The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1911-04-18
STATE LEGISLATION
Especial Correspondence.

legislative session for 1911 becomes
history this week. 1t has been re
markable session, remarkable not so
much for legislation passed as for
legislation killed. The morgue is full
of the victims of the legislative axe
Among the things that have gone the
way of all things are the employers
compensation act, county option, and
by the time this letter reaches its
readers, the initiative and referendum,
the recall, the direct primary, the wa
terways bill, the public utilities bill
and various others will probably have
suffered the same fate.
!. !. !.
It has been stormy session. In
both senate and house the minority
effected the organization and retained
control to the last, although the major
ity of the house asserted itself at
times. In the senate the Gordon sup
porters, represented by men like Gun
derson, Haycraft, Putnam, Clague and
others, overturned the old time SEN
ate organization and organized the
committees. This organization was
perfected and made to stick in the
election contests which marked the
opening of the session. 1t worked on
almost to the finish and through the
battle on reapportionment and ap-
parently failed only in the closing
days of the session.
\ i. +
In the house Speaker Dunn was
elected on county option and anti
county option issue. The speaker was
an antt-county optionist. Following
his organization of the house came
stormy periods, which resulted at times
almost in state of anarchy. Charges
were made by Representative Klemer
and by Representative Stone to the
effect that the house committees had
been packed 'in the interest of the
special interests" This resulted in
series of stormy sessions, in the prog
ress Of which Representative Klemer
and Stone were both compelled to ap-
pear before the bar of the house
where they acknowledged they had no
definite information upon which to
base their charges.
j. !. \
During the session no outstanding
regulations have been made. No big
men have come to the front Neither
house nor senate have developed men
of unusual ability. Both the speaker
of the house and the lieutenant gov
ernor have. been new figures In the
limelight during the present session,
but neither has acquired pre-eminent
distinction as result. 1t is possible
that Speaker Dunn will be candidate
for congress in the First district in the
next election, while Lieutenant Gov
ernor Gordon has a yearning desire to
succeed Governor Eberhart in the ex-
ecutive Office
!; !. !.
Politics has played a large part in
the session. At it's outset Governor
Eberhart submitted a message which
was universally commended. Very
few of his ideas have been put into
effect. This has been largely due to
the fact that political jealousy feared
the governor would derive too much
credit and that his reelection would
be made certain. Democrats joined
with factfonal Republicans in this plan
of campaign. In the house the Demo
rot re fhn Oh in Of
Representative Pfaender of New Ulm,
played with the house organization
and in this way were able to exercise
large influence. In the senate, under
the leadership of Democrats like Sen
ators Collier, Schaller, Works, Moonan
and Weis, the same influence was ex-
erted by the minority party.
4 !. :.
Presidential and national politics
also played part in the session.
There is a well defined movement on
in the state to capture the national
delegation for La Toilette for presi-
dent in opposition to President Taft.
The insurgent wing of the Republicans
has been playing this game. 1t is gen
orally expected that the Eberhart adj
ministration and the Republican state
central committee, under the chair
manship Of former Senator Edward E.
Smith, will throw its influence in favor
of Taft delegation. For that rea-
son the radicals have opposed Gov
ernor Eberhart's administrative plans
in many instances, although it was
progressive and in sympathy with the
onward movement of the times.
!. !. !.
The one measure in which Governor
Eberhart was most vitality interested
was the passage of reapportionment
BILL His interest in this was due to
the fact that the Republican platform
had pledged itself definitely to reap
portionment on basis of population
The measure was opposed by Southern
Minnesota senators and the Democrats
and was favored by the cities and by
Northern Minnesota. The Congdon
ill passed the house bu. struck a