The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1905-04-14
FRIDAY, APRIL IL, 1905
THE REVISED CODE

TIE hEVtSED CODE
That voluminous document which
usage and courtesy has designated the
revised code is in fair way to become
the law of Minnesota. 1t was crowded
down the threats of the members of
the house yesterday, senate amend
q ments and all, and now goes to the gov
q ernor for his signature. Whether or
not Gov. Johnson signs the bill, it will
become the law, for it is now a Repub-
lican party measure, and the legisla-
ture would assuredly pass it over the
. governors veto.
1t is utterly impossible that the gov
ernor should be able to consider the
code in the time limit fixed by law
within which he must pass upon it. He
-plnSt,take it on trust or leave it alone
And it is not safe piece of legisla-
ton to take on trust No one man
knows what it contains; no commits
sion, committee or other body Of men
3 that has had to do with putting the
thing together knows all about it. We
very much doubt If anybody knows
anything about it except the men who
had special interests to look after and
made it their business to see that those
interests did not suffer especially.
The history of the code revision is
such as TO make us fearful of its effect
in the practice of the courts. When 1t
came originally from the commission
. I h e G o be pointed defects that
should have been fatal to any attempt
to bring about its enactment. Lawyers
: and legislators found other and impor-
tant faults. 1t was at once made ap-
parent that the entire work of the COM
mission was so faulty as to leave moth
ing but the barest outline of a revision
of the laws. New laws had been made,
old laws liminated-legislatio was the
least of the bad features of a work
that was clearly not entitled to be
erected into a code. The members of
the legislature were very free in their
criticism of the revision, but the Re-
publican leaders lacked the courage TO
throw the work away and say to the
people that the money spent had been
wasted. 1t was agreed that the revision
should be again revised by the Judi
ciary committees of the two houses.
- The house committee offered 1000
q mo Inc TO
mission. Acknowledging that 1t was
impossible that they could understand
or consider either the code or its
amendments, the members of the house
agreed to pass the measure on trust
and let the senate make a search for
defects. The senate committee report
ed 900 amendments; the senate tool, the
revision with its 2,100 amendments on
trust and sent it back to the house
The committee having 1T in charge 1T
orally compelled the house to accent
and adopt the amendedsmeasure with
out knowing anything at all Of what
the senate amendments might be. IF
; was simply a matter of saving tba pa
publican party from the charge of hay-
Ing wasted $4,000 for a revision of the
code without delivering the goods.
1t is a dangerous procedure for
= which the legislature has made itself
responsible. Not only has it adopted
"a code with which 1t is unacquainted
and which may for time, or until il
can be cured. cripple many important
laws but by the terms of the enact
ment Of this code all amendatory Iegis-
Aation of the present session Ia wiped