The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1897-02-19

this work. The fee for q certificate is
S.. BY the terms of the bill the COM
mission is to have sole power to deter
mine the qualifications necessary, and
may require the applicant for license
TO undergo such an examination as 1t
sees fit to prescribe. This bill was in
dorsed by the Michigan Federation of
Labor at its annual meeting held here
In December.
Execution by Electricity.
The fact that there are nearly 100
life convicts being supported by the tax
payers of Michigan led Representative
Lee of Lapeer to give notice early in the
session of bill prescribing death by
electricity for persons convicted of MUIR
der in the first degree. Mr. Lee has
been i'll at his home for the past fort
night and for this reason the bill has
not yet been introduced. 1t doubtless
will be. however, before the constitu-
tional limit of fifty days provided for
the introduction of bills expires on the
gath inst. There is no reason to believe
that the bill will pass. Some ten years
ago the late Congressman Ford of
Grand Rapids, who was then a mem
Der. of tie legislature, succeeded in get
ting hanging bill through the house.
but it was killed in the senate. That
is the nearest this state has ever come
in over two score years to killing it's
citizens who are found guilty Of murder
in the first degree. Such a bill has been
introduced at nearly every session since
then, but the number of its supporters
diminished rather than increased. Rep
resentative Chamberlain, who led the
opposition TO the bill two years ago.
is of the same opinion still, and says
that the Lee bill will be promptly killed.
1t will probably be news to most of the
citizens of Michigan, as 1t was to me,
that this state has never, by an act of
the legislature, abolished capital punish
ment. The popular idea for years has
been that this mode of punishment was
abolished by law years ago, but such is
not the case. The statute still provides
that when a person is sentenced to
death he shall be dispatched by hang
ing, and the death penalty is still pro-
vided for persons convicted of treason.
1t appears that the only abolishing that
has been done is that the revision of the
laws in 1916 simply left the provision
that death should be by hanging,
but neglected to provide that such PEN
atty should be visited upon other than
persons convicted OF treason. Chief
Clerk Miller. who has just completed
the compilation of the laws of Michigan
provided for by the last legislature is
authority for the statement that Mich
igan has never repealed the death PEN
atty.
All Kinds of Bills.
The constitutional limit within which
bills may be introduced will expire on
the cath inst, and the indications are
that the record of two years ago will
be. equalled if not surpassed. The bills
thus far introduced cover pretty much
everything imaginable, but there is yet
plenty of time for the appearance of
any number of measures which the, or
binary individual has not yet even
dreamed of.
1t is a fact, too, that unless the leSis-
lators make a squirt the present session
will last we'll along into the summer.
for it must be admitted that no consid-
cradle amount of business has been &C
complished thus far. The members gen.
orally concede that the record is not
one which they can point to with
pride" and Uncle Ben Colvin, the white
haired member from Saginaw, very
forcibly informed his fellow members
in open session a few days since that
if they continued to sit there and
squander the peoples money by doing
nothing, 1t would not be very long "be-
fore one-half of us will be in Jail and
the balance in the poor house"
The Liquor Question.
Both sides propose to have an inning
on the liquor question, but there is ev-
cry reason for believing that the anti
saloon element will be able to carry
whatever measures they determine to
put through. a number of restrictive
measures are in the course of prepara-
ton, but none have yet been introduced.
One of these provides for uniform tax
of $3.50, which would be an increase of
$500 over the present tax. Another will
propose a tax ranging from $500 to $3.50.
according to the population of the place
in which the business is carried on, and
the closing of saloons in all parts of the
state al 9 o'clock at night. Then there
will be the anti-saloon league bill to
extend the provisions of the local OPP
ton law to cities, townships and wards.
On the other hand the saloon men have
had notice of bills permitting them to
secure bondsmen anywhere within the
county, instead of being restricted to
the city or township as by the present
law; also to permit them to keep their
places of business open on all except
religious holidays. The days they most
desire to do business are Fourth of
July and Labor day. 1t hardly seems
probable from the make up of the two
houses, more especially the lower house,
that the liquor men will be able to Sc
cure any concessions whatever.
CONSERVATION Among Candidates.
The action of President Cleveland in
signing the order abolishing the De-
troit pension agency caused considera-
BILE CONSERVATION here where each of
the numerous candidates for pension
agent had friends working in his inter-
ests. These candidates were ex-Sena-
tor o. A. James of Hillsdale; Cad Smith
OF Marquette, George w. Crawford of
Big Rapids. Colonel William A. Gavett
of Detroit Ex-Auditor General STAN
ley w. Turner was also frequently men,
toned, in connection with the office.
Several of the candidates had friends
among the legislators industriously Sc
curing signatures to a petition in their
behalf, but this work ceased abruptly
when the president's order was pub-