The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1915-01-04
LEGISL TuRE Open
SESSION TONIC
Mnnesota's First Non partisan Law
Making Body Ready q iin
Work Houses Meet at Moor.
HAMMOND ADDRESS WEDHrs1,AY=
Speakership Contest Between I lowers i
and Gordon Continues to Rage and
Both Claim Victory

Tomorrow the thiry-ninth session
Of the Minnesota legislature will
open. It will have the distinction
Of being the first non partisan legis-
lature ever assembled in the United
States and as a result its delfbera-
lions will be watched with more than
usual interest.
The program is for the senate and
house to convene at noon, at which
time both bodies will perfect their
organizations and adjourn until II
a.. M, Wednesday,, when Governor
Winfield Scott Hammond will deliver
his inaugural address at Joint SEES
sion of the senate and house in the
hall of the house of representatives.
The new speaker will preside but
as yet there is no certainty as to
who the the man is to be who will
watch over the deliberations Of the
lower branch of the legislature at
the coming session. s,sss s=
A hot Contest.
The speakership contest between
H. H. Flowers of Cleveland and Sam
Y. Gordon of Browns Valley has been
waged since Nov. 10 without q. mo-
ment's cessation of hostilities. and
both men are today claiming certain
victory. While the strength which
Mr.. Gordon has mustered has been q
surprise to the politicians, to Others
who have paid more attention. toFthe
trend of affairs than does the aver
age political leader, there is nothing
very strange about It.. It is In the
first place generally admitted that
had the non-partisan idea not been
incorporated into. the system 81 select
ing members of the Legislature. 1t is
likely that Mr.. Gordon would never
have been heard from In this con-
test. -
+ The County Option lssu1i W.
p. =: But with parties eliminated flle
members-electz were forced to and
something else upol shl1eh 80 bose
their allegiance to one caudtaafe or
the other: County option wassst,1ss
issue most readily converted into
slogan for the speakership campaign,
and Mr.. Gordon was glad: to get
chance to declare his undying alle-
glance to this method of regulating
the sale Of intoxicants in order to get
the forty odd votes the Anti-saIoon
league was able to deliver:
This league saw in the elimination
of parties chance to become q party
in and of itself for legislative pur-
poses and is undoubtedly making the
best of its opportunity. Besides
backing Mr.. Gordon, the league IS
said to have an ambitious legisla-
tive program which it hopes. to force
through, provided that both houses
can be properly organized.
Causing No Worry.
OOuALy OQCAOu, IL Is S&41u, Ii really
not worrying the league officials
much, as should. it pass they realize
that it will deprive them Of an issue.
This fact alone is generally believed
sufficient to insure the defeat Of OPP
tion at the coming session. There
will be lot of talk about it and
vote, but it would really be hard
blow to the league and its workers
should the bill be enacted into law,
as it would deprive them of their
chief talking point and the league OF
it's chief excuse for existence.
The league having raised the
brewery control cry at the outset,
it was really to blame for defining
the issues in this rather remarkable
contest. Through its efforts the
county option forces lined up for Mr..
Gordon while the ants were found
favoring Mr.. Flowers. There are,
however, few exceptions on both
sides Of the fence.