The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-04-22
RIVER AT s A. NJ
THE LEGISLATIVE RECORD.

In the growing decadence of legis-
latiYe bodies, which is a tendency too
plain and general to be denied, Mime
sofa takes high rank 1t is difficult to
speak with patience and impossible to
speak with respect of the body which
has just ended it's career; whose ad-
jOurnment yesterday was greeted with
mingled jeers and signs Of relief by
all the people of the state. We do not
mean to say that there were not in it
honest men, earnest men, men desir-
ing to serve the people sincerely and
conscientiously But they were not
enough to leaven the lump; and the
Republican party, bad as it has grown,
reached it's lowest level in the perform
ances of the session. If this is to be
the measure Of government hereafter,
if we are to be confronted each two
years with an ever lower and lower
level of intelligence and honor, if the
community is to continue to feel that
the assembling of legislature is like
the approach Of an invading army
and it's adjournment the removal of a
great menace, God help the future of
republican government in this coun-
try and on this earth.
We ask any man, of any party, to
take up the list of legislative work
brought to completion by the two hous-
es and see what he finds there to rep
resent the ninety days of legislative
activity. What laws have been added
to the list, what solicitude for the peo-
pie has taken practical shape. He
will find the record so barren of good
results that he cannot conceive how
any body of men could have spent so
much time in doing nothing Let US
scan the outcome. Barring the usual
appropriation bills, the only measure of
prime Importance was the reapportion-
ment BILL and the less said about that
the better for the credit Of those who
passed it. 1t was dictated solely by
partisanship and selfishness, and it
nearly failed altogether in the desper-
ate struggle between conflicting inter
ests which these evoked. That is the
one law of the first magnitude that the
session shows.
There are several minor acts that can
be commended, although they need not
have been work for a single week.
Principal among these are the revenue
bills and the forfeiture of the Iron
Range land grant. The imposition of
taxes on the gross earnings of express.
sleeping car and other companies was
a step in the right direction, but grew
out of the constitutional amendment
adopted last fall, and is therefore real
~ the work of this legislatures prede-
cessor The repeal of the iron ore ton
mage tax, without any substitute, plac
es the great mineral properties on the
assessment list; and we shall be sur
prised if there is not a scandal to grow
out of this in the future. This COM
pletes the next category.
Beyond this we find only few meas
ures OF enough interest to be worth
enumerating. The state institutions
We're provided for, and the immediate
construction of the state capitol was
authorized, but there will be no fourth
hospital for the insane and no women's
reformatory. The farmer came in for
q great show of interest, with relief for
flood sufferers and the exemption of
seed grain from seizure for debt. but
no step was taken toward the construc
ton of good roads; a thing more vital
to the farmer than all the other bills
coming before this legislature put to-
gether. Interest for the laborer seem
ed to center in a group of bills for Ii
censing BARRIERS, plumbers, horseshoers
and pretty nearly everybody who pur-
sues a definite calling; and presently
it viii not be permitted to a man to
tie his cravat or have his shoes shined
without a printed license signed by
state board. And this is all.
Unfortunately, in another direction
6llad IN 4ha