The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1890-11-20
THE LEGISLATURE.

The question which is agitating the hide
bound politician just at present is the
attitude of the handful of alliance men
elected to the legislature in Minnesota,
relative to the two great parties in the
matter of the organization of the house.
Combined with either party, they make
a majority. and yet their number is so
small that without the assistance of
either party they viii be without iaflu-
ence or weight. As a matter Of fact it is
of small moment whether the legislature
be presided over by speaker of demo-
cratic, republican or alliance proclivi-
tics. 1t is merely a nominal. victory
for the party which secures it-without
special advantage and indicative ofnoth-
ing excepting that this, that or the other
deal has been arranged prior to the
meeting of the legislature. The all-im-
por:nnt practical consideration, that
which affects all alike is the character
OF the legislature which shall character
ize the session of the legislature. The
talk about the discrimination in past
legislation against the farmer is the
purest rot. II the agricultural classes
have not received what they demanded
it is their own fault. Take the last leg
islature as an example. In the house,
which is composed of 1O3 members, fifty
were farmers, and those engaged in the
other leading avocations were: lawyers
sixteen, merchants fourteen and bankers
three. In other words, the farmers only
lacked two votes uf an absolute majority
over all other lines o! business. With
such force as that any demands made
by them must have been acceded to.
They had the power to do absolutely as
they pleased in the matter of legislation.
And yet it is that session which they
have arraigned all during the campaign
as being peculiarly hostile to their inter-
ests. If they fail to secure their just and
equitable deserts when the self-interests
of fifty of their own number held seats
in the body which had the power to mete
them out, what can they expect along
party lines, with only twenty or thirty
members, who have antagonized both of
the old parties at the polls.
The alliance to attempt to gain it's
ends by combination with the democrats
is as absurd as any political proposition
we'll could be. The democratic party in
Minnesota is close corporation ahso-
iutely dominated by that all-political
triumvirate Pat Kelly, Mike Doran and
Tim Hill. Is it within the fold of these
disinterested friends Of the farmers the
alliance desires to make its legislative
home for the ninety days succeeding the
first of next January? 1t would be the
old esopic fable of tic hawk in the dove
cote.
Mr.. Donnelly will be in the senate, and
it is safe to say will be the leader of the
alliance forces, and there is no danger of
his being caught by chaff. He is too old
a bird. Whatever may be said of him it
has never been alleged that he is over
confding and unsuspicious, nor that he
is pt to mistake skinner Tor ladle.
No doubt the democrats entertain a
feeling Of the warmest gratitude toward
the alliance for tie assistance rendered
in the election; and furthermore there is
no doubt that they will not permit this
feeling TO influence them to the abandon
ment OF all the advantage gained by such
assistance. That would be undemocratic
and inconsistent will, all party preced-
emit