Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1913-03-21
REVIEW WORK
OF LEGISLATURE
Representative Elliott Writes on I'm
pressions Gained Ia Work Among
Lawmakers of The State
PARTY PROMISES ARE FULFILLED
Explains Defeat Of the Bonner County
Division Bill

To the Editor of the Boomers
Ferry Herald,
Boomers Ferry, Idaho.
My dear Mr.. King:
feel that owe an apology
to the Herald and people of Bon
ners Ferry. for my failure to write
extended letters concerning the
doings" of the legislature, which
has just closed. 1t may be proper
to say, however, when one is en-
dowed with such a public Office,
the less they say, the better, and /
have been acting on this principle.
As return home, however, it is
but proper to give some of my inn
pressions of the weeks spent at
Boise, and these may be of more
than passing interest to your
readers.
The legislature which has just
finished its work was perhaps no
better and certainly not worse
then many of those that proceeded
the 'Trihing Twelfth" so called
simply because the session was
slow in getting down to business,
but later on it was called the Tur-
bulent Twelfth In my judg-
ment neither of these names fitted
its character for as a matter of fact
the legislature was composed of a
body of honest sincere men, who
were not bound by partisanship,
and who were really anxious to do
something for the good of the
state. In my judgment the house
was a superior body to the senate.
During the two months of the
session | failed to hear more then
one or two references to the politi-
cal situation. There was really nc
distinction drawn among members
on party lines, except that the -four
lone democrats were frequently
anxious to make the fact promin-
ent that they had duty to per
form toward their party by keeping
its name alive. The senate was
much more of a partisan body, ano
in fact the lines were quite closely
drawn between progressive and re-
dictionary elements, of which il
was made up. More than this the
senate was dominated by a com
hine, assisted by the lieutenant
governor, which undertook, and t
some extent did control all the leg
islation that was enacted. This
wing of the senate, coulC
hardly be said to represent the
ideas of Governor Haines and hi
associates. In fact, the most dis
tinguishing thing to my mind o
the entire legislation was the indie
pendent attitude possessed by
very large majority of all tn
members, as was evidenced con
stantly by their manner of voting
and so far as the state at large is con
cerned, l am confident that mucl
good legislation was enacted. TIL
republican party which was over
whelmingly in power, in name a
least, was not pledged to YER
many measures. Most of thes
pledges were carried out, and som
of the things which the platforr
contains, which both the democra
tic and republican parties had re
fused 10 stand for, were mad
prominent issues, because the pee
ME demanded them.
The most important piece of TIL
sort of legislation was the publ
utilities bill which finally became
law. The failure to enact WORK
mems compensation law was a mo'
serious failure of duty The issr
was closely drawn between a hi
which was modelled after IL
Washington law, and which W;
supported by most of the corpor;
tions and labor unions, and bi
modelled after the New Jersey Law
which would have been practical
worthless under the conditions pr
yailing in Idaho. When the legi
lature found it could not enact
suitable law they decided not
enact any, and perhaps this W
the best thing to do. There we
some changes in the primary ele
ton laws, which l think will il
prove them. The revenue al
taxation laws were also entire