Willmar tribune., 1899-07-26

|
ize and practically@direct the sale OF
all prison twine except a half million
pounds by May lst. The prison
twine for the last nine years Except
in 1889 has been the regulator OF
twine prices in the Northwest and
saved the farmers perhaps five mil
lion dollars. Under the act Mr..
Lawson refers to as regulating the
sale of twine the prison board has
no alternative; they must sell all on
May 1st, If sufficient orders are in, ex-
cept SOC, 900 pounds. Now with the
twine Ill gone OIL May 1st, how will
it regulate and keep down the eprices?
What effect has the sale Of prison
twine at and " cents previous to
May lst Of this year on the now pre-
vailing prices of that commodity?
Mr.. Wolfer, the warden of the prison
testified before the twine Investigate
ing committee that no new laws
were needed to regulate the twine
business. But, it seems the legisla-
ture, nctuated by a streak of over Of
ficiousness, were bound to pass some
act. And Mr.. Lawson says Grue
and Nelson voted for this very ques-
tionable piece of legislation and thus
they remembered the twine." Did
we not have right, Mr.. Lawson, to
expect little more than a mere al
firmative vote from two gentlemen
elected as the avowed champions of
twine legislation? Were we expect
ing too much when we looked for
some practical solution of the twine
trouble from a couple of men who
last fall knew all about it and who
went campaigning through this
county on q twine platform.
If they were SO wise last fall; if
they then knew so much of corrup-
ton in this department of the State;
II they were so terribly in earnest
with their cries OF corruption and
promises of redress, why did they
not come forward with some legisla.
tive proposition instead of sitting
back like q bump on a log and mere
ly piping aye when the clerk called
their name; and the chances are ten
to one they didn't know then what
they were voting for.
repeat, why didn't Grue and Mel
son originate some twine legislation
If it was necessary? The fact is, Mr..
Editor, that the Tribune and a lot
more Of alleged reform sheets hood
Winked the people last fall on the
twine issue as they have on most ev-
cry other issue. The time for such
hoodwinking was propitious and Ed
itor Lawson kindly furnished Messrs.
Grue and Nelson with "Twine and
Grade" cards. But when the two
disciples of Reform Lawson got to
st. Paul they had forgotten all about
the tWine and the only time they
again recalled the terrible corruption
in the prison tWine department when
by the brains and labor Of other
members they were confronted with
the alternative Of voting for OF
against a twine bill, they voted aye,
and they may he sorry some day they
didn't vote no. That's all Grue and
Nelson did on the twine issue, which
they and sponsor Lawson prated so
much about last fall.
These two philosophers Of Reform
(?) were going to raise the very Ha.
des with the corrupt prison gang ii
elected, and they went to St. Paul
and finally by scratch managed to
vote for a measure that everybody
voted for. Weren't they. heroes
though, Mr.. Lawson? Aren't you
proud Of such craftsmanship? And
they also, as you allege, remembered
the grades by voting for H. F. 273, a
bill establishing a Board OF Appeals
What l have already said of Messrs
Grue and Nelson as to the twine bill
is equally true of the grade bill. They
voted for it, and that was all. Not
one single idea for an Improvement
of the inspection system ever came
from these apostles OF populism.
They howled and ranted last fall
about how the farmers were being
skinned by the undergrading O.
wheat. but not one thing did they
do in the legislature to remedy thu
evil. They left that all to other anl
, wiser heads. They realized that it il
easier to run around the country an6
decry republican officials than it il
to think out and frame >appropriat,
, remedial legislation. And what die
!, Messrs. Grue and Nelson care? Ths
twine and grade bug-a-boo hat
served it's purpose, The people hat
been duped into electing them, wba1
/, more was necessary? r. -
, So when others pres, nted a bill
Z which IN nll Likelihood will prove {
]: great success in. furnishing good
fat jobs to q few more deserving re
formers, (?( then Grue and Nelson re
memhered the grades aud voted aye
Mr,Edttor. for this, act Of conde
scenslon and 'good Judgment" 0,
the part of our honorable twine: an.
: grade legislators I move them .
! chrome, with the Inscription {. Re
t member the Grades, Remember TIL