Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-03-14
MEMBER OF ASSOCIATED PRESS
ILL.,
COMMENTS on THE LEGISLA-
TURE.

TCRE.
The state press has varying COM
ments upon the legislature. Some OF
the comments are mediocre" "un-
important unsatisfactory" and of
similar import. 1t is easy enough to
criticise a legislative body. 1t is
somewhat more difficult to enter in
to a legislative body and bring it
to follow any definite or fixed pro-
gram. There are many elements
to be considered in making an esti-
mate of legislature. In the first
place, there is the element Of public
demand. 1t is not an extreme state
ment to make when it is said that
there was little positive demand for
legislation by the people o. the state
prior to the session OF the legisla-
ture. Public sentiment was by no
means fixed upon any particular leg
islative policy. General conditions
were good. There was no suffering
and no great dissatisfaction. There
was some difference Of opinion as to
the virtue of the. general primary
law. There was, as usual, some ques-
ton as to whether our taxation
scheme could not be improved upon.
And there was the ever present de-
mand for appropriations from the
public treasury. ~.
The appropriation demands have
been met. and fairly we'll met. The
different institutions have been pro-
vided for as we'll as financial condi-
tions would permit. On the primary
law, there was difference of opin-
ion among the members Of the house,
and as result nothing was done.
This is by no means a calamity. If
the present primary law does not
prove satisfactory, it will be amend
ed when public sentiment demands
an amendment. Until that time the
people and the state will continue
to live and be happy under the pres
ent system, and if it proves unsatis-
factory to any. marked degree, the
change will come quickly,
There was no especial demand for
retailiatory or retributive legislation
against corporations. The state is
not suffering especially from injus-
tees. The people Of the western
part Of the state especially want more
railroad lines. They want more set
tiers and more communities, more
elevators and more titled fields, and
all the things that are brought by
the building Of new lines of road. If
the railroads or the corporations
prove oppressive in their methods,
there Is plenty Of law at present on
the statute books to correct evils.
There was not muca to do in the
matter Of prohibitory legislation. All
of the ground, except the removal of
the appetite and demand for liquors,
has been already pretty we'll covered.
AS to the failure to enact laws pro-
viding for bank deposit guaranty, we
incline to the poinion that the legis-
lature did we'll in leaving the matter
alone. There was a pretty wide diff
ference of opinion among republic
ans as to the virtue Of a bank depos-
it guaranty, and the plank in the
state platform did not by any means
represent the opinion of the majority
of republicans in the state. Bank de-
post guaranty was a catchy cam
paign issue forced by Mr.. Bryan, but
it is not an issue now and will hard
Iy be again in the near future.
A legislature can do well by the
things it refrains from doing. And
in refraining from radical legisla-
ton the legislature just adjourned
did pretty we'll. AS for the cost of
the legislature, that is merely an
incident. Legislatures must meet
and be paid for, and the legislature
just adjourned was not an extrava-
CANT one. Congress is an expensive
body, too, but no one would want to
get along without it, even to save the
expense.
II there had been any public crisis,
the recent legislature would have
met 1T carefully ~ and With credis.