St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-01-16
THE LEGISLATURE.

There is a disposition on the part OF
some of our state exchanges to grumble
at the legislature because of its slow
ness in getting down to earnest work.
One exchange goes so far as to say that
the state house, and not the Merchants
hotel, is the building designed by law as
the place where the Legislators are to
assemble. This bit of irony was doubt
less suggested by the tendency of men,
bers to congregate about the headQuar-
tiers established by the senatorial candl-
dates. Probably our brethren of the
state press are cens0riouS without
cause. 1t would be expecting too much
of human nature, and of our peculiar
American type of human nature, espe-
cially, to expect a legislative body
to get down to solid work While an
exciting political contest is pending.
The senatorial fight must be ended be-
fore we can expect any great amount OF
legislation, and the members OF the
state legislature are possibly doing the
wisest thing by devoting all their time
and energies toward bringing the con-
test 70 a close. The sooner it is rid OF,
the sooner will the Legislature be ready
for honest work. The fact, however,
that every senatorial election retards
legitimate legislative business is an adj
ditional argument in favor of the prop
osition to elect senators by popular
vote, instead of by the legislature. In
this age, with the tendency so strongly
i'm the direction of universal suffrage,
all proxy election methods are appar-
entity at discord with the spirit OF our
institutions. Therefore we would sug-
gest that in the interim, while the leg
islature is awaiting the conclusion OF
the senatorial contest, that body might
protitably employ its time in drafting
memorial to the national congress pray
ing for change in the method OF elect
ing senators.
There are other matters, also, which
could profitably engage the time OF the
legislature while it is awaiting the re-
suit of the senatorial sparring match.
There is a great deal Of legislation to be
blocked out for this session, of great inn
portance to the people of this state. In
addition to a revision of the railway
and warehouse laws, there should be
legislative reapportionment. A matter
of still greater consequence is the eS-
tablishment of financial system in ac-
cordance with the recommendations
made by the state treasurer in his late
biennial report. The finances of the
state are in a horribly tangled condi-
ton, and as for financial system eS-
tablished On business principles. there
is no such thing known in this state. In
pursuance of existing methods the state
is perpetual borrower, the whole finan-
cial machinery of the state being oper-
ated exclusively on the principle of rob-
bling PETER to pay PAUL. Let us have
change of methods. Then there
are important matters in the report
of the state superintendent of schools,
relating to proposed changes in our
educational system, which merit the con-
sideration of the legislature. All these,
and many other matters, will doubtless
be taken up as the session progresses:
but there must be beginning. and now
is good time to begin. 1t is with legis-
lative bodies as it is with pretty much
everything else-the character of the
work depends good deal upon the
start that is made. Later on in the ses-
sion everything will be in rush. Now
there is ample time for mature consider
alton, and the more important leglsla-
ton should be blocked out while the
legislative mind is fresh and vigorous,
with no special push or stress on its
energies.