The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-06-01
ITIRA SESSION LIKELY
800. Nav Call the Lawmakers
P'ns''' together Again.
g, WEEK OF THE LEGISLATURE.

no.tb-Governor Pingree's final
'.are to the Legislature Suggesting
continuation of the Session.
.ro Mich, June 1.-The first ses-
L'''. 10 legislature of 1897 is at an
~, cav the first session for the rea-
'l' ,bat the chances are much more
s'n even that the present legislature
'u"" 10 called in special session before
w. W. terms Of its members expire Al
Wv writing about the only problemat-
"'' ,niro IN this connection is the time
No .rch session will be held. All or
"D' overnors utterances and intima-
.'r. tend to show his determination to
Do the railroad bills, which were
nd down in one end or the other OF
~. cantol during the past fortnight,
~ .rhiects for consideration by the
.rssent body of lawmakers, not that he
.vrocts to have any OF them passed
80, more than they have been during
~. session lust closed. but in order to
hin himself with a most excellent
,aklng point for the next campaign.
There is no reason to believe that the
n,oioritv of senator's who voted to put
,hose hills TO sleep last week will vote
,rv differently If called together again
awning the next few months, but the
svIgeneles Of an approaching political
,omnaign sometimes call for the resort
70 heroic measures. even though the
ncor taxpayers, about whom so many
rlaintiye appeals are heard, are called
upon to pay the freight
Belittling the Legislature.
II has come to be the custom during
tbe mast few years to belittle the stand
inc Of the legislature, certain people
deighting to convey the impression
that the legislature is made up Of lot
Of men who are inferior Intellectually
ard who are inclined to yield to inn
,rorer influences. AS one who has been
close observer of the successive leg
satures which have convened in Mich
gan during the past two decades, L
desire to venture the opinion that this
class Of charges which are so frequently
heard and made have no foundation in
fact The present legislature compares
favorably with any of its predecessors
during the period mentioned at least.
Its members all come from the people
the common people, If you please
and they are no better and no worse
than the class from which they come,
the members of which are for the most
part honest and intelligent. The men,
bers Of the present legislature are just
as honest and just as intelligent as
we're those of the legislatures which
convened in the good old days when
it was net considered the proper thing
for the newspapers to vie with each
ether in endeavoring to impress the
people with the idea that all their rep
Tesentatives in lawmaking bodies are
corrupt. The sooner the people get this
false idea out Of their heads the better
will II be for both them and their repre-
sentatives, who are simply those whom
they select from among their own num-
Der to represent them, and who reflect
uuthfully the honesty and intelligence
Of their makers.
Last Week Busy One.
The last week of the legislature was,
as usual a busy one, everyone's feet
being constantly off the ground as it
were. Not the least exciting feature
was the governors special message
calling upon the two houses to rescind
Inc resolution fixing final adjournment
Cd May 81 and to extend the session
d. least two weeks. The governors
reason for asking this extension was
lnat numerous important bills had not
peen disposed of and sufficient time did
lot remain to give them intelligent con-
s.ueratlon. In this connection he cited
.he bills requiring the railroads to sell
Interchangeable mileage books and also
O"-mlle books for $40; the bill to re-
peal the special charter of the Michi-
gan central Railway company; the bill
:" prevent discrimination in the matter
" lreght rates; and measures to pro-
,'ue Ior state bureau of accounts for
uo purpose OF requiring a uniform sys-
VEN OF accounts to be kept by all cor
porations which pay specific taxes so
va. 'he state may be sure that II Is
getting honest statements Of earnings
W. whlch TO base its assessments. He
s s,so called attention to the pending
Vuis 10 increase the taxes paid by tele-
pnone' telegraph and express compan-
.s, ana expressed the opinion that the
numerous important appropriation bills
", .Vula not be given adequate attention
s ~ 'ne time remaining before the ses-
''vm was scheduled to end.
ine enect Of this message on the
,Ouse was instantaneous and decisive.
=, eoncurrent resolution was Immediate
auopted extending the session until
rss a. but as the senate as promptly
,sa.,t 10 concur in this action, the ex-
s n"s,oh was not made. The senate
s..., wiped aside the governors sug-
sos by refusing to take from the
h hin committee the three railroad
Sns mentioned, all of which were
aI,S snered without coming to a vote.
t,l,si the vote on the question of
s them from the committee was
ssno oi'c'ent test Of the attitude of the
IN concerning them. Not one of
rn.l NJ would have passed that body.
The house. ""' oeeh passeo ny
7, ra session May he Called.
a,a tnis hostile attitude of the sem
extro MIN warrants the belief that an
c"v ua session of the legislature will bs
N na- although 1t may not be held un-
ea,r"s winter. Just what can be
such IN practical way by calling
a.. special session is not readily nm