Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1897-04-01
MORE NERVE THAN SENSE.

They are putting their heads out.
The pops who since adjournment oi
the legislature have been hiding In
their cyclone cellars with the lids
drawn down are beginning TO put their
heads cautiously out to see If the storm
is over.
For two weeks the Argus Leader has
been carefully examining the Pop ra-
pers for favorable comments on the dD.
ings OF their elected champions. Nin.
out of ten OF them have maintained au
ominous silence. eloquent OF their In
ability to find anything to commend.
| Here and there has risen a short and
faint chirrup of fearful hope, but even
this has failed to give any items for
which the Legislature is TO be praised,
has merely in "a vague and general way
indicated that the body was not SO bad
as people had supposed.
And at last doughty champion has
risen. After two weeks OF writhing
over the defeat OF the bill which was to
land his father in-law in the warden-
ship Of the penitentiary, Senator Grill
sticks up his head and yells that the
pop legislature was the best Dakota
ever knew and that its labors are bound
to add thousands of votes to the sinker
column two years hence.
If he had stopped there, his song
would have constituted very good
bluff and might have commanded the
thanks OF his whiskered fellows. But
he didn't. Following the course which
distinguished him in the legislature he
overdid it by going into details. And
there is precisely where he falls down,
collapses and submerges himself in the
jeers of these who were there and know
what happened.
Senator Grill notes the glorious
things accomplished. The Argus Lead
err will take up each claim and show
what there is to it.
l. Mr.. Grill says the legislature
''fulfills every pledge in the platform. !"
Let's see. The platform demanded only
three measure of the legislature; the
Wheeler railroad law, the abolition of
passes and the election of senators by
popular vote, while it unanimously and
heartily endorsed Senator Kyle. The
Legislature did not pass the. Wheeler
bill, but substitute with some inn
portant changes. The pop steering
committee of the house killed the bill
forbidding members OF the legislature
to ride on passes. The house killed the
memorial to congress asking that sena-
tors be elected by popular vote. The
pops including Senator Grill assaulted
Senator Kyle throughout the session
with the most ribald abuse and with
multitudes OF false charges and after
the election forty four of them, includ-
ing MIR. Grill signed a statement re-
pudiating him and declaring that he
did not represent the party, simply be-
cause the republicans preferred to see
him elected rather than socialist.
2. Mr.. Grill says the first promise
redeemed was to control railroad rates
so far as the power of the state could
curtail them" Let's see. Sixty five
railroad bills were introduced, but the
pops killed all but four. They passed
the Palmer bill, but it was not the
Wheeler bill promised. They killed the
bill forbidding the passes which the,
SO loudly denounced as a sure method
of corruption, the memorial TO congress
asking for national maximum
rate law, the only remedy for the farm
ers against railroad abuses, the bill
making the road responsible for stool
killed end other important measures
heretofore advocated by them. AM
the Palmer bill which did pass received
every republican vote and speech ant
was as surely supported by the re
publican as by the pop platform.
3. Mr.. Crill's second promise full
filled is in the oil law (which was gen
orally demanded by the people from al
sections Of the state." let's see. Thi
new oil law instead Of raising the test
so that the Standard trusts would b
compelled to give US good oil as it doe
neighboring states actually lowere
: them, thus throwing the door wild
open for flood Of inferior oil.
4. Mr.. Crill's next promise fulflle
is the liquor law. To be sure Mr.. Cri
tried his utmost to re-enact prohibitio
under the form Of the dispensary sy,
: tenn, but he claims this law. Whethe
the people like the idea Of requirin
license counties to pay far more I
state support than prohibition countie
remains to be seen.
S. His next promise fulfilled is th
big revision Of the educational Law