The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-03-17
The Water Question.
70 the Editor of The Journal

10 the Editor of The Journal.
In your editorial under the above cap.
ton you remark that 1.-The Hennepin dele4
cation has rather a delicate task in decid-
ing for or against the water bonds.''
Granting the Hennepin legislative delega-
ton the wisdom and honesty of purpose
implied in their selection as our represent
tatives, affirm that they are in no way
called upon to make any decision as to
the water bonds.
BY a constitutional amendment 1--WE. the
people of Minnesota, have declared
against special legislation. Ever since the
passage of that amendment, 1--WE, the peo-
ple,' have been stultifying ourselves by
our endeavors to evade this restriction,
until the spirit and intent Of the law has
been wholly lost sight of, and we see
enacted at every session Of the legisla-
ture the farcical performance of framing
laws in fact, special, so entitled and
worded as to pass for general legislation.
But this is not ALL A second and conse-
quent phase of our dishonesty to ourselves
appears in such attempts as the present to
override restrictions embodied in this gen.
eral CO legislation by further general ca
legislation. Chapter 204 of the general
laws Of Minnesota for 1898 authorizes
cities in this state to issue bonds for
permanent improvements in excess of the
per cent limitation, when such bonds are
voters participating in the election in con-
nection with which such vote is taken.
Is it not fair to presume that this pre-
cautionary provision was purposely made
| Taken to mean just what it said? Made
to provide a restraint upon our citizens
that they might not plunge into reckless,
| partially considered and possibly corrup-
tion-breeding municipal improvements?
Today one of the most persistently and
| strenuously argued texts of sociological
and political writer's and speakers is the
| increasing disregard of and for the law
among our people, And it is just such
movements and actions as are embodied in
the present attempt to legalize CD or
validate CD the defeated water bond
proposition, that tends to increase and
make more uncontrolled this contempt and
| disregard Of the law.
I assert that there is more danger to us
as people in the contempt and disregard
| for law which is shown in the present
attempt to crowd thru this water bond
proposition than there is in the mainten-
ance for another two years Of the present
death rate in our city from typhoid.
make this assertion in no light or fiippant
manner, and with no sympathy with those
opponents Of the water bond proposition
| who cavil about the small consequent in.
| crease in taxation. The history Of oul
| country amply demonstrates that we as
people have been ready in times of neces-
sity to sacrifice human life for principle
and peace hath her victories -
There are other phases of this watel
| bond question, as to which our people are
evidently not agreed. but it is not my
purpose to discuss them further than t.
suggest that this divergence Of opinion
! gives support to the action of those who
by their votes or by their silence mega
| tived the proposition last November.
March 10. e. c. Garrigues.