The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1905-03-30

Corporations When it comes to
the corporations the house motto is
evidently ''Soak 'em, Louie!"
f /. +
So much for that. Now for some
thing about legislation proposed and
enacted. Saturday was the last day
for the introduction of bills except by
request of the governor. The result
was perfect avalanche of bills in both
branches on that day, So in the senate
and 101 in the house. And the SUBJ
iects covered included about every
thing imaginable, the impossible as
we'll as the possible, and mayhap a
sleek 'woodchuck' or two, who
knows? A large number of these
"last day" bills died a-bornin' and
most of the rest of them will go where
their authors expect them to go-to
rest peacefully in committee.
+ + +
One day last week Senator Geo, P,
Wilson introduced bill proposing a
constitutional amendment making the
term of office of the governor and
lieutenant governor, four years, and
declaring them ineligible for re-elec-
ton. This is in accordance with a
recommendation made in his in
augural message by Gov. Johnson,
and am reliably informed that he is
very much interested in this bit of
legislation. The governor would like
very much to have such law take
effect at once, but this is impossible
owing to the constitutional provision
now in force. Should the Wilson bill
pass, the question must be submitted
to the voters at the next general
election and the new order of things
could not become effective until after
that election. Gov. Johnson does not
want to be candidate again, hence
would gladly welcome the advent of a
law upon the statute books making
him ineligible. Well, he's as good
as ineligible anyway, if Minnesota
republicans can only agree to say So.
1. i. +
A somewhat caustic editorial in the
Minneapolis Journal the other day
laid down pretty heavily on those
senators who Withheld their support
from the Peterson anti-pass bill. This
particular editorial, like so many
others in the daily press, is very mis-
leading because it dilated rather ex-
tensively upon only one phase of the
bill and ignored the other important
feature, namely, the maximum rate
feature. 1t is hardly fair to criticize
so severely when only a part of the
truth is given out. Had the bill
contained only the anti-pass feature
the editorial in question would have
been proper enough from the Journals
point OF view, but why not state the
whole truth instead of handing out
such solar plexus blow from behind
the shield of half-truths? Why not
admit that there are senators who
favor anti-pass legislation but oppose
making arbitrary passenger rates?
However, nobody can reform the
Journal politically anyway-it's bound
to be rank at times.
"Nothing doing' looks to me as
expressing the sentiment of this ses-
sion relative to the primary election
laws. Several bills are before the
Legislature, some proposing minor
amendments, others proposing to
extend the system so as to include
the nomination of state officials. The
reason why l think there will be
nothing doing is this: There are
three pretty equally divided factions,
one desiring to extend the present
system, the second desiring to leave
we'll enough alone, while the third
faction wants the primary law re-
pealed entirely. The sentiment being
divided in this way 1 can not see
how majority can possibly be OBJ
tanned for a bill seeking either one
OF the two results, extension or repeal.
Consequently there promises to be no
legislation along this line, leaving
the present law operative.
i. - j.
The usually quiet and sedate senate
adapted house tactics last Friday and
the ''fur flew" in lively manner several
times during the session. The
senators held their tempers pretty
we'll in check, however, and there was
at no time any danger of their en-
gaging in fisticuffs. There were
numerous tart and somewhat acrid
remarks banded back and forth, Just
enough to indicate that there may be
some lively times toward the close OF
the session. In the house the same
day Burdette Thayer gave the lie
direct to Gen. Flower, the latter reply
ing as follows: "The gentleman from
Fillmore may be bigger man than
/ am, but challenge him to reiterate
his statement to me in the lobby -
ThorounOn tho former anolooi1od