The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1911-04-25
GOVERNOR SIGNS
The kEEFE BILL
Most Important Measure Passed
by the Legislature.
SESSION NOT NOTEWORTHY
Very Little Accomplished In the Way
of Constructive Leg
islation.
SESSION NOT NOTEWORTHY
Especial Correspondence.

st. Paul, April 22-The Minnesota
legislature is a thing of the past and
the entire state is now taking stock
of the ninety-day session of the law
making which has just closed. Gov
ernor Eberhatt has signed every bill
that was passed by the legislature
with the exception of the seven sen
ator" constitutional amendment which
was passed in the closing days of the
session and which will become valid
without his signature. The law is so
framed that the governors signature
to a constitutional amendment is not
necessary in order to have it go prop
erly before the people. In spite of
this it has been customary in the past
for governors to sign these measures.
The governor did not wish to sign
this one because he disapproves of it.
At the same time had his signature
been necessary he probably would
have affixed it in order that the meas
ure should go properly before the peo-
pie SO that he might have an oppor-
tunity to say whether or not represen-
tation in the larger cities should be
limited. At present the limitation
would affect only Ramsey, Hennepin
and st. Louis counties, but other coun-
ties, like Winona, Blue Earth, Stearns
and Polk, might be affected by it later.
y y. y
The most important action Of the
legislature was the passage of the
Keefe bill, known as the Oregon plan,
for the direct election Of United States
senators. The real meaning of this
bill is that the man who is a candi-
date for United States senator who
shall receive the highest number of
votes will be the choice of the people
for senator and by another provision
of the bill legislators are asked to
pledge themselves in advance to vote
for the man so designated. The eff
feet of the measure is to absolutely
destroy party lines so far as the Unit
| ed States senatorship is concerned and
| will work to the advantage of the can
| didate of the minority party. After
hesitating for some time Governor
| Eberhart finally signed the bill. He
might not have done so had it not
been for the fact that he feared veto
i would mean that he is opposed to the
| direct election of United States sena
tors, and the contrary is true.
| !. = \
| Those who oppose the bill do SO or
the ground that it will almost Ger
tainly result in the selection of a mi
nority party candidate, as happened
in Oregon, where Senator Chamber
lain, Democrat, was elected by a Re
publican legislature. They say that i
| works out in this manner: The mi
nority party will probably have onl.
one candidate, while the majorit.
party will as probably have many can
didates. The result will be that tn
minority party will concentrate it
vote, while the vote of the majorit
party will be scattered among man
candidates, with the result that tn
| VIII iCSCiFO liz
greater number and the minority wi
accordingly dictate to the maiorit
the naming of United States senator
!. :. i.
In it's direct application to Mime
J sofa the Oregon plan is generally SUI
posed to be a move against the n
election of Knute Nelson and in tn
interest of John Lind. The measur
is a Democratic measure and its adol
2 ton secured through the intelligent
cohesive action of the Democratic NJ
nority of house anu senate. Tn
. measure is supposed to explain th
singular attitude taken by John Lin
in the last election, when he force
q county option upon his party and Wei
up and down through the state decla
i ing that party platform pledges meal
nothing. In spite of the fact that M
Lind declared that he was not ca
didate for the United States sena
: it was supposed even then that tn
was his ultimate aim. Among the r
publicans men like Knute Nelson.
|. A. Congdon, Ripley Brewer, James
Peterson and others are already bell
% discussed as possible senatorial ca
didates.
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