The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1914-10-31
LEES RECORD TOLD
BY JULIUS SCHMAHl
Secretary of State Graphically Narrates
Candidates Long Record of Eff
cient Public Service.

Vldlng for the loaning OF the per1nn.
nent school funds of the State to tha
various counties or school districts ia
the State to be used for the erection
OF county or school buildings.
Free School Books.
Prior to 1893 the parents Of chfs.
dren, the poor as we'll as the rich.
were obliged to buy school booka
and through some pernicious system
the books were so arranged that but
In a few cases could they be used a
second time
At the 1898 Session this bill.
through the influence of Mr..
Lee, as Speaker, and his friends
IN the house, became a law and
throughout the entire state,
. with the exception of the larg>
er cities, text books were fur
nished to all the pupils in The
graded school.
. y
A Friend of Labor.
AS friend of labor, my hesrers.
William =. Lee Is always found On
record as among the most enthu.
slastic. l can recall the attempt made
In the 1889 session to establish a
bureau of labor. Again In 1891 a SINH
lar attempt was made and failed. Hut
in 1898 when Mr., Lee was speaker OF
the house such a bill was passed.
AS far back as the 1885 session
there were complaints to the effect
that employment bureaus wers not
treating their patrons fairly and So a
result a law was then passed for
which Mr.. Lee voted In the afirrnar
tive, regulating the employment OF Ia
Dor bureaus
In 1885 he was among those to vote
for the bill providing for the board Of
inspectors of steam vessels and boil
ers and to lessen the danger OF those
who were required to gain a iIvelI-
hood by working around those lnstru-
ments of power. 1t was Wt,tIe speaker
Of the house in 1893 that ne insisted
on the law providing for the proteo-
ton Of employees by requiring guards
shifting devices, hoist-ways, fire e..
capes, ETC., in and around factories
and all kinds of Industrial establish.
ments.
Stand On the Liquor Question.
Most Of the old Republicans of the
state fought side by side for the cleo
ton, in 1886, of Hon. Andrew r. Mo
Gill as Governor Of the state. on what
is known as high-Iicense liquor law
platform. Governor McGiH announced
that II elected he would recommend
and urge the passage Of a. bill fixing
the minimum license fee in citiea,
towns or villages Of less than ten
thousand at $4,000, and in cities hav-
ing a population Of ten thousand and
over a minimum fee Of one thousand
dollars. Victory finally came to tho
the house largely through the efforts
of William E. Lee.
It was in 1893 that Mr.. Lee
secured the enactment Of law
providing that liquor licenses
= should be granted only to resi-
dents Of the state. These two
measures alone, my friends.
guarantee his position in
strict enforcement Of the liquor .
T. laws of the state.
-
How the Capitol Was Built.
One of the institutions that the poo
pie Of the state are now particularly
proud of is the new Minnesota state
capitol. A general cry went up over
the state in 1893 that the construction
Of the building was going to increase
taxes. Mr.. Lee and hts associates a.
sumed all responsibility for the pass
ing Of the bill in the House, and today
every resident of Minnesota Is proud
of the magnificent structure standing
on one Of the hills OF st. Paul.
But what seems to me. my friends,
best Of all, in 1900 Gov. Van SAINT sec
ing that the 1899 session failed to
make provisions for a Board OF Con-
troll, determined to appoint a. commit
tee to go through the other states With
a view of ascertaining whether q
board of control for such state insti-
tutions would be effective One of tie
men he selected was VIM. e. Lee.
The other was S. W. Leavitt, and tho
other, I think, was Charles A Moray.
Of Winona.
The Board of Control.
At the 1901 session these gentlemen
reported in favor of the proposition
and before the legislature adjourned,
in one of the most magnificent battles
ever fought in the legislature, the REQ
concentrations of Gov. Van SAINT.
through his committee, Mr.. Lee, Mr..
Leavitt and Mr.. Morey, prevailed and
a Board Of Control was created M-.
Lee was the first member appointed.
and laid broad and deep the principles
for that Board of Control and placed
1t upon a foundation that has saved
the state already millions Of dellarA