The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1911-04-29
ISSUES OF CAMPAIGN
JUGGLED AT CAPITOL
Conservation of Natural Re.
sources Scarcely Given q Pass
ing Thought.
GOVERNOR EBERHART IS
AN UNCERTAIN QUANTITY
His Henchmen Always Found in
Antagonist to Progressive
Legislation.
By w. E. McEWEN.

st. Paul, April 26.-(Special Cor
respondence.)- Governor Eberhart
had an opinion one time. He was
strongly in favor Of the conservation
of the natural resources of the state.
1t was a perfectly safe subject to
exploit in commonwealth where
most of it's natural wealth was bottled
Up, and controlled by the railroads,
the lumber trust and the Steel Cor
poration. and it's water ways by the
paper trust.
Yet wnen the legislature met and
took up great state questions the pro-
blem of conservation was forgotten.
1t was pretty dust to throw in the
eyes of the people and divert their
attention from the real issues of
political campaign.
Conservation is now dead issue,
and not even the governor is kind
enough to "do it reverence" I Won
der what will be the next sham is
sue brought out to fog the minds OF
the people.
A Militant Representative.
Representative Robinson of Winona
county rather slipped one over on the
governor last week. This militant
representative wrote a rather purt
and sassy letter to the governor. He
was little off on facts, but he hit
the nail on the head in a few places.
Mr.. Robinson introduced a resolu-
ton in the house declaring in favor
of an amendment to the federal con-
stitution for an income tax. This
resolution died in the senate through
a peculiar process of Juggling con-
Quoted by Senator Wallace of Min
neapolis, chairman Of the committee
on taxes.
Mr. Robinson accused the governor
with failure to call the attention Of
the legislature to communication
of. state at Washington in which was
submitted proposition for an amend
ment to the federal constitution to
authorize congress to levy a tax on
incomes.
In this respect Mr.. Robinson was
in error, but he may be forgiven.
for it was an honest mistake. Not
one person in ten thousand had any
knowledge of the fact that Governor
Ebernard had presented the proporf-
ton to the legislature.
Constitutional Amendment.
It was sent to the senate, couched
in the most adroit and simple Ian
| guage, so much so that it was barely
! mentioned in newspapers. His spe-
! cial message to the legislature ran
something like this: II have the hon
| or to present to you a proposition
for an amendment to the constitution
of the United States
This was all there was to such an
important document, and scarcely a
member of the state senate had any
knowledge of the contents of the
proposition" How much different
was this to the attitude of Governor
Wilson of New Jersey, who sent two
state urging the ratification of SO
important an amendment to the con-
stitution of the United States.
! One Progressive Measure.
One of the few progressive meas.
! ures passed by the hate legislature
was an act for a change in the me.
thod of electing United States sena.
tors. This was the Keefe bill, an6
was forced through the state sen.
ate by combination of votes from
the Democrats and progressive Re.
publicans. It was bitterly fought by
the. stand patters, and principally by
Senator G. H. Sullivan of Saltwater
said to be the representative Of the
governor on the floor of the senate
When this bill finally reached the
governor it took him three days tt
make up his mind to sign the meas.
ure. Representatives Of the old ma
chine used every effort within thei1
bill, but ne neither had the courage
to veto it or to declare in it's favor
except to say that as it passed both
houses by large majority he did no
feel justified in rejecting it.
i The legislature also passed another
proposition. It was an act for ar
amendment to the state constitution
and 1t is intended to limit the mum
Der of senators that any one count,
may have to seven. 1t is general,
believed in the cities that this is
most vicious proposition. and is con
trary to the principle of democratic
government.
Attitude OF Governor.
However, this is not the point t,
be discussed now. The attitude o
the governor on the question wa
most amusing. He sent it to the sec
rotary of state without his sigma
ture. and he attempted to convey tn
impression that his signature to tn
proposed amendment was necessar.
to insure it's validity.
Every student of our form of gov
eminent knows we'll, if he knows any
thing, that the power to veto pro
positions for an amendment to tn
fundamental law of this state Is no
a right enjoyed by a governor. TIL
sole power to veto rests in the PEG
pie, and the signature of the cover
nor could do nothing but embellis,
the engrossed document on file il
the office of the secretary of state.
Measures Vetoed. H~,*=E
The only measures vetoed by til
governor We're the bills granting fire.
rides on street cars to policemen an
firemen. and permitting street rail
way companies to carry letter car
riers at reduced fares.