The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-05-08
His List shot.
The Minnesota Legisla-
ture Played Alive.
BURKE WRITES THEIR OBITU-
AIRY, WHICH AS USUAL,
Is LURID.

Thank God the twenty ninth session
of the Minnesota legislature has come to
an end. Even though candor compels
the admission that such ending was an
inglorious one. Still we have much to
be thankful for in this; that said body
did not steal the state, bankrupt or car
ry away the state capitol piece by piece.
In some respects the closing hours OF
said body forcibly reminds one of the
place of TRUTH" and as the pearls Of
wisdom and left-handed compliments
dropped here and there at random from
the lips of the mighty solons, one was
led to conclude that the dress alone was
lacking to enable some members there
of to fittingly appear as full-hedged con-
victs, serving life sentence.
Indeed il would be a hard task to
scrape over the whole of the penitentta-
ries of this country and pick out there
from more degraded set of unscrupu-
lous cusses than could have been found
aisgracing the late house Of representa-
tiyes of this state as members thereof.
if one may be allowed to form any con-
clusicn from the charges openly made
on the floor of said body.
Justly or uniustly, the impression has
gone abroad that it was the most cor
rupt body ever congregated together IL
this state, and while it is no 6oub: true
there were men therein of integrity AMI
yeracity, 1t cannot be denied that charg>.
es of the use Of Doodle and corruption
were openly and repeatedly made on the
floor of said body, hence he who was not
member thereof may we'll feel thank
full that he has been spared the disgrace
of associating with those against whom
such serious charges have been fulmi-
mated.
IT'S true they did not steal the state
bankrupt, and 1t is equally true that
they failed in enacting many of their
villainous schemes, but this arose large
ly from lack of ability rather than
from any lack of evil, since it is feared a
part of said body possessed the will to
commit, condone, compound or excuse
the commission of about any crime to
forward their villainous designs, but
not all of that majority possessed the
necessary physical or brute courage to
consummate the same.
The sO-called struck jury bill seemed
to elicit much comment, and the charges
OF ''stuff" in connection with it's passage
were loud and frequent. That there
was a powerful lobby working in it's
favor is generally conceded, and it was
claimed that the street railway compa-
MES were behind it,
The bankers bill relating to usury, in
troduced by Johns, had for a champion
a widely known lobbyist named Cory,
who is evidently known for his actions
around legislative bodies.
That money was used to secure the
passage or defeat of many measures
cannot be denied, and a certain lobbyist
from the southwestern part of the state,
was said to give money to member
with the remark: Now, you will vote
for that bill, will your" to which a re-
ply was made that he would
In looking over the makeup of the
various committees on obsequies of the
present house, 1T is plainly apparent
selection of his assistants, pail bearers.
and grave diggers has well-a few ex-
ceptions, made no mistakes-but Sc
cured the assistance of those who ap-
pear to have been adopts in the art of
killing or embalming bill in commit
tee so successfully that If by mistake
any should fiod their way back to the
house it would be impossible to galvau.
iZc them back TO life
These committees represent on the
part of Undertaken Van SAINT wonder
FIJI degree of labor and expense. or re.
markably able outside assistance; hence
it is possible his powerful brain may not
have been able to stand the additional
consequent on proposing the usual val
adictOry address as the mouruers stand
afcund the remains Of thei- shattered:
hopes, lost opportunities ana in some
instances broken pledges; and to tighten
ibis task the following is submitted as
an appropriate but by no means ade-
Guate history Of the session.
IT'S true 1t has impar!cctions and
might be made stronger with justice,
but the writer is reminded OF the farmer
who was driving to mill vi it'll q load Of
apples, upon going up a hill the usual
small boy pulled out the tail-board,
whereat the farmer commenced with
O. -" but stopped, saying:
Il can't do justice to the suatectr'
With this Introduction, we will now
proceed to deliver for the benefit of
Funeral Decorator Van SAINT the usual
vsledictory and final funeral Grafton
over the remnant of what WAS once the
Republican party of minnesota, but of
late degenerated through its leaders in
to a hireling of the Union racitic or
other railroad companies, co:ra?t politi-
clans, sniveling hypocrits ami the Devil.
For / know your manifold trans
gressions, and your mighty sins, they
aff1ict the just, they take bride. ="
Amos, 5 and 2.
And 1, John, saw these things and
heard them" kev. % and 8.
it has been for many years the custom
to open the days proceedings in each body
with an invocation for the Divine bless
ing. We ha] a;mst said deliberatins,
but candor coniDels the statement that
however deliberate may have been the
acts or sins * omission or commission of
certain members of each body, it is
plain that such deliberations have been
cOnducted--nOt in their closets, but in
the retiring rooms or shady hooks of the
capitol corridors with the aid of one or
more widely il not formally-known and
shady members Of the third house."
whose names and devious methods are
familiar to every frequenter of the leg
islative halls. 1t is unnecessary to men-
t!on any names, save to say that one
has been an adept in it's fullest sense iii
the nefarious occupation of lobbyist
for many years. an at one time his