The Saint Paul globe., 1901-04-14
THAT LEGIsLATURE.

10 matter what the origin or auuhOTShlp
OF such estimate may be. There evident
ly does not exist throughout the state a
sufficiently high degree of judgment or a
sufficiently sustained interest in the law
making function, to lead to the belief
that criticism or praise will operate to
change the apparent readiness of the vot-
ers Of the several legislative districts to
send men to the capitol biennially mere
ly on account of the party political pref
erenee which they express.
The two chief measures of Importance
adopted are, everything considered, the
creation of a commission to revise our
tax laws, and the creation of a state
board of control. These with the gross
earnings measure may be said to repre-
sent the work accomplished which will
have an enduring influence on the sub
stantial interests of the people. The last
mentioned measure was forced, whip
and-spur through both bodies, and the
discreditable confession made in connec-
tion with it that enough members of
both houses to constitute a majority gave
their support to it under coercion and
against their convictions Of right 1t
seems entirely proper in view of the
history of this measure that the bodies
which passed it should have submitted
to the brand of being made up of cow
ards and corruptionists, and that they
should find themselves unable to erase
the brand which they themselves affixed
The thanks Of the self-respecting elect
ors of the state are due to Representa-
tive Laybourn that he refused to allow
the sponge to be drawn across the dis
graceful record 1t is there, and there
it will remain. AS long as it has been
created it is quite fitting that the news
paper cartoonist should feel at liberty to
represent the closing operations of the
legislature as those of band of pubic
thieves intent on carrying away every
thing valuable and portable within their
reach belonging to the state. The list
Of gratuities which are charged up
against the state treasury will help to
perpetuate a reputation deliberately
sought and enduringly assured.
The three gentlemen who were
appointed to constitute the new
tax commission are in every way
competent to render the state
excellent service. There is no direction
i'll which such service can be rendered
more certainly than in that of the crea-
tion of rational scientific. code of tax
laws. The chaotic state in which our
tax laws now are is fully attested by the
gross earnings performance. It will be
surprising, indeed, if that body does not
feel itself called upon to urge on the
next legislature the undoing of that piece
of vindictive and discriminating legisla-
tion. In any event, there is happily
good prospect Of the tax laws of the state
being put in acceptable condition.
There viii he considerable diversity of
opinion among the people as to the wis
dom OF the creation Of board of control
such as has been adopted. It is a long
step forward in the direction of concen-
trating official responsibility to turn over
most Of the state institutions to the con-
troll of Z body of three men, Nothing
can be said of the appointees save that
if it should prove true that there is a
purpose beneath the measure to build up
a new party political machine, these men
are as nearly competent to discharge the
task as perhaps any other equal number
nf Eof
have undoubtedly been better had the
body not been invested with such large
responsibilities at the outset. Yet the
principle represented by the enactment
has commended itself without reserve to
many of the most profound and disinter-
ested students of administrative govern
ment in the country.
The body of legal enactment repre-
scnted by the work OF the legislature
necessarily has but partial or local in
tcrest. Good and bad measures are
doubtless intermingled in the mass of en-
actment which will soon be spread upon
the statute books of the state The cleo
tors of this. county and of this section
generally have but little occasion for con-
graduation on the character Of the laws
passed affecting its people Immediately.
There was nothing undertaken for the
accomplishment Of Individual or party
political ends by the majority of our
local delegation. for instance, no matter
how Objectionable, that was not adopted,
with the single exception of a vic
ious scheme to legislate certain Demo-
cratic employees of the municipal court
of this city out Of Office. and to material
1y increase the expense of that already
extremely expensive t.ibunal The credit
81 defeating that scheme is due princi-
paTy TO senator McGil. who withstood
Throughout Inc strongest influences which