Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1898-12-16

The North Dakota legislature will
meet on Tuesday. Jan. Sd. A number Of
very important measures will probably
como up for consideration.
oeo
1t 10 the general belief that IN effort
will be made to repeal the ninety. day di.
vorce law which brings 20 much money
and disgrscs to the, state. Bishop Shan.
ley has done more than any one else 70
divert from our state the stream Of lewd.
ness thst 10 now being discharged within
North Dskota's borders. But many Of
the hotel.keepers Of the state are doing
good business in the sssignation.h house
line, and Of course such men are opposed
10 repeal. Large numbers Of the lawyers
o! the state are waxing financially fat
from the divorce traffic. snd-there are
. good mspy lawyers in the Legislature.
oeo
It seems to be the belief that On attempt
will once moro be made to ascertain
whether the railroads or the people shall
rule. Two years ago . bill was passed
giving the railroad commissioners author.
itY to fix rates Of railway transportation.
A fair and reasonable rats was fixed.
Those chronic dead-beats tho g. N. and
the N. p, at once organized . fight
against the rates. The case was taken
before . United States Judge land, by
the way. it appears that the big corpora.
lions are partial to federal judges. who
are appointed for life and who are mostly
in sympathy with the aris.ocracy Of
WEALTH. The case was taken to ST. Paul,
in order to accommodate the railway
msgnates and not interfere with their
personal comfort. And the cass is there
yet. The Jaw says that pending the de-
cision of cease, the commissioners rates
shall be maintained. But the old rates
are In force. just the same. 1t appears,
too, that the case on the part Of the state
ID about to "go capoot" because there il
no money with which to pay expenses.
the legislature having failed to appro-
pirate funds therefor, and 90 far the stats
officers having advanced the wherewithal
Il 0S0SV
ito end Of tho litigation. Some of the
newspaper folks in the Red River valley
and elsewhere throughout the state are
getting real angry over the matter. and i,
10 possible that some members Of the leg
islature may be 20 impudsnt % to insist
that % appropriation be made TO pay the
rate.case expenses. ia
The Northern Pacific company sue.
ceeded In getting the state board of equsl.
iza,ion to knock OF 25 per cent Of The
tax valuation Of land in those countiel
where the railway company owns . big
share. thus relieving the company OF
thousands of dollars 10 the way Of taxes
while quarter or half section owners gain
but small sum, which will be more than
lost to resident lsnd-holders BY the in
creased tax necessarily put upon per
sonal property II couusy's income 10 IL
equal its outgo. But II 10 said that the
N. p. 10 not yet satisfied. and that 1t vii
lead In an effort to get the gross-esrningl
Law re-enacted. OF course the N. p. vii
seek for this change wholly on unsel6sl
and philsnthropic grounds.
oeo
Il There 10 . strong agitation throughout
the state in favor Of primary y.eIsctiol
law. Under the law suggested the pri
msry would be held under state laws, witt
ballot box at each polling place fol
each party entitled TO a place on tn,
ticket. 1n order to compel u full party
expr.ssiOn In the choice of candidates
the proposed bill makes primary day reg
istration dsy, and he who fails to regisie
cannot vote ut the election. There Wnul(
be no conventions, the persons receiving
the highest number Of votes at the pri
mary being the nominees of their party
The politicians Who depend for election
upon the voters favor the measure, Will
those whose strong point is the precinc
caucus Or the county convention, and wb
expect to ride into county Office tbroug
their vociferous enthusiasm for 9Th
.pswty"-for whose stste and nations
principles (or, for that matter, any othe
/. principles) they hsve really, very llttl
concern are coming to the front iu oppt
sitton. Years ago primary election bi
WAS introduced by Senator Worst. y
believe-but the caucus aud CONVEX
; ton" politicians of the senate quickly il
serted their knives beneath the bills If,
e rib and II perished. However, tbel
seems TO be . genuine popular deman
= y for primary election bill, and one ms
], pas. e
= oeo
n Another mstter that will come up
Q the senate will be the attempt Of Il
4 Morton county Northern Pscidc push ,
d seat their receut candidate for senate
b who was defeated by seventy.nve ,
eighty votes, bis successful opponent b
= ing handicapped BY the fact that
: friends we're compelled TO vote for hi
= through the medium of ''stickers." II
= not believed that there are enough rasca
in the legislature to form majority
9 favor Of such an outrageous proceedin
I II the fairly expressed will Of the msjo
q i'y can be Get aside on sccount Of .ssn
G trivial and ministerial technically
. ..lthere 10 scsrcelya precinct Of the Sta
Q wherein the strict letter Of the cumbe
y some Australian. ballot law 10 observed
70 then there IL No use Of going 70 the e