Omaha daily bee., 1891-04-07
THE LATE LE0IsLATURE.


he is dead. The same rule applies with
greater force TO a body OF men composing
a state or national legislature.
The late legislature entered upon its
work with profuse promises OF reform.
A majority Of both houses werc elected
as reformers and pledged to bring about
radical and wholesome departure
from the offensive methods of The
old party machine politicians. The two
houses were duly organized by the
reformers and the old party place hunt
ers and barnacles were not given sme.Y
OF the iloshpots. But the old barnacles
only made way to new spoil hunters
who II anything were more hungry than
the old ones.
The high ideal OF economy and re-
trenchment which had been preached at
alliance loveieasts during the campaign
was discarded when il came to be put
into practice There was the same
pressure on the new that there had been
on the old party, and the same tempta-
ton to distribute soft jobs to friends and
relatives.
however, "a mere trihc when compared
with the reckless waste Of precious
time during the first half of the session
The reformers entered the Legislative
arena loaded down with q contest begot-
ten by unscrupulous lawyers and ambi-
tious leaders. Tho ruling major
ity in the legislature lost sight
Of hn ,,itn al nnJ nhipptS
for which the embattlcd farmers
had banded together and frittered away
three weeks in proftess struggle over
| spoils.
A After 90 days session the re-
form legislature has enRrafted upon our
| statute books only three or four meas
| ures of general Importance and these
measures are to be credited
as much to republicans and dem
ocrats as they are to indepcnd-
| ents The Australian ballot law was
| supported unanimously by members Of all
parties The bill to compel state and
county trcasurers TO turn over the inter-
est derived from public funds into their
| respective treasures was supported
promiscuously by members of all parties
| The bills tocreate state board of health
and the bills for the regulation of pub
| lie warehouses and inspection OF grain;
the world 5 ialr appropriation and nearly
all important bills were passed without
| drawing party lines. The eight-hour
law and several bills in the interest Of
the laboring classes had also the gener-
GUS support of the great majority of the
legislature regardless of party.
The greatest blupder of the session
was the course pursued in reference to
railroad legislation. 1t was expected
that the railroad committees of the two
houses would get together and arrange
for athorough Investigation OF the abuses
to which Nebraska shippers and produc-
ers had been subjected. After careful
comparison of Nebraska rate schedules
with those of Iowa, Missouri and Illinois,
they were expected to engage an expert
in railroad rates and formulate a maxi
mum freight bill that would materially
reduce rates, afford relief where it is
most needed, always bearing in mind
the difference in the volume of traffic
and relative cost of operating and main
tanning roads in Nebraska and adjacent
states. Such bill, or bill fixing
maximum rates on the principal staples
| which the producers of Nebraska export
and import could have been passed and
we believe would have received the gov
ernor's sanction and stood the test of
our courts. Even if it had been vetoed
there would have been little doubt of its
passage over the head of the governor
| Butthe independents in the legislature
who specially championed the railroad
bills, would heed no advice and
did not even see fit to take any con.
certed action about railroad legislation.
railroads never held "a joint meeting.
The chairman of the senate committee,
Mr.. Stevens, introduced bill which he
had prepared in conjunction with two or
three expert lawyers. This bill had for
it's basis the Iowa rate and was framed
SO as to make an allowance
of 10 to 20 per cent in favor of Iowa
over Nebraska. The house committee
sublet the framing of its bill which be.
came a substitute for the original bill
introduced by Newberry to shyster
lawyer and jumping jack who knows a
good deal less about maximum rates
than he does about law and that is
precious .little. This person copied
the lowest rate schedules on
the Iowa trunk lines and the
bill thus begotten was pushed through
both houses under whip and spur. The
bin covered $50 pages OF manuscript and
with two or three exceptions the mem
bers who voted for it did not know any
more about its provisions or practical
effect than they do about the Chinese
language. And the cry went forth 1.-THE
Newberry bill or nothing" And the
result, as predicted by THE BEE. it
nothing.
The same is true OF the usury bills
The senate passed a moderate usury bill
The independents of the house insisted
that they would have their own bill or
nothing. On the last day of the session
when nothing was in sight they tried tc