The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1917-07-19
BOOZE QUESTION
IS IN LIMELIGHT
NATIONAL AND STATE LEGISLA-
TURE AT MERCY OF WET
AND DRY FORCE.
Smith IS Refused PARDON
BOARD REFUSES TO LIBERATE
= FORMER STATE TREASURER
CAPITOL NEWS.

St. Paul, July 16-To the majority
of the people congressional delay at
Washington as it relates to the sew
eral war measures before the two law
law making bodies-especially the
food control acts almost beyond
comprehension, but to the average
member of the Minnesota legislatures
that have gone the whole is a story
messy and worm eaten. The spect-
able of Nero fiddling while Rome
burns long ago lost it charm as far
as they are concerned. Prohibition
near or bone dry-is the holdup at
Washington and whether the average
voter believes in it or not the squabble
is costing the nation lot of money. It
cost Minnesota pretty penny last
winter and the end is not yet. Liquor
and it's opposition is specter that
has haunted the average law making
body for centuries and there are
those who believe that it will continue
to do so. Why the liquor question
can not be settled without involving
everything else under the sun is bey-
ond the average mortal, but it seems
such can not be. Wet or dry, with
opponents of the latter very much in
the saddle, dominated the last Mime
sofa legislature throughout the entire
session. 1t sent many good bills to
the discard and those it did permit
to get by had little in the way of
teeth. If any particular interest had
anything in mind it desired to fatten
or cripple, as the case Nigh be, dry it
had to be and dry it was. All trades
were on the basis of dry and wet and
no questions were asked when profit
state and it's interests were never
considered. The controversy sent the
tonnage tax measure to the bone pile
and it put to sleep a number of con-
stitutional amendments that should
have been passed up to the voters.
The latter was a dry move entirely
and as explained was for the purpose
of confirming the usual constitutional
amendment ballot to one question
only. What with constant filibuster-
ing on the part of both sides, trades
that almost approached the criminal
and Anti-Saloon League domination
all the way through the state money
was wasted like water. Nothing that
would send the fame of the fortieth
the hall of time was recorded. So it
is at Washington and so it will con-
tinue to be. Next year Minnesota will
vote on the question of dry or wet. 1t
is too early to try and anticipate the
result but the vote will not represent
the finish. The question will come
up in the next legislature just as of
old. 1t may be in a different form,
but it will be there and continue to
either dominate or hamper.
The death of John C. Nethway of
the nineteenth district has left &
vacancy that the chief executive viii
be called upon to fill and which is
even now giving him some anxiety
Of course there are any number who
want the job and the most of them
have some very persistent hacker 5
Searle, prominent attorney OF
Washington county, is regarded as the
best bet, but he might have to give
way to Chas. E. Elmquist of the state
railroad and warehouse commission
who is known to have judicial am
billions. The governor, however, may
take it into his head to name a dark
horse of which there are any number
The 1917 hand book of the Farmers
j Non Partisan League is now being
distributed among prospective men,.
bers. Copies reached the state capito
this week. The book throughout is
an appeal to the prejudices. AS q
prod to the farmer, the absence o!
men of his particular profession in
the last two legislative bodies is
pointed out and he is urged to gel
busy. How this particular view poin;
was arrived at is not known, for il
ger Minnesota did have a real farm
ers legislature it was the last. a ma.
jority of them might have answered t.
other professions in furnishing theil
biographies for the legislative blue
book, but more than majority Of
both bodies had agricultural :onnec
lions of some sort and they were
proud of the fact.
The state pardon board this weel
turned down the pardon application.
of Walter J. Smith, former stat,
treasurer, and R. C. Pickett, now serv
ing terms in Saltwater prison TO,
embezzling state funds. Picket va
an employee in the state auditors de
partment. Many influential b:lsines
men and politicians interested them
selves in Smiths application, but the.
could not overcome the objections o
one member of the board. Under tin
law a pardon can only be granite
with the full board agreeing. MI
Smith, it is thought. will take his ap
peal to the state parole board Bot
he and Pickett are eligible to parole
: st. Louis county is now in tn
: throes of a county option light an
i both sides are bnckling on thei
!; armour fer the fray. Senator Jone