Morris tribune., 1909-07-17
CITIZENS LEAGUE.
Issues Closing Bullentin on Re.
cent Legislature

The Minnesota Citizens League is
out with its third and closing legisla-
tive bulletin as to the last session of
the legislature, and it promises detail
ed and extensive reports upon each
member of the legislature to such of
his constituents as want to know.
The league points out that political
conditions are more unsatisfactory in
Minnesota than in most states on ac-
count of the following reasons:
That this state is the home of di-
versified list of big business interests,
and that these powerful corporations
have pooled politically.
The steel trust, the railroad ring, the
organized liquor forces and the public
utility corporations work largely thru
the same legislative organization, help
ing one another to secure and retain
special privileges available to them
through continued control of the
politics of the state. Their interests
are looked after in the legislature by
"cabinet" of adroit manipulators who
direct and lead the lesser fellows at
tached thru local interests Or self-in-
terest to one or more of the interests
thus combined. The nucleus for this
organization and control is afforded by
the delegations from the four big coun-
ties-Hennepin, Ramsey, St. Louis
and Winona, which stand almost as
unit for everything the corporation
cabinet desires. There are added to
this nucleus a number of "country
Aldriches" who serve special interests
rather than their constituents. These
forces, through their superior political
experience, their command of large
financial resources and by reason of
the lack of information and apathy of
the people, are usually able to select
the Speaker, shape the organization
of both houses, select and control i'm
portant committees, parcel out the
patronage and control the means by
which weak backed members can be
whipped into line.
Thus controlling all appropriations,
the cabinet has a most effective club
over new members, who cannot get
local bills through, or secure appro-
priations to increase their prestige at
home excepting by this cabinet con-
sent, given on condition that they do
the bidding of the cabinet. Refusal
to play the game as directed invites
withdrawal:.of all favors and even
more potent means of discrediting
the member among his home people.
The bulletin states that actual brib-
cry is reduced to minimum in Min
nesota legislature. The necessity for
buying and selling members was large
ly obviated by the fact that such COM
ponent parts of the pool interest as
the Minnesota Liquor Dealers Asso-
citation were so largely successful in
electing friends at the last elections.
Paying members prediction ex-
penses or otherwise influencing his
success may constitute form of brib-
cry, but not so direct as the money
itself. The pool accomplishes its work
by more subtle methods of coercive
nature, already pointed out, rather
than bribery. There were forms of
bribery, such as tickets to the theatre
and the leg pulling operations where
by grafters through the introduction
of threatening bills compelled certain
interests to ''come down. with the
cash to buy them off; also induce
ments in the form of s'tips" on the
market of stocks.
The league charges that the senate
and House were both "Cannonized"
n respect to rules, whereby the great
Or share of the dirty work could be
accomplished in committees controll
I'd by the pool who organized the two I
branches. Under the rules as inter- I
oreted and enforced by the Lieuten-
int Governor, a majority of stand
ng committee might have more pow
,r over measure than majority of
he Senate. The most needed reform !
s fundamental change in the rules s
md methods of legislation. Then
,ther reforms will not be SO difficult. ,
One of the commonest means of
ooling the people is through the
masking of corporation men as re-
ormers. When the votes of certain
members are not needed to accomp-