Morris tribune., 1911-04-28
FITTING FINISH
OF THE SESSION.
EVASION, SUBTERFUGE
= AND PROFANITY.
Reform Measures Defeated by
an Accident in the Senate,
and by the Brewery Lobbyists
in the House What the SEES
sion Did and Did Not Accom-
plished.


sue of the session honestly and making
a belated effort to justify their exist
ence, these statesmen expended their
last energies in evasion and subter-
fuge, profanity and imprecations.
There were fights and fiascos.
In the Senate two of the most vital
reform measures had just been reach
ed when the standpatte's sought safety
for the special interests in final ad-
journment. Here occurred one of the
most lamentable accidents in the his
tory of Minnesota law-making. AS
sistant Secretary W. A. Simonton an
nounced to Lieutenant Governor Cor
don that the vote was SO. for to 80
against the motion and that official
declared the Senate adjourned.
Instantly there was scattering and
when the mistake was discovered it
seemed impossible to reassemble the
senators.
Perhaps it was not an accident, al
though | believe that it was. But
the people will be indignant, and
justly so, because the mistake defeat
ed the recall and the extension of the
primary to state officers. The thirty
three who voted against adjournment
and few others would have voted for
the bills which were pending when the
Senate was thus illegally dissolved.
AS to the House, no words of mine
can adequately describe the disgrace
full scene at the close. In that body,
a bunch of brewery members, threat
ening physical force if necessary to
attain their end, gathered beneath
the clock and prevented the hands be-
ing turned back as has been done in
every session for years. These spigot
statesmen thus compelled the adjourn
ment of the House and defeated bills
like the extension of local option
rights to cities of the fourth class and
the new child labor law.
In this connection Speaker Dunn is
reported as saying that he ought to
have smashed the clock. A better way
for him would have been to have smash
ed the reactionary House machine
three months before. Had the House
not been organized as it was, import
ant business would not have been de-
layed until the last minute. By CIV
ing them every advantage the Speaker
himself played the game of the in
terests and politicians, which was de-
lay and disorder.
There is, not space here to more
than suggest few things. In very
short time | expect to tell the whole
story of the session in "The Mime
sofa Legislature of 1911" which
will follow the general lines of the
volume on the 1909 Legislature. For
the present note these characteristics {:
The Minnesota Legislature of 1911
will live in history for certain things.
1t has been characterized by disgrace
full scenes of disorder.
1t has been marked by almost un-
precedented political plumber and ex
travaganGe.
1t was Influenced by the most open,
powerful and pernicious brewery lob
by ever known.
No session ever had so many farcical
Investigations and white washes.
The House had speaker who was
partial to the reactionary element.
There was a wholesale slaughter of
progressive legislation.
Both branches manifested tendency
away from fundamental democracy
and toward the professional politician.
1t was legislature for the rich and
the reactionary.
There was shrewdly conceived and
executed lack of team work between
House and Senate. II
The House adjourned under a cloud
not daring to give consideration to tie
Klemer-Stone indictment that te
special interests controlled the orgh- |
ization.
THE LEGISLATIVE GRAVEYARD.
The recall.
Civil service.
County option.
Woman's suffrage.
New child labor law.
The distance tariff.
Public domain measures.
Nom partisan judiciary.
Tonnage tax on iron ore.
The income tax amendment
All reapportionment bills.