The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-03-15
WORK UP TO SATURDAY
NIGHT.
ONE PER DAY ON AN AVERAGE
SEEMS TO BE ABOUT THE RE
SUIT OF IFS DELIBER-
ATIONS.
REVIEW OF MATTERS PENDING
Were Disposed of During the
Week.

Charges OF Irregularities and mis-
management at the soldiers home at
Minnehaha have been so persistently,
yet covertly, made by several persons,
including a member of the house of rep
resentatives hailing from that district,
that the house committee on soldiers
home has determined either to bring
them to light or to pull the props from
under them. A list of suggestions for
investigation, while considered INSULT
cient grounds for an investigation, ow-
ing to the f1imsy nature of the cha ges,
has been made the subject of cOnsld-
cradle Wrangling among those formerly
and at present connected with the
management Of the home so that the
house committee has resolved that the
best thing it can do is to settle the
matter at this time. To that end
Chairman Mclean has called a meet
ing of his committee for this afternoon,
when any complaints or charges or
any witness having knowledge of their
character, will be heard. Representa-
live Stockwell, the admitted author Of
The list of suggestions, has thus far
Jailed to accept the invitation of the
committee to produce witnesses or spe-
cific charges, and the visit made to the
nome last week by the members of the
committee revealed nothing of a SEN
Sational character. Whether or not
any new developments will be made
now depends very largely upon
Mr.. StockweH and others who have
ntimated that the institution was not
conducted as it should be. The mem
bers of the committee are inclined to
the belief that the whole matter will
Tall of its own weight
In the face Of considerable opposi-
ton, the house measure introduced by
Representative Dunn, of Ramsey coun-
~. providing for an amendment to the
constitution requiring that future
amendments shall receive a majority
Of persons voting at the election when
The amendment is considered, was
passed early in the week The first
fight on the measure was made in the
committee of the whole when it was
opposed by the farmers on the conten-
ton that the constitutional amend
ments adopted at the last election We're
all adopted by less than majority of
all the people, and yet no one would
say that they were not all in the inter
ests Of the people. 1t was further set
forth that many people RETAINED from
voting, feeling that they were hardly
In position to vote intelligently, and
for that reason did not vote at all The
members from farming districts argue
that the friends of the bill would not
say that any amendment has been
adopted against the interests of the
people. and therefor there was no good
reason for depriving the thinking mem
bers of the body polite Of the right to
amend the constitution when the great
majority of the thinkers were on one
size and the non-thinking people ex-
pressed no opinion. The opposition
strongly contended that the bill should
become a law in that it tended to re-
Quire and encourage intelligent partici-
patton in the government of all the
people. The house evidently shared
this view, for the bill was passed by
q vote of more than two to one.
Not the least important bill sent 10
during the last fortnight was one intro
duced by Chairman Dunn, of the house
committee on municipal legislation
amending section Sc. Of article f. of the
constitution, known as the Sheehan
amendment, which allows Incorporated
cities to frame their charters and
cIassihes cities for the purposes of
general legislation The Dunn measure
provides that members of the charter,
commission shall be appointed for not
to exceed six years, instead of for life.
as at present. 1t further provides
that the commission must submit to
the people any changes proposed to the
charter, when per cent of the legal
voters make written application. Under
the Sheehan amendment the COM
mission cannot be so forced. Perhaps
the most important provision of the
measure is that which changes the
the Sheehan amendment the com
the following: Cities of $4,000 inhabi-
tants or less, from Is, 900 to $4,000: and
from this up to 100000 in a sliding scale.
rising 10000 at time. Qualifications of
this will permit Duluth, ST Paul and
Minneapolis each to go in separate
divisions, if desired; or that any con-
SecutlVe classes may be grouped, or
that general charter law may be pas
sed affecting all cities alike. The sec
ond bill introduced at the same time
provides for the appointment Of three
commissioners, names their salaries
and sets forth the conditions under
which such charters may be framed.
Speculation is rife in the house as
to the sentiment which prevails regard
ing the now much talked of Douglass
distance tariff bill, and the wiseacres
are computing the strength of both
factions in the controversy. The meas
ure, which has had a sensational career
since its introduction by the Clay
county member, has effectually split
up two of the representative COM
mittees of the house, and after being
the subject for one or two protracted