The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1914-12-18

VI ehc ceNtt. cum FSStehf was btcottJ
needed. In view of the millions that
the state was now spending every
year for educational purposes.
Mr.. Haycraft said he voted against
the provision making legislators nonl
partisan. when the law with that
provision I'm II was up for consider
alton. The provision was Inserted as
a sort of joker but II did not kill the
bill The measure went through any.
how. During the coming session OF
the legislature there would undoubt
eddy be an attempt made to repeal
this provision and make the legisla-
ture again partisan. The senator said
he did not favor this repeal. llnas-
much as the law now provided for a
non-partisan legislature, IL might as
well be left in that way, until the
people could tell from actual expert.
ence how a non-partisan legislature
worked
Uniform Law Closing Polling Places.
The senator spoke of the uniform
closing law for the polling places IN
all parts OF the. state. This law was
enacted in 1911. There had of late
been an agitation i'm favor OF re-
pealing that law, and going back TO
the four and five o'clock closing oil
the polls He said he was strongly
against repeating this law. The pro-
posed earlier closing of the polls
would cut out a great deal of the
country vote. He said lie believed
the best government the state had
tcame from its rural sections. To
repeal the present law, as had been
proposed. would have the effect 81
DISTINGUISHING large part OF the
rural vote. He declared he for one
was not ready TO turn over the con-
troll OF the state to the cities. Every
city of great size in this country
was corrupt TO some extent. The main
stay of the nation was the rural vote.
Just as soon as the cities ever got
control OF any nation II began to
decay. He spoke of the numerous
day light robberies that were going
on in the twin cities and of the re.
cent sending of a st. Paul chief OF po-
lice TO the state prison on account OF
unspeakable connection with resorts
of vice.
The Minimum Wage Law.
The speaker expressed the belief
that the minimum wage law would
be attacked in the coming legisla'
ture. The law. he said. had not yet
gone into effect Many would kill II
before IL had a chance TO go into
force. The law provided for a com.
mission fixing the minimum wage
this commission consisting of irepre'
sentatives of employers and employees
and disirterested persons. He had
heard much criticism of that law
| Things were criticized I'm the Law
that were never in the law at all
Some wanted to repeal the law on
the ground that women and children
OF poor ability would either have to
be paid more than they were worth OIL
could not be employed. The law real
! ~ said the commission should pre-
scribe the minimum wage for women
and children of ordinary ability. Thus
the objection had no standing and
| yet II was urged as reason to re
peal that law. In forbidding persons
of ordinary ability to work for less
than a living wage the law was .cer
tainly just, for mo- such porson should
! work for less than a living wage and
, the employers and employees togeth
| er should be able TO determine what
! was living wage. Mr.. Haycraft de
clared he was opposed to the repeal
of that law until il had had a rea
sonable trial
Opposed to Recall.
The senator said he did not know
whether the recall would be proposed
or Vot He believed the recall was
dangerous instrument While then
was much TO be said for the recall Il
city government, many cities already
had II under their home-rule chart
ers. They could place such provisions
In their system of local self-gov
eminent. II might be a good thin,
In its application to members Of tn,
legislature, but that would be i'm
practicable. as far as members o
the house were concerned. The regu
lar session of each legislature woul'
be over before a house member coul,
be recalled. Thus a Legislative, recall
could be made applicable only L
senators. The senator said that II
some states the recall had had ba
effects. However, the most objeC
tionable features I'm the recall law
Of those states were not in the recal
law as 1t had been proposed in thi
state.
He said he believed the initiativ
and referendum would be propose
again. lie hoped II would be propose
In some thing like the same fori
In which ii had been proposed b.
fore
The senator said he thought th
coming legislature would provide fc
the submission of the amendmer
giving women the right OF vote. Sue
|, an amendment certainly ought TO b
: proposed. He had no hesitation |
I saying that he was absolutely
I favor Of giving women the vote. II
| said he believed the attitude OF an
I legislator was absolutely indefensibl
I when he voted against submittin
I the proposed amendment for woma
I suffrage to the people of the stat
Z Such a legislator had ceased to
I the servant OF the people, and ha
I assumed the position OF guardia
I Women were taxed and they ha
Z the right to the vote. This was
I line with the very principle on whiC
! this nation was founded The issu
I was momentous one and the Peep
! should certainly be given the right
: vote on II.
All the issues that he had me