The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1913-09-18

M1nneSOCaS early StatenOOQ Days
might convince some that we of this
day and date have no monopoly of
this particular virtue. Perhaps you
do not know it, but there has always
existed a form of initiative and refer
endum in Minnesota; that at one
time Minnesota contributed thousands
of dollars for the encouragement of
immigration; that there were just
as stringent laws for the regulation
of liquor then as now, and that re-
trenchment was the order at more
than one session. The one thing then
was that cures for ills were not sugar
coated. We use the hypodermic now.
!. !. !.
Purity Sunday is the latest move
ment to receive official endorsement.
Sunday, Nov. 8, has been selected and
Governor Eberhart has just issued a
proclamation requesting it's observ-
ance. On that day pulpits are to be
devoted to appeals for general
cleansing of the body civic and poll
tic. His excellency, in issuing his
mandate, refused to call it a proclama-
ton. Commentator was his word.
!. !. !.
Whether it is a case of trying to
find out public sentiment on the ques.
ton or that the date has really been
decided upon is not known, but the
Twin City publications continue tc
pick October as the month when Gov.
ernor Eberhart will call the legisla.
ture in special session for the con.
sideration of statewide control OF
public utilities. AS for his excel
lency he refuses absolutely to say
| when he will issue the call. Last
week the executive began a tour OF
the county fairs of the state, with his
public utility idea as the chief fea.
ture of his addresses, and the reports
are to the effect that he was we'll re-
ceived. The initial talk was at ST.
Charles He is still engaged in max
ing the tour.
The seven senators act and other
| measures calculated to reduce repre-
sentation in the two bodies of the
legislature are bitterly assailed by the
big cities, still it is of record that in
the early days of statehood such was
advocated by no less a leader than
Governor Sibley. In message to the
legislature in 1859 he advocated the
reduction of the membership of the
senate from thirty-seven to twenty
five and Of the house from eighty tt
fifty. Regular sessions of the legis
lature, he advised, be confined tc
sixty days and special sessions tt
thirty days. And he came near get
ting away with it, too.
!. !. !.
The adjustment of capital punish
| ment, which was done two years ago
session held in the state. It was al
| a time when retrenchment in public
expenditures was the order of the
! Gay and the bill, being sent to the
| judiciary committee to be passed up
on as to it's constitutionality, the
committee reported: 1.-THE bill, i
passed, will be legal, but in view Of
the spirit of retrenchment which is
abroad We believe that it would be
cheaper to hang prisoners convicted
of capital crimes than to feed then
| at the public expense" The bill die
not pass.
In the opinion of the state tax com
! mission dogs are worth more thar
| sheep or hogs for assessment pur
! poses and it accordingly fixed the val
ue of each at 1882. Sheep were LISTED
| at $3.50 each and hogs at 1926. Las
week the board completed it's assess
ment of personal property in the
state and the result is total assessed
valuation of $227,923,SS2.
!. \ !.
Representative L. G. Spooner O
| Morris, it is said, will make his resi-
dence at Minneapolis in the nea
| future. The intimation is that h
has made his last try for Legislative
Job.
Another legislator who will b.
among the missing when the twt
lawmaking bodies meet two year.
hence will be Representative Frank
son of Fillmore county. He, too, ha!
| moved to the Twin Cities.
!. !. !.
The state fair did not realize very
| heavily this year because of ba(
weather. Now plans are on for an ap
| peal to the legislature. A new agri
! cultural display building is wanted.
THE COUNTY CHAIRMAN.
| wonan'S Piace