St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-02-13
LEGISLATIVE JUNKETING.

There is an impression more or less
widely prevalent that when a man has
advanced so far as to become a mem :
Der Of the legislature ne has already
been almost everywhere and knows
almost everything. 1t is proper that
people should think this, because it
makes them select men Of a higher
grade to be their representatives and
increases their respect for their work
and opinions. 1t is true, too, in large
measure. There are few senators from
u southern tier of countries who
have not at least travelled through all
the towns of Importance on the rail
road route between their homes and st.
Paul. and there is scarce representative
who is not qualified to give all experts
opinion on a subject as deep as the
uSury laws, so intimate is their kno WI
ledge of everything which has to do
with the borrowing OF money.
But the public should not forget that
Legislators are only men, after all, and
that there is a limit to their information
and experience. 1t is very proper that
they should add to their own store at the
same time that they are doing so much
for others. A legislative career is at
once a responsibility and an opportu-
nifty. 1t costs the state about $500 for
the day while the Legislature is visiting
the state university at Minneapolis or
the reformatOry at St. Cloud; and per-
haps the knowledge 1t brings back
could have been acquired just as we'll
had an investigating committee of three
or four members undertaken the work.
But it should be remembered that some
of our legislators had never been in
Minneapolis nor at a university before,
and some of them had never been either
at st. Cloud, or. for that matter, in any
reformatory. We ought not to b~egrudge
them the experience. We have no
class of hereditary legislators in this
country. But perhaps some of our
present representatives will be returned
again at the next session. 1t will add a
great deal to their usefulness and pow
ers to have enjoyed the advantages of
foreign travel in this way. And
ever at the present session they will
be better because of the journey. For
example, if they went to St.Cloud by the
| Great Northern route, and returned by
the Northern Pacific, they probably
know all about two of our railroad sys-
tens, and are prepared to wrestle intel
ligently with the railroad problem. 1t
is only a superficial view which finds no
good in legislative junketing.
But we draw the line at the states
boundaries. There is a great wave
surging at the capitol in favor of the
legislatures dissolying itself in the
committee of the whole on the worlds
fair, and going down to Chicago to see
how large an appropriation will be
needed for the states exhibit. The
GLOBE suggest that a breakwater be
built at once against this wave before it
gets any bigger. A trip to Chicago for
this purpose is quite unnecessary. 1t
would be a bad thing from every point
of view. 1t would take a long while,
and would be very expensive. If the
legislators went as the guests of the
railroads, they would put themselves
under tribute to institutions which they
may find it their duty to chas-
bclI USlOlG l1O > 1SolOlI 10 ONGI. IL
the state paid their fares the outlay
would be quite beyond reason. 1t
might also lead to some extravaganza of
appropriation for the worlds fair. If
the matter should come up for consider
alton Immediately after their return,
while our representatives were worn
out with the intellectual eXcitements
and strain Of the trip, they might reck-
Iessly vote $500, 600 for the object. while
in their sober moments we are quite
sure that they would consider one-quar-
ter of that sum sufficient. When this
session opened the GLOBE advised the
Legislators to look out for their health.
A trip to Chicago might prove too much
for their strength. This paper is not
inclined to condemn occasional trips to
Minneapolis, st. Cloud, or even to Kan
diyohi county. But really, it draws the
line at the state boundaries. 1t has
walls of wrath already bottled and la
bled for anything beyond that.