The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1909-04-22
ADJOURNED Sine DIE
Ihirty-Sixth Legislature Has Closed
Its Labors With Some Good
LAWS to Its Credit.
No Vicious Legislation Enacted and
the Tax Levy Has Been Re-
duced Half Till.
Special St. Paul Correspondence.

~. Idul, april ll.-lt IS all over
and the thirty-sixth Minnesota legis-
lature is now history. AS they say,
is speaking of the deceased, the end
came quietly at noon today and for
another two years at least the state
will be free from the disturbing influ-
ences of its biennial law-making
body. That it was worth the price,
something like 5000, 900, remains to be
seen, and that the bills it enacted into
laws were worth the effort time alone
can judge. That the usual amount
OF trash got by goes without saying;
in fact, frankness compels the state
ment that the majority of it was trash;
but still the session was not without
its good things. Quite few impor-
tant laws will be found on the statutes
when the full list is published.
+ IS.
The finish today noon, when the
gavels of the two presiding officers
announced adjournment sine die, was
without incident. Wednesday night,
which marked the closing period for
the passage of bills, had exhausted
the solons, and little in the way of
frivolity was permitted. They awaited
the end quietly. With the approach
of the midnight hour Wednesday there
was the usual fun. With boyish en-
thusiasm decorum was thrown to the
winds. Spit balls few thick and fast,
waste paper filed the air and, when it
was not available, most any thing
handy was used. Everybody was in
a good humor and jokes we're taken
good naturally. To the spectators in
the gallery it was show we'll worth
the price of admission.
Well, it is all over, and northern
Minnesota can rest in peace and
prosperity for another two years,
thanks to one man who had the cour-
age OF his convictions. Gov. John
son vetoed the Bjorge tonnage tax
bill Tuesday. There was no bombast
about it, just the simple sentence dis
approved and brief message saying
that he believed it was against public
policy. Silence prevailed during the
reading and then came ripple of ap-
plause from the opposition to the bill
that later grew into cheers and pro-
longed hand clapping. The tele-
phone and the telegraph were worked
overtime in conveying the glad news
to friends, and with that task finished
the balance of the time was given over
to joking those who had voted for the
measure. Many took it good natured-
ly, but there were others who made no
bones regarding their disappointment
and they showed it in remarks calcu-
lated to discredit Gov. johnson. All
around it was happy day for the
Duluth contingent and their friends.
and they made the most of it.
-.Politics is alright, and your CORE
spondent has no apologies to offer
when the Grand Old party is involved,
but he would be small-bore PROPOSE
tion indeed who would allow his poIit-
ical sympathies to bias any credit
coming to the democratic executive as
a result of his veto of the tonnage tax
bill. In this matter Gov. johnson
has set right above party and, while
some of the leaders may disagree with
him in the action he has taken, be
has earned the gratitude of one section
of the state that will not be forgetful
Of the favor given. In time the whole
state will come to see the wisdom of
his veto.
Following the tonnage tax veto,
which reached the house Tuesday
noon, quite few were heard to ex-
press the opinion that the question
was settled for all time; that the veto,
backed as it was by the overwhelming
force of public sentiment, would bring
about a revulsion of opinion that
would simply mean the political death
knell OF any one attempting to revive
it. Gentlemen, you are wrong. Ton
mage tax will be revived next session
and it will be one of the topics four
years from now. Education only,
and strict attention to the men sent to
represent the various districts in the
Minnesota law-making body, can
head it off. When conservatism
slumbers radicalism raises its hooded
head and, under, our primary system,
its power to control is greatly en-
HANGED. Gov. Johnson's veto of
Tuesday would not have been neces-
sary had the Iron Range country
busted itself following the defeat of
the question two years ago. It might