Morris tribune., 1908-11-21
j. G. MORRISON. Editor and Publisher.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER II, 1905.

Legal notices at legal
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER II, 1905.
Minnesota cities having home rule chart
ers are not liable for personal injuries caused
by defective sidewalks, according to decision
handed down by the supreme court last week.
A provision of the city charter of Waseca that
no damage should be recovered for personal
injury caused by a defective sidewalk unless
written notice of the defect had been given the
proper city officials at least ten days before the
accident, held valid by the supreme court.
Cities having home rule charters can now 50
amend their charters at to escape the liability
for personal injuries.
It
Francis J. Heney, who unearthed the
municipal corruption in San Francisco,
shot and seriously wounded in the court room
last Friday, while engaged in the trial of Abra-
ham Ruef for bribery. The shooting was done
by one Morris Haas, who had been accepted as
juror but afterwards exposed by Heney
ex-convict. Hass gives his motive as
revenge for having his past exposed, but Heney
has been active in the prosecution of the
corrupt gang of San Francisco, that the affair
has created a profound impression, and has
stirred up public sentiment in favor of the still
more vigorous prosecution of the bribery trials
+ :
WRONG nETHOD OF SELECTING SPEAKER.
The contest for speaker of the next house
is already on, the two leading contestants be-
ing L. III. johnson of Minneapolis and A. ].
Rockne of Zumbrota, with such w. A.
Nolan, of Grand Meadow, and r. J. Wells, of
Breckenridge, bringing up the rear with mo
hope of landing the prize, but hoping only
that with small handful of supporters,
they may become element in the contest
worth reckoning with. The present method of
selecting a speaker is all wrong. Representa-
tives of different congressional districts get to-
gether and unitedly bargain with the different
candidates for speaker to exchange their sup
port for patronage legislative recognition.
In this way sectional and personal concerns
are given undue Importance the expense of
matters of state concern. The best bargainer
is most likely to be elected speaker, and he as
sumes office bound down by pledges to the
makeup of his committees, pledges to the
patronage, and pledges to the Legislation
affecting the interests of particular sections of
the state The only pledges which he makes
to the people of the whole state is the
one which he makes himself, and be the man
ever so patriotic, his whole administration as
speaker is hindered and weakened by the
pledges which he compelled to make when
a candidate. In the present contest, the iron
range country will want pledge of the speak
er's attitude the tonnage tax, the institu-
tional towns will want to know what he thinks
about appropriations, southern Minnesota
counties will want to be taken of in case
of reapportionment, and St. Paul will demand
that he let that city beautify itself with "capital
approaches" at the expense of the state. So all
these minor and sectional interests take pre-
speaker because he is the right for the
place, and one who will treat every portion of
the state fairly and look first of all to the in
terests of the whole state.
The only way to stop the present sectiona
selection of speaker is to call caucus of all
the Repu bcan members of the legislature
night before the Legislature meets when the
selection is already made and the caucus is
only perfunctory affair
s I
CANADA'S FUTURE PROB LEM.
That was significant statement made by
Lord Miner, former governor general of South
Africa at the close of his recent visit in Canada.
It was in an address at Montreal to the Cana
~. Il