The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1910-12-27
Witty Correspondent Predicts Form
alton of Strict Constructionists"
Party If Treaty Is Enforced.
WOULD REVIVE BLUE LAWS"
Might Maintain Lobby to Tell the
Legislature of Eastern Interior
ers What They Need.

Brainerd, Mimi, Dec. 27-There
is a growing feeling apparent in
Brainerd, Walker and Bemidji that
if the treaty of 1855 is to be en-
forced it is about time to start pol
itical party known as the "Strict
Constructionists."
If the government decides to fur
Their enforce this treaty and the
courts hold the treaty legal then the
Strict Constructionists" will get
busy and dig up and revive every
dead and down, down and out, Rip
Van Wrinkle law on federal and state
statute books. Walker has set the
ball rolling by putting the ban on
slot machines, games of chance, duck
and turkey raffies, etc. This may
easily be extended to include church
raff1es, bridge parties, church card
parties, Sunday funerals, Sunday mail
service, Sunday theatres, etc.
There is such a thing as statute
of limitations in the state Of Mime
sofa, but a federal treaty, like Tenny-
sons brook, appears to run on forever
no matter how much it may be
damned. The principle of laches,
or neglect to enforce ones rights,
applies to states and individuals but
does not seem to effect our federal
government which lets the Indian
treaty of 1855 slumber peacefully for
So years and then revives it when the
very Indians and whites it sought to
protect are dead and gone.
In the old days the cry was forty
four or fight The Strict COnstruc-
zionist" cry is Give us '55 and We
fight" that is, enforce the treaty OF
1855 and we shall get busy. All
sumptuary and blue laws, especially
Sunday laws, will be dug up. A
vote of thanks is to be given the Phil
adelphia lawyer of Arkansas who res
directed law of the vintage of 1915
which states that the government
postal department may handle ex-
press business and by so doing can
reduce the annual postal deficit.
Senator-elect C. D. Johnson, of
Brainerd, is to be instructed to dig
up every old law he can find and at
tempt to inject new life into it.
Committees are to be appointed to
see what New Hampshire and Geor-
gia may lack in the way of law en-
forcement and remedial legislation.
1t is said the child labor laws of
Georgia are not enforced and the
Strict Constructionists" will send
kilograms to the president notifying
him that Georgia needs fixing. In
New Hampshire there are certainly
things to be adjusted and in retalia-
ton for the kind interest which New
Hampshire people have taken in the
1855 Indian treaty territory of Min
nesota the Strict Constructionists'
propose to have a lobby at New
Hampshire telling their Legislature
what to do. The more the plan is
studied the greater and more bound
less appear the possibilities and re-
suits.
1t is further alleged that the treaty
Peter Stuyvesant made with the In
dians several centuries ago, when he
purchased the ground on which New
Amsterdam and later New York City
stood, is to be unearthed and declared
illegal because the consideration fol
the transfer of this valuable property
was two barrels of rum. Reopen
ing this celebrated case and the casks
will draw New York City into the
maelstrom of the dry territory. An
other treaty to be shovelled from its
grave is the one William Penn made
with the Indians. 1t is alleged thai
William was politician and tha
he got the best of the Indians. The
bust of Quay stands on some of the
gound involved and it may be neces
sary to move the late gentlemen. The
expression, "Madder Than A Wet In
dian," has been declared obsolete an<
should now read, "Madder Than 4
Dry White"
If the federal court at St. Paul de
cides on January 9th that the In
dian treaty of 1855 is legal, then tn
Strict Constructionists" party will
issue it's declaration of independence
and start such a cry of reform an,
strict observance of every law, fedora
and state, ever issued now, befor
and hereafter as will attract the at
tention of every state in the uniol
and every country in the world
Every editor in the dry strip will b.
enlisted in the cause. All possibl
means will be used to make this dr..
strip so law abiding, and the who'll
United States, too, for that matter
that 1t will be question of positive