The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-11-17
NEW LEGISLATIVE MANUAL WILL
BE ILLUSTRATED LIKE THE
MAGAZINES.
PEOPLE IN THE PUBLIC EYE,
NO LONGER WILL WITHHOLD
THEIR Personal CHARMS
FROM CONSTITUENTS.
VIII BE Conspicuous Among the
Pictorial EN- Embellishments of the
Forthcoming Work.

Secretary of State Berg is hard at
work on a legislative manual which
| will eclipse anything in the line of a
blue book which has ever been pub
lished in this state. Hitherto the blue
books have been very largely matter of
fact. They start out with the organic
act, the federal and state constitutions
the declaration of independence, JEFF
ferson's manual of parliamentary prac-
tlce, list of the state officers and terri
tor1ai officers, membership of the exist
ing legislative houses, their pedigrees.
| property and prospects, and short
sketches of the various departments of
the state, winding up finally with a list
| OF poStofflces, members of the federal
congress, and tables of election re-
turns. Even on this basis the blue
book has been q very handy com
pendulum for those interested in politics
| or IN public affairs, but the blue book
OF 1897 will make a hit only second to
that of Ben Hur'' or Beside the Bon
ME Brier Bush
When the last blue book was pub
Ilshed Secretary Berg was new in the
harness. He did not realize the posi-
plIltleS for establishment of this an
nallstfc publication. Two years, how
ever, in the public eye have broadened
his views, and now he intends to print
at the expense Of the state, Of course
an edition which shall so far eclipse
all it's predecessors that the four former
editions will be straightway burned
Already Uncle Sans mails are bur-
dened with missives to the various
q f.n No -f0fo
| ing them for sketches of their past
lives and present conditions. These are
very felicitous, assuring the recipient
OF the most kindly consideration. on the
part OF the secretary Of state, who
would not be averse to appearing in
the state convention Of 1898 as a candi-
date for governor. 1t is promised that
the biographies which appear in the
! coming edition shall be much more
sympathetic in tone than. those which
have gone before. Previous cOmpilers
have epltomiZed the checkered career
of the successful politicians in the
staccato rhetoric of a shipping bill
No sense of pathos or of humor has
ever pervaded this principal triumph
of the states publications. But not
with new life in these pen notes of the
| future lawmakers but it will be illus
trated in the most recherche fashion.
Already there are in the half tone art
shops of the Northwestern metropolis
portraits Of Gov. Clough and of Albert
Berg, he as is the secretary or state; of
H. w. ChildS, the attorney general; of
John L. Gibbs, the incoming lieutenant
governor, and of August Il. Koerner,
the state treasurer
Frank A. Day, who has been, accord
ing to Tams Bixby, lieutenant gov
ernor, will not be in the pictorial sup
plements of the prospective publication,
and, in fact, there is an effort being
made at the capitol to prescribe him
from everything in the publication
which is not purely and simply remi-
niscent.
Robert c. Dunn, state auditor, has
not as yet been 'mugged' for the
new publication. He no doubt has rea-
sens of his own, although the only one
he gives is that he sat for picture
when he was in the Legislature of 81,
and he thinks that ought to do even
for Berg's book
Neither has Insurance Commissioner
LightboQrn yet been mimicked on the
mutable frontispiece of a zinc etching
Mr.. Berg has been unable to secure
from the governor information suf-
ficient to warrant him in the belief that
Mr.. Lightbourn will remain. Oar
Reese, however, is sure OF two years
more, and Mr.. Berg has invited the
eloquent orator Of the south wing to
forward his counterfeit presentment
to the public printer. This will be in
serted in the center Of the page, with Il
vignette of spread eagle in one cor
ner, as though it were an etching from
the walls of the salon.
The other officers of the state will be
included as far as possible, according
to advices received from Secretary
Berg late last night.