Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1907-02-27
ST. PAUL LEcls Tive LETTER
Party Leaders connive with Brewing
Companies to legaltze Return
Of PonaIttos Paid,

Party Leaders connlve with Brewing
Companies to Legaltze Return !
Of Penalties Paid. s->~
St. Paul, MINI, Feb. 20, 1907.
Aside from the passage of the &c railroad
passenger rate bill, which went thru the
House with but one dissenting vote, no other
act of the legislature this week has attracted
as much attention the bill 1egalizing the
illegal payment OF over 5000, 900 to the brew-
| cries of this state for proportionate amounts
| of license fees in cases where licenses had
been cancelled. The history of the story
runs something like this. d
AS penalty. when licenses are revoked or
cancelled for any cause, the law OF the state
provides that no refund shall be made. But
the attorney of the biggest brewery in the
city is a member of the city council, 60 he
forced thru an ordinance some four or five
years ago, permitting the return of the
money. Like most ordinances of that kind,
1t was slid thru quietly, and few people out
side of the council, and probably few Of those
inside, knew what had been done, but a few
officials obedient to the ordinance and dis
regarding the law, paid back to the brewers
the amount above stated.
c. w. Purple. an attorney, fell onto the
fact that the people had been robbed of this
amount, instituted a suit and had the ordi-
nance set aside, and then instituted a suit
against the breweries to compel them to re-
pay the peoples money into the treasury.
The situation was awkward, hence the
brewers went to their usual friends-the al
dermen-and told them that something
MUST be done. The aldermen, in turn, went
to the legislature as the only body that
could give them remedy, hence the Hennepin
county delegation gathered in a hastily
called meeting behind locked doors, and the
attorney of the city of Minneapolis arose be-
fore them and told them how the people of
the city of Minneapolis (from whom he re-
ceives his pay could be duped out of more
than 100000 if they would introduce bill
which he had prepared-or the brewers had
prepared for him-and rush it thru.
The next morning the bill was introduced,
and without word of explanation as to
what it meant, but statement to the legis-
lature that it affected Hennepin county and
Hennepin county only, motion was made
by w. I. Nolan, who has often been used to
serve these interests, that the rules be sus-
pended and the bill given its second and third
reading and placed on final passage.
People from all parts of the House began
to inquire the import and purpose of the bill.
1t was again stated that it referred only to
Hennepin county, and the speaker put the
question. When the ayes had been heard,
the speaker called for the nays and declared
the motion carried before the nays could be
heard, altho it takes two thirds of the House
to suspend the rules, and hearty nay was
recorded. number of members rose to
their feet and addressed the chair, but the
speaker was blind and deaf. He saw and
heard nothing but demanded roll call
Members sought to interrupt the roll call
and ascertain why, after all, the legislature
W as rushing on in such a needless and unin-
telligent manner, but of course the roll call
having been started the speaker called them
to order.
number of republican representatives
told your correspondent that they were NOR
rally certain that not to exceed thirty peo
le responded affirmatively to the roll call,
but the republicans who were present and
not voting were recorded in the affirmative
and the party lash depended upon to keep
them quiet.
The next day a motion was made to re-
consider, but the bill had been hurried on to
the Senate. and before the house had been in
session a half hour there were those ready to
rise to point of order against the motion
to reconsider, on the ground that the bill
had already been rushed thru the Senate,
where there were but two dissenting votes,
and that it had already received the sigma
ture of the governor.
1t is to be remembered that this measure
had nothing to do with the moral Tor rather
immoraD phase of the liquor tratfice. 1t
was merely a revenue measure where the
breweries, contrary to law, had stolen over
$2OO, 900 from the city, and the city repre-
sentatives, including the city attorney and
every member of the Hennepin county dele
cation excepting Geo. w. Higgins, prohibit
zionist, voted to legalize the theft.
This state formerly had law similar to
that in force in Illinois, Indiana, New York,
Massachusetts,, and other progressive states,
requiring that the effects of stimulants and
narcotics upon the. tissues of the huma an
body be included in the instruction in physi-
ology. The legislature of 1905, with w. w.
Dunn, the attorney of the Hamm Brewing
Co., sitting as chairman Of the committee
which as called the temperance committee,
wiped out the penalties and all means of en-
forcing the law, together with those features
Of the law that made it at all effective Re-
preventative Sawyer, of Minneapolis, form
erly principal of one of the city schools, who
had taught under the old law, introduced a
bill practically re-enacting the repealed por-
tions of the old law. The bill slid along with
no opposition, seemingly, until it had
reached the calendar and was ready for pas