The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-02-26
CAPITOL GOSSIP.
A Lively and Well Written Let.
ter by Minnie, the Unions
Spe cial Correspondent
Everybody and Every
thing Touched Up
in an Artistic


LII IA O1SClS
Manner.
Union Special Correspondence.
ST. PAUL, Feb. "a, 1891.
A curious incident occurred in
the house of representatives this
week which shows how completely
subservient are the interests of
good government and the State to
the political system which has
grown up in this country. Mr..
Knudson, an Alliance Democrat of
Blue Earth county and a Scandi-
navian by descent, introduced a
bill a short time ago amending the
present compulsory education law,
so that it would require the par
ents and guardians to send their
children to some school for a
period of 10 weeks, each year, six
OF which shall be consecutive,
where the ''ordinary branches re-
CURED by law we're taught in the
English language" This applies
only to children between the ages
OF s and Is. The purpose Of such
a law is obvious and probably nine
out OF every ten members believed
IN II it thoroughly but they feared
the effect of its passage upon the
issues OF the next campaign. In
other words, the interests of a
political party were given preced-
ence over a proposition to provide
tor the equipment and education
OF the children of the State so that,
when they mature, they will be
able to assume the duties and re-
sponsibilities of citizenship. The
bill, as will readily appear to those
familiar with the subject, involved
the most Objectionable feature of
the famous but ill-fated Bennett
law OF Wisconsin. The bill did
not undertake to regulate or con-
troll private or parochial schools in
express terms but indirectly it's eff
feet was to compel the schools to
conform to the law or lose their
pupils for a period of - weeks in
each year. In many sections of
the State, it is claimed, there are
German Catholic and Scandinavian
Lutheran schools where the chill
dren are taught exclusively in for
e1gn languages. It was this class
OF schools that was opposed to the
passage of Mr.. Knudson's bill. and
for fear that its passage would
operate against the success of the
Democratic and Alliance parties in
1892, the members waived their
right OF private judgement as to
the merits of the measure and
adopted the recommendation of
the committee that the bill be in
definitely postponed. The same
recommendation was made and
adopted on a bill introduced bv
MI. Stockwell, a Hennepin county
Democrat, which proposed to put
Ille paiOcnlal schools under the
supervision of the local board of
education or town supervisors in
SO far that children in order to at
tend private schools would first
have to secure the written consent
OF these boards. The curious cir
cumstance about the introduction
OF such a discussion into the Min
nesota legislature is that it came
from the Democratic and Alliance
side OF the house, while in Wiscon-
sin it was distinctively Republi-
can measure, forming the issue of
the last campaign upon which the
republican party was defeated.
The German Catholics of St. Paul
took an active part in the discus
sion, holding several mass meet
1ngs to protest against the pro-
posed action of the Legislature
From that time on the discussion
by the house was conducted purely