Evening star., 1897-06-09
Late Michigan Legislature Con-
demned by Press Of Both Parties.
INCOMPETENT AND INEFFICIENT
Pingreeism Was the Issue Over
Which the Members Divided.
PROSPECTS FOR THE FUTURE
Special Correspondence OF The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence OF The Evening Star.
| GRAND RAPIDS, Mich, June 5, 1897
| The Michigan legislature has adjourned
after session Of 145 days. and judging
from the comments Of the newspapers re-
garding the now scattered statesmen, and
upon what they did In return for the $3NO,-
600 which the session cost. the state is in
great luck to have escaped so easily. The
legislature was heavily republican In both
branches and with a republican governor
and under the circumstances 1t might. per-
haps, be expected that the democratic press
would not deal with It's doings with any
great amount of gentleness. but 1t is no.
| ticeable that the most caustic criticisms
and comments are to be found, not in the
democratic. but in the republican PAPERS
Such stalwart party journals as the Lam
sing Republican and the Saginaw Courier
Herald have denounced the lawmaking
body with vigor that would have done
credit to the most bitterly partisan of the
democratic papers. and there Is scarcely a
republican paper in the state that has not
taken fling at the statesmen and held up
70 pubic scorn their incompetency. inef-
hciency. disregard for public opinion and
lack of desire to do what the people want
ed done. Never in the history of the state
mas legislature been SO sharply hauled
over the Goals by the newspapers Of its
own party as that which has just ad-
1ourned. and it Is probable that there has
never been one that 80 thoroughly deserved
it,
The legislative session began January 6.
ana Gov. Pfngree's reputation as an agyres-
slVe nghter against the railroads and cor
porations and his weil-known disregard
Lor precedents and traditions led the peo-
PIE TO expect something radical in the way
or legislation, and an over.urning of thires
which had long existed. The various meas
ufes winch he advocated in his inaugural
message were comparatively mild and were
generally approved. The legislature was
inclined to go his way at first the 50 WN
majority which he received at the poIls in
November having the effect of somewhat
awning the opposition.
Mayora1ty Election Caused n Chnnrc
But as the session progressed. and es ne
ciaily after the April election in Detroit.
in which the Pingree candidate for mayor
was defeated. the opposition became boIder
ana more aggressive. and not q measure
which Pingree advocated was enacred. His
particular hobbies in regard 10 the rail-
roads were the reduction of fare froD,
to cents a mile and a change in the
system from specific taxes On gross earn-
lrss to local taxation on properly actually
owned or capital invested. Both measures
were ruthlessly slaughtered and the only
chanSe in the railroad laws was To increase
!ne tax rate on gross earnings to an ex-
tent that will yield an additional reyenue
of about S250,OOO.
Measures to throw additional co fa,,o,a,
ABOUT the state banking system and tbe
building and loan associations were ignored
The upper peninsula was denied Recent
railroad rare instead of the present 4-cent
rate. The Independent telephone companies
were refused law to prevent killing
competition from the Bell COMPANY. The
business interests of the state asked for a
STATE bankruptcy law, but 1t was in vain.
Organized labor asked for a number of EN-
actments, and was turned down. There
was widespread demand for home rule
Tor MUNICIPALITIES. and Governor Pingree
urged II. but the bill was slaughtered. In
fact. there was scarcely a measure of any
Importance and which was really asked
for that did not get dumped either in COM
mttee or In one or the other branches of
the legislature.
The number of bills introduced during the
ffty-day limit was 1850. and the number
enacted was 50, and of these fully two
thirds were local measures. amending
laws passed scarcely one will live In his
tory as a monument to the wisdom of the
session Of 81. The most important of the
general bills passed were to give a bounty
of cents a pound for the beet sugar
manufactured in the state for seven years.
the bill forbidding the sale of oleon1ar-
gartne In any form initiating butter, the
uniform text book law, the law against
aduterating buckwheat -four and the Mer-
riman bill increasing the railroad -axes
A bill passed both houses providing for
the curfew bell. and another making 1t
a misdemeanor for a small boy to smoke
cigarettes. but Governor Pingree vetoed
both measures. The Merriman enactment
increasing railroad taxation is of question
able constitutionality, and to gain an in
dependent opinion upon its merits the gov
ernor has referred it to the law depart
ment of the State University. something
never before done by a governor of the
state.
A Unique Division of Members
One reason so little was accomplished
by the legislature will be found in the
unique division Of the members. The divid-
ing line was not in politics. at least demo-
cratic or republican or populist politics cut
little or no figure after the first thirty or
sixty days Of the session. The rock which
split the statesmen was Governor Pingree,
and the division was Pingree and anti
Ptngree. The democratic members of the
house were mostly safe on the Pingree side
and with their assistance Detroits pic
turesque ex-mayor had a pretty thorough
ly reliable majority in the lower house.
But In the senate the anti-Pingreeites had
their own way, and it was in that branch
that they defeated all Of the governors
pet measures The same line that divided
the legislature will be drawn for the next
state campaign. and Gov. Pingree will be
more OF factor in state politics than any
other man ever has been before in Michi-
gan. He will call a special session of the
legislature. probably early next winter, and
of considering the railroad and other legis-
lation which Pingree claims he wants
passed 1t will be just before the next
state campaign opens and the legislators
will be placed in a position where they will
have to fish or cut bait.
The message calling the special session
will undoubtedly vigorously define the is
sue, and the members who oppose the leg
islation asked for will be placed in the
light Of favoring corporations. With scme
of the city members this would make little
If any, difference, but the average rural
member. who is ambitious for the future.
will think long and seriously before being
placed in such q position just before the
time he will be asking for a denomination,
and before his voting record could be for
gotten. Governor Pinsree announces that
during the summer and fall he will con-
duct a vigorous campaign of education
among the farmers, and taat he will flood
the state with literature to sustain the
position he has taken. and to expose the
records of those who have opposed him,
and he declares that the next legislature
will, as a result Of his campaigning. be
more favorably inclined to his views.
Elected to Oppose Pingree.
Some of the pronounced opposition to
everything bearing the Pingree earmarks