St. Paul daily globe., 1893-04-19
JUDGED BY THE FRUIT.

by their fruits shall ye know them"
The legislature of the state has been in
session for ninety legislative days and
drawn pay for one hundred and eight
days. 1T has been producing fruit, and
we have the best of authority for say
ing that it must be judged by what 1t
has brought forth.
Some minor measures Of public inter-
est merely have been adopted. They
passed the Ordeals simply because they
got iu early and were pushed ahead by
the momentum of the measures behind
them having private interests as their
motive power. OF this class is the free
text book law, which got so crippled,
though. Oh its journey as to be of DO
greater value than an opening wedge of
movement which will fully succeed at
an early day. The election law also
passed robbed of its best features, but
still something of an Improvement of
the present law. The failure to provide
for the use of voting machines was due
largely to the fact that there twas moth
Ing in it." save the public convenience.
No observer, however careless, but
saw that, from the opening to the clos
ing, the floors of the senate and house
we're principally the arenas on which
great private interests contended against
those of the people. And, reviewing
the work done, it is plain that, in the
main, the private interests triumphed.
Their greater victories Offset their in
consequential defeats. Perhaps as sue.
cinct way as any to describe the fruits
of the session is to group the measures
coming under this head, according to
the interests involved.
Railroad Trlumphs-The defeat of the
life liability limit bill, which sought to
give to those dependent on the victims
of railway carelessness compensation
for the loss not exceeding S12,500. This
was accomplished by the free and gen.
erouS use of Doodle. The passage of
the anti-scalper bill, by which the travel
ing public is deprived of the right to
sell the portion of the rides bought of
the railroad and paid for. and which
for any cause are not used. 1t thus
otliges those who would have used
the unearned portion of the ticket,
thereby saving something. to pay full
fare. This also was aided in its passage
by the use of Doodle. The defeat of the
bill to tax their lands granted to them
| by the state. This was accomplished in
part by the use of money and aided by
| the votes of some sincere but mistaken
men, whose veneration for the absurd
| gross earnings tax caused them to vote
| against this measure of justice.
Railroad Defeats-The interested COM
| panies were as much surprised as was
any one at the passage of the bill obliging
them to select their land grants within
two years. One of their lobbyists said
when it passed the senate that 1--WE will
go into the house and buy enough votes
to defeat it," but it had acquired too
much momentum for even that potent
argument to overcome. The fence law.
which proposed to release the compa-
MES from the liabilities of the present
law, was duly fabricated, and the lob
Dying for it in the house on Monday
night was open and shameful.
NEievatOr Combine Victories - Ever
since 1888 the combine has been trying
to tie up the country elevators not in
the combine. They have now sue
ceeded. The governors bill is a net
which will catch all the little fish and
let the larger ones escape. The OppOsi-
ton of the farmer members was un-
availIng. The political farmers over
| powered them. The farmers thought
that what was sauce for the goose was
also sauce for the ganders, and de-
manded the application of the principle
of the governors bill to the terminal
elevators. They passed the house bill.
but it was Smothered in the senate
The elevator combine is ahead. But
that was what they put their money
into the campaign of '92 for They
ought to do with their own as they
would.
Farmers Triumphs-They have re,
ceived the gracious permission of the
state to build an elevator at Duluth,
provided they will pay for it. Poor
devils; they ought to thank their mas
ters that they were accorded even this
much. The GLOBE wonders how they
like the redemption of the promises
made them last fall on the stump. and
if they will be such mullets as to be
caught again by the same bait.