore.
IL 1t would be a work of supereroi
III ton to dwell in detail upon the legis
n' lion OF the thirty fifth general asse
10 bly,, inasmuch rs a complete list
les bills thus far apr roved by the govern
is published in this issue OF the Int
u gencer. 1t is only incumbent upon
ia, now to add, that whenever the legi'
les ,,.o ~ 1880 shall ha aariOuaiv arraiUl