Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-26
LINES FOR THE LEGISLATURE.

Nebraska City Press: The democrats
will try 20 repeal the direct primary law,
which will be = matter OF much satisfac-
ton to the ward heeling bosses in this part
Of the state.
Sterling Sun: The world-Herald, the
leading democratic paper OF the state, sd-
mits that the last republican legislature
provided this state with about all the
law that is necessary for the government
Of the railways. 1t is reasonable to con-
clude. therefor, that the present democratic
body will bring forth but little In that
line.
Stanton Picket: 1t seems to us that the
poor legislature is entitled to some sympa-
thy. Half the people roast them for what
they do. the other half roast them for
what thy don't do, and everybody roasts
them on general principles. Verify. their
lot Is as hard as that Of the country news
paper man-with some slight difference
In salary.
Bloomington Advocate: Senator Ran
som Of Omaha evidently thinks he is the
whole cheese" in the state senate. but
he will soon find that there are some
members who hail from the country dis
tricts that possess honesty in their veins,
who will not be slow to act whenever the
corporation senator attempts TO get his
jobs through. Ransom was formerly a
republican, but when he moved TO Omaha
he became a democrat. He is now an
attorney for several large corporations and
needs watching.
Central City NonpAreil: With a good
working majority In the legislature Mr..
Bryan has an opportunity to put into
laws some OF the reforms he has so siren
uously advocated. While it is an oppor-
tunity to impress his personality on the
laws OF his home state it is likewise a
responsibility, and one, by the way, which
he appears to be trying TO evade. Can 1t
be that he fears the application Of his
much heralded ideas? 1t looks like 1t, for
there is a decided contrast between his
masterful dictation OF the Denver con-
vention and his shifty, evasive position
with regard TO the organization Of the
legislature. Mr.. Bryan had as well take
the reins and drive with a firm hand for
he will be held responsible for the route
that will be AIKEN.
Tecumseh Journal: The people OF Ne
braska generally are getting some What tired
Of the dipsomaniac law. which has been
in force in the state, and the present legis-
lature should amend it IL they don't repeal
! 1t entirely. 1t lie all right to treat dipso-
mania as a disease for first offense and
give the subject or patient a ninety days
treatment at the states expense, but when,
as 1t has been done in many cases. the
patient returns to his habit and a second
or third time is sent up to the insane hos
pital for a postgraduate course, the matter
is brought home to the average taxpayer
. Nhat 4 L. -. -.tN -. - - --,,.N.
value. A proper way to treat the matter
is TO make dipsomania a disease for the
first offense and when 1t appears again
give it a treatment with six months hard
labor attached. This would be a corrective
that would have good effect.
Central City Record: Among his other
recommendations to the legislature, Gov
ernor shallenberger favors a return to the
election of precinct assessors instead Of
their appointment, as at present. The
Record is rather inclined to think the pres
ent law the best. Under the old system
the tendency was always toward a lower
assessment. Either the assessor wished his
job again and hence favored his constitu-
ents as much as possible, or else he was
afraid the other assessors would make a
lower assessment than he and thus make
H' ANNA'NN P1@ 49, NANh ~ AAoA ~
either case the result was the same, until
matters had arrived at a pass where, al
though the law said the property should
be assessed at its actual value, IL was
oftentimes assessed at considerable less than
one-tenth Of it's worth. and sometimes even
a twentieth. There is more or less in
equality in the present system of assessing
there always will be under any system that
can be devised-but Il is far better than It
used to be. We hope the present reform
Legislature won't do any reforming back
ward.
Sutherland Free Lance: In the recent
message to the legislature Governor Shell
don recommended a change in our mar
riage laws so that 1t will be impossible for
any man or woman to marry unless a
certificate from a physician licensed to
practice in this state has been presented,
containing a statement that their health is
good and that they are capable OF produ-
cling healthy offspring" Was such a law
enforced, 1t would, OF course. have a good
effect on at least a portion of posterity,