The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1905-05-06
St. PAUL LABOR LEADER
HITS At LEGISLATURE
<. 6. Ives Of Sanity City
Writes Timely Article On
Preverse Legislature.
Reveals Fallacy of the Belief
That Labor Cuts Figure
In State Politics.

labor In the state, contributes this
week to the labor press through the
Minnesota Union Advocate, the official
paper of organized labor for Minne-
sofa, a most timely article on the
treachery Of the late state legislature
to labor.
The contribution is strong because it
Is temperate. 1t analyses thoroughly
the attitude Of bunch of deceptive
law makers on all measures of actual
benefit to labor. Mr.. Ives contends
that not much Is usually expected Of
a state legislature.
There are, however, varying degrees
OF badness, and it may fairly be said
that the history of Minnesota has never
furnished more preverse and fatu-
GUS law making body than the one
that has just adjourned. 1t would be
a task Of some magnitude to chronicle
all the cases in which this was demon
strated, and therefore only a few in
stances will be pointed out, where or
ganized labor was specially interested
Labor's Requests Were Modest.
In the first place, organized labor
did not ask for much. The indorse-
ment of labor's representative bodies
the State Federation of Labor and
the several Trade Councils-was only
given to a few measures deemed of
pressing present Importance. Prob
ably the one to which the most gen.
eral interest attached was the bill
dealing with the liability of employers
for injuries to servants occurring N
the course Of their employment. This
bill: in the interest of justice and hui
manity, sought to soften the rule as
now applied by the courts in Mime
sofa. 1t had the unqualified indorse-
ment of many of the drawn on con-
servative. lines that had already been
worked out In other commonwealths.
But apparently the justice and fair
ness of this measure made no impress
sion. The lobby Of manufacturers or
ganized against it won easily, clearly
showing how insignificant our influ-
ence was with this body of men,
many Of whom had before election
.professed so high regard for the
working men and his organizations.
Free Text Book Bill.
Next in order of Importance came
the free textbook bill. 1t came to it's
death in the house without even the
formality Of a roll call. This famous
body of mediorce politicians scraped
up from all larts of the state did not
wish to be put on record The matter
of free school books had excited the
greatest public interest in st. Paul.
1t was the hardest fought issue at the
last charter election and had in it's
favor the Endorsement of 1900 voters
O
being defeated by small margin by
the non-voters. AS the principal
cities of the state have the free text
book system installed already, St.
Paul was the locality most vitality in
terested In what disposition the legis-
lature would make Of this bill. Not
withstanding this 1t is reported that
not single member of the Ramsey
county delegation had the courage to
say a word either for or against this
measure when it came up for action
in the house, and how they voted
even is still shrouded in mystery
One thing, however, has been estab-
lished beyond dispute by these artful
dodgers. and that is an unapproach-
able record for political double deal
Ing and cowardice.
Primary Election Bills.
The measure of this legislature can
not be better taken than by referring
to its action on the different PROPOSE
tions to extend the primary system to
the nomination Of state officers There
was general public demand that
some legislation be had of this charac-
ter. The demand did not come alone
from the labor organizations. but from
advanced citizenship of every class
This was particularly true as applied
to the nomina ton of United States
senators, for it is safe to say that 95
per cent. of the voters of the state un-
reservedly favor the adoption of a
system similar to that of Wisconsin,
where senatorial nominations are sub
mitted to the people before election
in the legislature Yet in the fac OF
this unanimity of public opion all these
primary bills were summarily slaught-
cred, concededly at the behest of the
political machine, and it may we'll be
doubted whether their merits were
ever seriously considered by many OF
the members. The absence Of intelli-
gent debate on the part Of the majori-
ty clearly showed that these supposed
representatives Of the people wanted
nothing to do with any substantial
political reform. In all charity, how.
ever, we should admit that If this le.
gislature had resorted to introspection
, 1t might have consistently offered it.
solf as an argument against even the
present primary law, that had spawned
4 body with so little to its credit in
tho way Of either moral courage OF
mental equipment
Some Little Good Done.
To avoid tho appearance Of unrea.
sonablc fault-firding, however, it is
only fair to mention case where
legislative action conformed to the
general sentiment of organized labor
This was the enactment Of the Men.
nix bill to abolish the oppressive fea-
lures Of the salary loan business az
now conducted All assignments q