St. Paul daily globe., 1891-01-11
LAWMAKING TIMBER.
Walks of Life From Which
Our Legislators Have
Been Drawn.
The Cry of "Hayseed LegiS-
lature" Without Founda-
tion in Fact.
Citizens of American Birth
Largely Preponderate in
Both Houses.
Some Comparative Tables Of
the Legislatures of 1889
and 1891.

Those who have not followed or
closely read the political history of Min
nesota cannot adequately grasp the effect
which the work of the present legisla-
ture is likely to have on the future of
the state. For twenty-five years the
state has been in the hands of the Re-
publican party-legislativ and eXecu
utiye. To-day in the legislative end the
Republicans are in hopeless minority,
and for the first time in quarter of a
century the people are in a position to
the scenes, All that we know to-day
respecting the government of the state,
the management of state institutions,
has been gathered from the official re-
ports and gossip which has sifted
through Republican sewers. The
true facts are now likely to
be brought to light. For many years
there have been rumors about the gross
mismanagementa and profligacy of Re-
publicans at the head of state depart
ments. All attempts to get at the true
condition of affairs have been frustrated
because the legislative and executive
government has been in the hands of
Republicans. There is nothing to pre-
vent the majority i'll this legislature
oyerhauling every department and
every institution, aad, from the general
tenor of conversation among Alliance
and Democratic members, something of
the sort is going to be done. Under all
these circumstances, the present legis-
lature is likely to become memorable
one, and anything that may be given to
indicate the character of the Legislators
ought to be of interest to the most
casual reader.
The legislature just opened is often
scOrnfully spoken of as being composed
of ''hayseeds." One of those young
about tOWn-those individuals who claim
to know everything and only need to be
called upon to at once set right the pres
ent chaotic condition of the social
fabric-was heard the other day to re-
mark: "What is the country coming to
when handful of farmers are given
the power to do our legislation? It's a
blankety blank farce, and the country
will soon go to the dogs" This
is an opinion not only prevalent
among these brainleSS creatures, but 1t
is also held by many intelligent men
and women. But nothing could be
wider of the mark than this cry that
farmers dominate the legislature. In
the first place they are far from being
in the majority, and, considering that
the population of Minnesota is three
fourths made up of agricuturlsts, their
representation in the legislature is
away below their legitimate proportion.
There are 20 farmers out of 16S mem
bers in the present legislature.
There were 81 farmers in the
last legislature, which was made
up of $50 members. Taking into con-
sideration the increase of members, it
will be seen that the former element in
the present legislature is just about the
same as the representation they had in
that of two years ago. Nothing could
more conclusively show the falsity of
this cry of "a hayseed legislature" than
to give the occupation of all the men,
bers, not only of this Legislature, but
that of 1889. Take the senate.