St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-03-11
SOUTH DAKOTA LEGIsLATURE

a paragraph is going the rounds of
the Eastern papers that the South Da-
kota Legislature deemed the state too
poor to appropriate even $1,000 for
state representation at the Chicago fair.
1t would be well for that state if this
could be quite explained away. In the
conference of the committees of the two
houses in the last hours of the session
the proposition to appropriate $780,
was thrown out on account of the en-
barrassment in the state finances. 1t
was blunder, unless there is other
means of etfecting sufficient representa-
lion. That state cannot afford to have
blank in the list when the show of
Itates is before 1.-The world and the rest
u mankind" 1t is not a finished state.
It has broad and varied area, vast unde-
7eloped resources, and a new-found
tndecrat for senator. This Iegis
allure that could not afford to
Ipend anything for an exhibit at the
lair appropriated 1928, 1880 for the next
Two years. OF this SI0S,OOO goes to
bonded Indebtedness held over from the
territory, all the rest being absorbed by
the regular channels. The militia get
$4,000 and the railroad commissioners
100000. As SITTING BULL is dead. the
militia might be hung up a couple OF
years, and if the railroad commission
Frs earn their pay they are great i'm
proyement upon the territorial boards.
This was one of the gravest mistakes of
the session. 1t should be understood.
however, that III the main the record of
the legislature is creditable, and en-
titles it to much larger share of public
approval than has been the case with
such bodies heretofore in any sort of
Dakota. AS a political achievement If
put on the shelf the monopoly attorney
who as senator helped build the worst
parts of Mckinleyism. In spite of the
round totals appropriated. the expend-
lures were cut down SCI, 793 Several
offices were abolished, and the retrench-
ment knife slipped diScreetIy about the
public institutions, of which the state
has enough to supply almost any of the
Old and large states. OF the legislation.
the Sioux Falls Press, the leading Re
publican paper of the state, says: THE
laws that have been passed will bear
comparison with those made even by
the best legislature Dakota has ever
known" Among the most prominent
OF these is the new school law. now re-
garded as good as there is to be had any
where. The new revenue act engrossed
the energies of the senate near
1y the entire session, AMI it is
stated comprises the best portion of
the Minnesota and North Dakota laws.
1t is to be hoped it did not require such
protracted intensity of effort as was put
forth by the senate to comprehend
these. Still, there is a compliment to
the states in the appropriation. The
Australian ballot system, with the i'm
provementS. was adopted, and supple
mented with financial act that has the
sharpest kind of fangs reaching out for
the boodlers and all persons who at
tempt to make money or other enrich
ment out of the elective incidents. The
candidate who is little careless with
his money is quite likely to land in the
penitentiary. As the reformers did not
have the senate or governor, they are
entitled to the credit OF some good laws
and keeping the total down to about one
hundred.