The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1901-04-19

that no barriers should be placed In
the way of the marriage OF persons
legally entitled TO make the plunge,
were too much for the contingent who
saw I'm the system as il has developed
a menance 10 the morals of the COM
munity, and all after the enacting
clause of the bill was stricken out.
Thinks IL an Unsuai Measure.
What TO my notion is an exceedingly
unwise measure was passed by both
houses i'm remarkably short order last
week This, us | understand Ii, is a
bill that debars defaulters from hold
ing certain offices under the Grand
Rapids city government. No one can
successfully deny the statement that
Grand Rapids has shown decided
penchant for officials who have, while
previously serving in official capaci-
ties. failed TO account for all the funds
of the municipality that found their
way into their hands. but II a majority
of the electors of the city Ike that
sort Of thing, they should, in my
humble opinion, be permitted to have
all they want OF it, The appetite Is
peculiar to Grand Rapids, and there
does not appear to be any danger that
it will become epidemic. 1t has been
sarcastically remarked for number
of years that before q man~iS eligible
for certain offices in the second city
he must first fail to account for all the
public funds previously handled by
him. and il would be cruel for the
legislature TO deprive the city Of this
hard earned reputation and distinc-
l. NET oil hxrC 10
bill is designed to humilate and dis
pose Of certain individuals, the pro
ceeding is certainly a very shortsighted
one, for every one knows that just the
moment system of persecution is
resorted 10 for the purpose of dispos-
ing of an individual. just that moment
his strength increases. ! think |
would have voted against that bill If
the opportunity pres nted itself.
Wul Please the Taxpayers.
The taxpayers of the state will be
pleased TO know that the ways and
means committee of the house expects
| to cut this years appropriations at least
81 900 900 below those of two years
ago. A number of appropriation bills
| have already been reported out and
| others are on the way for submission
to the house during the present week,
but the schedule Is not near enough
| to rock bottom yet to enable me to
give anything like an accurate esti-
mate of the final results. The tendency
of the senate is to be more liberal than
the house and there may be some
lively clashing on this account.
Popular Election of Senators.
BY vote Of II TO II the senate has
passed a joint resolution requesting
congress to submit to the several
states a constitutional amendment pro-
yiding for the election Of United
States senators by the people. The
house is altogether likely TO concur.
1t will be pleasing to the women of
the state, especially those club women
who have taken a great interest in the
measure, to learn that the senate has
defeated the bill providing for women
members of the boards Of control of
all state institutions in which females
are cared for.
Cla .sification of Freight Rates.
The Hardy bill providing for the
J classification OF freight rates was
| given a hearing recently before the
| Joint railroad committees of the house
and senate, and the subject was quite
! thoroughly gone into by several manu-
! facturers. shippers and railroad of
| fcials. J. w. Potter. of Lansing, who
drafted the bill, submitted figures tend
! ing to prove his assertion that during
! the past ten years freight rates in
| Michigan have advanced from 20 to 80
per cent. 1t was admitted by the rail
road officials that there has been an
advance from the rates in force during
the season of business depression be-
cause of the Increased cost of oper-
alton incident to advancing prices
! generally Through rates. the com
mittee was Informed, affect local
rates, and the former, of course, can
not be controlled by the senate
committee found the problem a very
difficult one to solve, and another hear
ing will be held on the evening of the
23d inst. when the subject will be
gone into more thoroughly.
Compromise on the Fish Question.
The compromise fish bill has passed
both houses and will become law in
due course. Two years ago the most
bitter fight of the session marked the
consideration andpassage of the closed
season bill. This year there was no
opposition to the measure. The amend
mentS extend the trout season ten
days and the whitefish season twenty
days in Lakes Huron and Erie and
Saginaw bay. and leave it rs fixed two
years ago in Lakes Superior and
| Michigan.
| Regulation of Medical Practice.
The fake doctors who succeeded in
being registered as physicians under
the worthless law Of 1888, which was
superseded by the present statute in
1899, have been cndeavoring all winter
to induce the legislature to amend the
law so that they can continue prac-
tice without passing an examination
before the state board Of registration.
| These so-called doctors never attended
medical colleges, but purchased their
sheepskins from bogus colleges who
accepted whatever amount the appli-
cant was able to raise, whether it was
great or small. The house finally be-
came tired Of being pestered, and,
after several members had Informed
the fakirs that If they spend half as
much time studying medicine as they