The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1897-03-18
IECISIA TIlE, Re Y IlE,

;;ome Things Which the Legislature
H Has Done and Some Which It
Has Not Done.
view Investigations Which Are Not
& Liable to Accomplish Much
II for the State.
Special Correspondence
Zone thing can and will be said to the I
credit Of the present legislature, and
that is that if it has failed to pass any
great numbersof good laws it has at I
least not passed any very bad ones, and
its has repealed one or two relics Of the
last previous one which were not par
ticul arly creditable either to the
authors Of the body which allowed
them to go through. At this writing
no final action has been taken on the
ouglas rate bill, butit is regarded as
aforegone conclusion that it will be
defeated when it comes to its final pas
sage. It was recommended for in
definite postp onement by a two-thirds
majority Of the railroad committee,
but was placed on general orders by
vote Of the house. On the motion to-
make this disposition of it there were
IS affirm tive and SO negative votes.
Four members who voted to send it to
general orders did so with the explain
alton that they wanted to give it a fair
show, but would vote against it. This
would reduce the support Of the bill to.
81 votes, of those who were present,
but probably that many of the friends
lot the bill might be found among the
nine absentees, so the full strength of
The bill probably does not exceed So
votes, So being necessary to pass it. II
there are any conversions they will
probably be taken from, and not added
Ito, the list of supporters OF the bill. I
lshall be surprised to see the bill re-
Iceive more than SO afr NATIVE votes
when tscomes upon its final passage:
i. i. 4.
There were two legitimate and
natural sources Of opposition to this
bill in ad dition to others which we're
lneither so legitimate or natural. liz
1.-THE first place it attempted too much,
and in the second gplacelits author lost
ttffsrsonal supp from his nne2 expected
course with reference to the Hastings:
Anoka contest. Collaterally the labor
unions, and especially the railroad
organizations, fought it with a una
nimity that was surprising, even fol
them. They nailed every city repre-:
sentative from districts where organ.
lied labor has a foothold, and they put
it id this way: Y on know that this
bill will take hundreds of thousands 01
dollars from the receipts Of the rail
roads, and you know there are only
two places where they can make up
their losses one by allowing thei,
i equipment to run down, the other By
i taking it out of our wages. OF the
two they will choose the latter and We
will get the worst Of it" OF all the
arguments which were submitted, in
/. Guiding those Of the railroad lobby it
self, believe that the greatest result!
were accomplished by these railroad
d employes. It is true they were
probably sent there by the companies
q which employed them, and members
\ knew this to be- true, but they were
there backed by the auth GRITTY Of thei7
respective organizations, and woe be
tide the city politician who goe'
against the labor organizations.
:. 4.
There was still another factor in tn.
opposition to this bill which should b
taken>into account, and its fate (shoult
Z my conjecture as to its fate prove cor
rect) should be lesson to the coun
3 try members. The bill was measure
]. purely for the relief of the farmers
Scarcely any other argument was made
| in its favor than that its tendency wa
to Tighten the burdens of the farmers
! Now, all reports to the contrary not
4 withstanding, this legislature is no
controlled by the farmers, or evel
4 by the country members. Indeed .
1 doubt if any legislature within TIL
past 20 years has been controlled ,.
them. To begin with, the six leading
q cities Of the State furnish 80 Of the II
members Of the house and q correspond
ing strength in the 50 members Of th,
d senate. It requires So votes to pass |
bill in the house. Take any measure
involving a direct clash Of interests be
tween the farming class and the 0the
callings and you have a nucleus 9
9 these 80 votes around which to mas
Incorporation. Add to this the mem
bership from larger nstown