Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1915-02-17
REAcTloNARIEs CONVERTED

REAcTloNARIEs CONVERTED
Like Saul Of Tarsus, They See
Great Light and Become champl-
ons Of Popular Rights.
(For Willmar Tribune by G. ]. BUELL.
In the County of Pine is small
incorporated village, at one time
it was large enough to comply with
1.-The Statute, but one after another
the families have moved away, until
now there are less than fifty people,
where once there were over two hun
dred.
There are only eight voters in the
village, and six Of them are tinanci-
ally interested in a saloon which they
maintain there, greatly to the damage
and disgust of the people Of the sur
rounding country, who are powerless
under the law to get rid of the saloon.
Representative Larson Of Pine Co.
introduced a bill permitting the Coun-
ty Board to dissolve village of less
than fifty people on petition of GER
tain number of taxpayers.
OF course the law must be general
and Of course it would apply to any
incorporated village Of less than fifty
people.
Everything went along quite
smoothly until it leaked out that Lar
sons bill would permit the County
Commissioners of any county to dis
solve a village Of less than fifty PEG
pie, and that the specific object of the
bill was to enable the people who are
injured by this particular saloon tt
get rid of it.
Then the fireworks began, and the
champions of the rights Of the PEG
/ ple," one after another jumped t
their feet in opposition to the bill.
Not one of these champions hal
ever before shown any mad haste tt
protect the rights of the people, o.
has ever voted to submit public ques
tons to popular VOTE 1t is not at al
likely that any one Of them will vot'
/ to submit the question Of Count,
Option to the people Of the respee
tive Counties. They are all prett
sure to vote against submitting tn
question of "Votes for Women" to tn
men of the State, for them to deter
mine. They have been uncompromis
ingly opposed to the Initiative-Refe1
endum-Recall- only effectlv
means thus far devised to safeguar
/ and protect the rights of the people
i Nor should they be criticised too 81
Iverely for such inconsistency. Hare
ly day passes but many member
show the same inconsistency, and u
\ ually these men are very honest an
conscientious, but narrow and shol
sighted.
Losing Control.
r. Mr.. Flowers is not a strong presto
ing officer. From the first he shove
but little knowledge Of parliamentar
- procedure and made many mistake
r. in his rulings; was easily tangled VI
and in general was lacking in thu
force, alertness and self assuranc
that are so essential to the rapi
transaction of business, and in hol'
ing the confidence and respect of tn
members of the house. But no on
questioned his desire to be fair an
honest in his rulings.
l. Early in the session it was plat
e that the Flowers organization was 10
ing it's hold on the House. The hast
with which the Rules Commute
,v3o1Iol thu ~ tho 10
don men and amended their rules
vital particulars, gave evidence {
their lack of confidence.
i The GuiIford Resolution.
Il A little later Mr.. Guilford, Go
don man, introduced a resolution, d
handing that the appropriations
20 kept down to the limits of the Apr
le priations of the Legislature Of 1911.
This Resolution was objected to /
Mr.. Spooner, Chairman of the Apr
priations Committee, on the grour
that the figures quoted were inco
is rect and misleading. Mr.. Guilfo,
thereupon consented to have his res
luton laid over. A few days later /
appended to his resolution a signt
e. statement of the State Auditor, vel
- flying his figures, and moved it's ado
ton.
Mr.. Dwyer, and other leaders of Il
C. Flowers organization, opposed the I
e. solution, but it was adopted by abo
&c two to one.
rs A Short Session.
20 At the beginning Mr.. Flowers a
~ nounced his program to be a sho
- session and early adjournment. Mall
~ berg and Swenson brought in a res
- luton fixing April 7th as the day
-. adjournment. This is a dangero
~. ~, thing to do, and very unwise. 1nste
81 Of Fastening the work Of the sessi'
-. it's effect would be just the revers
~ It would encourage waste of time
a. the beginning and result in a m;
1 scramble at the end. Instead of
~ surfing full and careful considerable
~, Of all measure, with the assurance
~ plenty of time for everything, it wou
-, tend to keep the House in state
~ nervous irritability, little conduct
>o to good results.
~ In one sense all members are int
~ ested in short session. They 6
81 900 whether the session be long
short. and the sooner thew get til