Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1891-03-13
THE RECORD MADE UP.


time the people of the state will have al
opportunity of examining it. Legisla
tive action on the more important mat
tiers is already we'll known, but the de
tails, the silent provisions of the many
laws enacted are still unknown. No rad
ical measures have been passed and but
little attempted. Some necessary and
important changes have been made in
the revenue law, the school law and the
railroad and warehouse laws. Probably
the most radical measure passed is the
Australian election law. This complete.
ly revolutionizes our present mode OF
nominating candidates for office and con.
Quoting elections. The little white bal
lot with a very wide margin and the very
long ballot on the very stiff paper are
things of the past. The ballots hereafter
will be about the size of a small newspa.
per page and only $50 will be printed fo1
every so voters. Probably not one in
three of the printing Offices in the state
has the facilities for printing the tickets
required by this act. Goodbye SIS a
thousand for election tickets ordered by
anxious politicians. Goodbye split tick.
cts. Goodbye tickets with democratic
tail and republican head. Goodbye
stickers. Goodbye election lobbyists.
Goodbye all the time-honored customs
Reform with a big R has come. Expens.
i've though it may be, the demand for il
was general and, like the direct-tax bill
IN congress, it was passed to get rid of it,
1t is a complicat ed affair, but it's tenden.
cy is in the direction of more purity in
politics. The system is not without its
advantages. It will result in fewer split
tickets than heretofore and have a ten
dency to popularize straight party tickets.
AS usual the majority of the bills we're
left until the last few days of the
session before being finally acted
upon, the only exceptions being the ap-
preparation bills. While the legisla-
ture has scaled down the appropriations
asked for nearly a half, and the bills as
passed can hardly be called %extravagant,
still the fact remains that the total
amount exceeds the prospective revenues
of the state by a considerable sum-, I'M
less the counties are more prompt in
remittlng than therefore,, which is not
likely.
The subject exciting the most interest,
and which caused the greatest fight in
the legislature just closed, was the
prohibition question. That resubmission
passed both houses by the bare constitu-
tlonal number required is undisputed,
but the action was speedily undone by
the ''expunging" process, a new and
radical modus operandi in legislative
procedure that has attracted consider
able attention outside as we'll as within
the state. The official journals do no
show that resubmission ever carried,
but, on the contrary, the senate Jour-
nal shows that it failed on roll call.
The legality Of this action will prob
ably be tested by the resubmissionists,
bnt, on the face of it, the prohib1tionists
have the best of it.
AS for ability, the second legislative
assembly was not below the average. It
contained several ready debaters and a
large number of well-informed and prac-
teal minds. There is no Disgusting the
fact, however, that the farmers of North
Dakota make a mistake in sending so
few lawyers to the legislature. The ag-
ricultural interests would be best sub
served If the farmers would give good,
bright attorneys one-fourth of the repre-
sentatlon. 1t is a mistake to suppo
that the average attorney will not work
for the interest of the agriculturallsts of
this state. The most effective cham
pions of their interests in the session
just closed we're attorneys. The success
OF an attorney and his practice depends
upon his popularity at home, and when
sent to the legislature it is reasonable to
suppose that he will do that which will
gain for him the greatest plaudits of his
home constituents. In the legislature he
would be more practical and legislation
would be in the line of more conservative
economy than the average farmer. A
great deal of time is wasted in each
legislative assembly on measures that
ought not to be discussed or considered
a moment-matters that are ridiculous
unconstitutional and directly opposed to
the best interests of the masses. It is
hoped the next legislature will be an i'm.
provement on the two first ones in this
respect. What North Dakota needs is
not so many laws but more practical
ones. A complete code to take the place
of all existing laws will, under the pro.
visions ofethe act providing for the codi-
tication Of the laws, be presented to the
next legislative assembly for adoption.
1t will be almost imperative that a mum.
Der of bright, honest and Trustworthy
attornoya ha cont IN tho poxt ,,,o~,b1,,