The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1905-04-19
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 1905
A BARREN SESSION

The legislature which formally ad-
jcurned yesterday will not live in his
terry as the author of important deeds.
1t has scarcely anything to its credit
beyond the mere routine work, except
one mysterious measure, unknown to
all of its members, that may prove a
benefit to the state or that, upon the
contrary, may show itself upon prac-
tical application very Pandora's box
crammed with ills. Aside from this,
perhaps the best that can be said of
this Legislative session is that the
members refused to do all the evil that
they might have done, and contented
themselves with a negative record
We find in the list of things &C
ccmplished but one measure of first
class Importance. This is the act sep
arating the state university and the
normal schools from the supervision
of the board of control. This much of
the evil work done in the creation of
the board originally has been undone.
The legislature however, was not will
ing to make thorough Job of it or to
do equal justice. 1t refused similar re-
lief to the schools at Faribault, and
these will have to plead their cause
before body less bent upon retaining
advantages for the political machine at
the cost of the state.
The partisan spirit, indeed, ran high
In this body. Although almost solidly
Republican, it was as eagerly upon the
lockout for something to aid the party
machine as if the struggle were one of
life and death. 1t opened it's work with
the passage of the abominable state
capitol bill. 1t refused to interfere
with system of oil inspection conced-
ed to be farce and confessedly intend
ed only to fill the Republican party
Golfers. The reform of the state insur-
ance department was conceded with re-
lCctance only because insisted upon by
its Democratic head. From first to
last the Republican party has little
credit from this session.
There was no general overhauling or
extension of the primary election law.
such as was expected and in many
quarters demanded. The legislature
paltered and shuff1ed over this matter
until its dying hours. Of the great
volume of proposed railroad legisla-
uon positive action was taken ONLY
upon the bill to make effective the new
constitutional amendment increasing
the tax on gross earnings. All the 9TH
er bills eventually took shape in adj
dltlons to the powers and duties of the
state railroad and warehouse commits
sion. The legislature turned over to
this body the solution of problems and
the adjustment of difficulties to which
1t found itself unequal. We are in
clined to think that, upon the whole.
In this respect it did wisely. There is
less probability of injudicious action
by that body than by the legislature
just adjourned
Some measures of secondary impor-
lance are excellent on their face, and
others will await the test of practical
enforcement. A comprehensive sys-
tenn of drainage, for example, has been
authorized, which should be of great
benefit to the state. The measure to
encourage immigration in the shape
hnaiiy passed will probably not be
highly effective, but should produce
some beneficial results. The good roads
movement brought only a highway
commission bill, that by it's terms will