The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-04-05
PRIMARY ELECTIONS.
1t is Made Special Order in Sem
ate for Next Tuesday.
Senate Reconsiders Proposition to Refer
to Committee and so Brings it
Square Before the
Senate.


after spending large portion of two
days in discussing an unimportan
motion to refer a portion of one sec
tion of the primary election bill to {
committee, dropped the amtter to take
it up next Tuesday at II o'clock as 6
special order.
The vote to refer the proposition tc
include state offices was reconsidered,
however, after an exciting debate by
a vote of % to %. Shortly after thai
Senator Johnson secured unanimous
consent to withdraw his motion which
had kept the senate in a turmoil fol
two days. The bill is now in exactly
the same condition as when it was
taken up Saturday.
Senator J. D. Jones declared that he
heard no cry for the primary election
law except from the press. Speaking
of the creation of newspapers, he
said: "A man comes up TO one of our
small towns with about 81, 900 and
starts a newspaper. Then he plural
ICES himself and calls himself we,
and Immediately undertakes to tell
people what TO do and pretends to
know more than those engaged in pub
lie affairs This bill would give him
a still larger influence and would
largely increase his revenues.
Senator Somerville said he did not
like the constant cry that the senate
must bend to the opinion Of the house
on this BILL and moreover he did not
like to be whipped into line by the
great family journals of the twin
cities. " The country does not need
the law, he said, and even if the cities
were in need of purifying, the coun-
try is not.
In the opinion of Senator Shellbach
the law amounted to an abandonment
of the principles of representative
government.
Lincoln's words, government of the
people, by the people and for the peo-
ple," were quoted by Senator Schlaler.
1O uCu Iutb UllO SISdU
not say, government of the people by
politicians or by the representatives, "
but ''by the people. The country
was built on the rights of individuals
and the law under discussion was
within the same lines. 1t was repub-
lican and democratic, because it was
American.
Senator Ryder said that the people
Ala 70 Yor.i o1.ia a..
they knew it was no use because every
thing was cut and dried beforehand
and the people were given no voice in
the matter. Often notices of primaries
were posted in getaways, in the back
parts of buildings and in places where
the people would not see them, then a
group of the elect get together and
elect delegates as they saw fit This
was not government in the interest
of the people, and they insisted on a
change One of the strongest pleas
for the maintenance of party organic
alton was made by Senator Young. He
declared that the personal qualities of
President Mckinley were not respon-
sible for his triumph over W. J. Bryan
but that his election was due simply
to the principles he represented, as
enunciated by his party. The primary
election should not be made to apply
to state and congressional offices, but
to offices of cities and counties.
The awful danger of wiping out
political parties did not affect Senator
Stockwell in the least. ''Why the
curse of America today is party and
politics, " said he. ''If this country
ever goes down it will be because Of
her parties and her politics. Every
body in this chamber knows that a
party platform is only scheme to get
into Office
By this time it was long after IL
O'Clock and the senators began to get
nervous There was general demand
for vote, and the orators finally sub
sided. A demand was made for roll
call, but Senator Young objected as the
hous2 was in committee of the whole
He was sustained by President Smith,
but Senator Ryder appealed from the
decision of the chair. The senate sus-
tanned the president, however, as the
majority were not anxious to put
themselves on record at the time. A
rising vote was then taken, and the
motion to reconsider was. carried and
the bill was made special order for
next Tuesday morning.
The general opinion seems to be that
the primary election law will go
through the senate in some form, but
will be considerably amended
Whether these amendments will be of
a nature acceptable to the house can
not yet be foretold.
The senate late Saturday passed the
Deming parole bill, intended to allow
the parole of the Younger brothers
The measure was passed by vote of
40 to II. Even it's friends were sur
prised by the large vote in favor of
the measure.
Senators Daugherty, Grindeland and
Mccarthy commended the measure.
Senator Schaller spoke against it..
He said Minnesota had reputation to
maintain in making it unpleasant for
people engaged in the class of business
that brought these two men to this
state, and he would not vote for any
measure that would make it possible
for them to be returned to SOCIETY.
Sen ator Stockwell introduced 6
single-tax mesaure. 1t proposes con.
stiGutional amendment authorizing the
legislature to collect sufficient revenue
for all state and local purposes, in ac
cordance with the Australian land
tax system also authorizing the adop
ton of the Australian system of home
rule, or local government in taxa
tion. 1t authorizes the electors to vote
once in three years on the question Ct
exempting any or all personal property
from taxation.
Business Opportunities on the line O
tha Chicago Great Weatern Rv in iii
nois, Iowa, Minnesota and Missouri
First class openings in growing town
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