The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-03-25

now have the privilege Of accepting or re-
Republicans will have IA s hard time ex.
question. Though they charged during the
last campaign that the State was paying
an excessive price for books. they fought u
further competition. Combined with The
F1lipinos-men who would not enter a DEM
ocrauc caucus on the subjsct-they defeat
ed by a narrow margin every attempt to
pass the caucus measure. On the stump a
year from now they must in consistency
acknowledge that no fault can he found
with the present law, for they worked TO
keep 1t on the statutes.
ON appropriations. the Republicans stood
out for every increase If the Assembly
appropriated half-mllion dollars in ex-
cess of the estimated revenue. the Repuo-
licans must acknowledge that their own
alliance with the Filipinos must be blamed
houses were common. the Republicans. by
refusing to vote. could force high appro-
priations. and they did so In more than one
instance. If State institutions suffer from,
vetoes by Governor Dockery, the Repuh-
Leans must take the blame.
INVESTIGATING COMMITTEE.
That the Democrats had the courage of
their convictions was shown by the APP
pointment of the HOUSE Investigating Com
mittee. For years stories Of doodle have
fioated around the Capitol. The Democrats
accepted the challenge Of the Republicans.
who dared them to have nonpartisan in
vestisating committee. The result was the
most complete and thorough investigation
OF legislation that has been held in years.
on the committee. The verdict Of nothing
found cannot be called 'whitewash'' for
no one believes that money was used on
the textbook bill. the character and earnest
ness of the committeeman being sufficient
guarantee of an honest verdict.
But the House Committee was called to
investigate one subject only. In its prob
ing. evidence that bills of unusually large
denominations were in circulation about the
capital ca Gal, was found Upon the solicitation
Gratis. Judge Hazell of this circuit has con-
Vened the Grand Jury, which has the power
TO go into every subject.
sion was the defeat of bills prepared by
the Tax Commission. OF the fifteen meas
urcs which this commission submitted only
one uninportant bill passed The defeat of
the others was due in great part to the
late hour at which they were introduced.
Members did not have sufficient time in
which to study them and so radical were
of both parties thought 1t better to post
pone passage until another session. II the
commission had been appointed earlier. it is
probable that their bills would have shared
better fate.
STATE AND LOCAL TAXES.
Colonel Green Clay's proposed constitu-
tional amendment separating local and
State taxes was defeated In both branches
by narrow margins. Until the people are
present. the measure will not be full I'M
derstood. Even some of the poorest coun-
ties. which receive practically nothing from
corporation taxes at present. had repre-
sentatives on HAND who voted against the
bill. .Sf
Reform organizations will take comfort
out Of the fact that three bills introduced
by st. Louis members did not pass. Dave
Nelson's perpetual licenses for saloons did
not get through the House. His bill estab-
prize fights reached the engrossing stage.
but stopped dead still at that point. In the
House Leonard introduced bill reducing
the penalty for the operation of slot ma
chimes from a felony TO misdemeanor. See
ing the sentiment against the bill, Leonard
did not have the nerve to bring 1t up for
final passage.
Business men asked for number of
changes In the insurance laws. Two of the
utmost importance were passed. One of
them allows coinsurance. or the making of
private contracts in cities of 100000 inhabi
tants or over. The other permits companies
to loan money on their policies recent de-
ctsfon of the Supreme Court having barred
them from this privilege.
p. E, BURTON