Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1911-04-27

Aud1 SpedAS SOOQ WOrQ Tor men or
measures he is regarded as weak
ling, a sycophant seeking for favors
or champion of the interests
The Lord only knows what lot Of
cheap statesmen would do for a repu-
tation if they did not drag out the
interests" and dangle them before
the public, and then calling upon their
gaping-mouthed admirers to applaud
them for boarding the lion in his den.
Much has been said about lobbying
and lobbyists and that there were
lobbyists present and lobbying done
is undisputed.
just as long as there are interests
that can be injured by legislative ac-
tion or interests that can be advanced
by legislative action, Influences will
be brought to bear on legislators to
secure such action as the interests
may desire.
The curious feature about this slob.
bylng" matter is that the ones who
put in the whole winter tearing their
shirts about it, and who have split
the atmosphere with denunciations of
lobbyists are the most persistent, de-
termined, aggressive, pertinacious,
pusillanimous lobbyists Of the whole
blooming bunch of lobbyists that ever
tried to save the state by telling leg
islators what they should do.
A short time before the legislature
assembled self-appointed and self
constituted organization was formed
and this organization decided that
certain reforms were necessary 20
save the people from the evils of 20
litical corruption and domination of
the interests, and they decided that
they We're the divinely appointed ag-
ents to bring about these reforms.
This organization of self-admitted
statesmen decided that it was neces-
sary for the state to have County OPP
tion, Woman Suffrage, Popular Elec-
tion of Senators, the initiative, Refer
endum and Recall, State Wide Pri-
maries and several other things, in
order to save the people from perpet-
ual political servitude to the ssinter-
ests."
This organization then proceeded to
select paid lobbyists to beg, cajole,
fatter, coax, buy and bull-doze legis-
lators into supporting these measures
These lobbyists made life burden
to every member of the legislature,
they accosted them on the trains, they
hunted them in their rooms, they
reused them out of their slumbers,
they tackled them in their hotels, they
jostled into them in the street cars,
they buttonholed them in the corri-
doris and they tagged them in the
halls Of legislation promising them
unlimited political preferment and
highest political Office if they would
support these measures and threaten
ing them with dire wrath of cOnstitu
encies it they failed to supper. them.
This is not only lobbying but it is
cheap, coarse lobbying, and it is the
fellows that have been doing this sort
of lobbying that are now lifting up
their voices in loud wall about the
lobbying practiced in the last legis-
lature.
l am not discussing the merits OF
the measures proposed but one thing
is certain, and that is, you could not
pass bill providing members with
stationery by the methods employed
by these prevaricators.
One would think from the articles
published about this legislature that
they had accomplished nothing of
merit but such is not the case.
Bob. Dunn's good road bill appro-
priating $150,00G a year to be devoted
to scientific road making and submit
ting a constitutional amendment OF a
one-mill tax to supply future funds for
that purpose was measure of real
benefit and craftsmanship. 1t means
that in the future Minnesota will have
uniform system of highways and
that their making will be under such
supervision that will insure perma-
nency and uniformity and will event
ually be worth millions of dollars to
the state.
Capitol punishment was also abol-
ished. Whether this is meritorious
measure or not the future can only
determine. This action was taken
once before in this state but in the
excitement following the James
Younger raid at Mortified it was al
most unanimously repealed by the
following legislature. Personally
am in favor of capital punishment