The Mankato free press., 1892-11-04
The Whole Session Was Miserable,
Expensive Farce, Disgrace to
Our State.
The People Should Not Place the Same
Elements in Power Second
Time.
Safety Of Our State Depends Upon
Electing the Straight Republican
Ticket This Fall.

had controlled the law making power of
the State of Minnesota.
Under its wise, conservative, econom-
ical sway, the state had prospered be-
yond all expectation and precedent.
Taxes had been low, and yet the COM
monwealth had been fully developed.
Splendid state institutions had been
built up and maintained; the public
school system was universally diffused
and had magnificent endowment, pro-
vided and augmented under Republican
policy.
In 1890 the people of the state, moved
by sophistical arguments and base mis-
representations, elected an opposition
legislature.
This opposition was divided into two
antagonistic parties-the Democrats and
Farmers Alliance or peoples" party,
but they readily fused, under the "cohe-
sivs power of public plumber"
These men were elected on solemn
pledges of "reform."
They promised to expose the alleged
rascalities of thirty years of Republican
rule.
They promised to curb the corpora
tions, improve the grain and warehouse
laws, reduce expenditures, abolish sine
cures, cut off barnacles, and lessen
taxes.
What did they do?
In organizing the house, the Alliance
members surredered to the Democrats,
who were dominated wholly by corpo-
rate interests Under the terms of the
surrender, the Alliance secured the
speakership and many petty Offices and
clerkships, but the Democrats dictated
the leading committees, especially those
on railroads, and on temperance, so that
during the whole session the hands of
the farmers were tied.
:" By this surrender the Alliance mem
bers effectually killed any possibility of
securing the relief they had been spe-
cially sent there to accomplish.
Of the railroad committee only eight
ont of seventeen were farmers.
1t was packed by the Democratic ALI
lapce speaker in the in terest of the rail
roads. ,,.a,,..-,,.,
Here is the proof:
The "Currier" railroad bill, accepted
by the farmers as the measure of the re-
lief they demanded, known as H. F. 6S.
was introduced Jan. ~, 1891, and re-
ferred to this railroad committee.
1t was not reported back until March
10, and then only on compulsion.
The committee failed to agree,
Two whole months cogitation on
bill that ought to have been decided on
in two weeks-and then no agreement!
It was held in committee until the cor
porations could get in their deadly work
on the "cheap" members of the house.
And when this great relief measure for
the farmers came up in that body for
final passage, body having a clear ma
jority of thirty-two votes for the Demo-
cratic-Alliance fusion, the bill was LOST
by vote of AZ ayes to 90 nays.
The "fusion" speaker betrayed his
trust by interposing false parliamentary
rulings to prevent reconsideration
thus the bill died, and with it all the
farmers hopes from that reform" body.
Another railroad measure of import
snce to the farmers, the Hompe Elevator
site bill, which had passed the senate,
was killed in the house by about the
same methods, and at probably about
the same expense to the railroad com.
panies.
The whols reform" programme thus
collapsed and failed, through the treach-
cry of the speaker and the Alliance mem.
bers themselves.
One plank of the Alliance platform de.
nounced land grants to railroads.
But when Republican member, Mr.
Bell, brought in bill to forfeit all land
grants to railroads, the Democratic-Alli
ance speaker took the floor in opposition
to it,
The bill was defeated, ayes 46, nays 81
many Alliance men, including the
speaker, voting against it.
At least 50O,OO0 acres of land were
thus left in the clutches of paper rail
roads, which ought to have been re
stored to the public domain, according
to Alliance principles.
Again the Alliance party was com