The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1917-04-07

The sad news comes from St.
Paul that county auditor Halden
has accomplished the ruin of rep
resentative Hicken.
For many, many years, now,
Mr.. Halden has not been consid-
cred safe companion for virtu-
GUS politicians.
But w. A. Hicken long ago
passed the period Of adolescence.
His ears and heart have been con-
sidered proof against the seduc-
tive wiles Of any gay deceiver.
How Duluth's politicl de-
bauchee accomplished his hellish
purpose on the person of the
author of the famous Hicken
code, has not yet been ascer-
tanned. Senator Charles E. Adams
is suspected of aiding in the
downfall of Duluth beloved
solon.
The story of this seduction of
a trusted public servant is closely
connected with efforts to put
across some St. Louis county leg
islation that does. not look safe
for the best interests Of the public
but which will add another strand
of barbed wire to the political
fences of the self-appointed sue
cessor to Boss Willcuts.
A bill has been introduced at
this session Of the Legislature en-
titled, can act authorizing a COM
mittee composed of the county
auditor, the county road engineer
and the county commissioner
from the commissioners district
in which the road work is to be
done, in any county of this state
having an area of more than
5000 square miles, to open bids
and let county contracts in
amounts not exceeding $8O0.00."
This has been known as a SEN
ate bill, therefore probably was
drawn and introduced by State
Senator Charles E. Adams, chief
procureur to the board of county
commissioners and auditor Hal
den.
Late one day last week, the
house reached a bill on the "spe-
cial order" calendar, relating to
employment agencies for the
blind, representatives Hicken and
Bernard of st. Louis county be-
ing the Legislative sponsors, if re-
ports are correct. &C.,
At the logical moment, Mr..
Hicken is reported to have moved
the substitution of a Senate, bill,
giving it's number, and the assem-
bled solons assumed that it was
duplicate, so to speak, of a
House. bill of similar tenor. On
motion of Mr.. Hicken, therefore,
the substitution was accepted and
the bill quickly passed without
question.
Now it so happened that both
representatives Bessette and Bor-
gen, of st. Louis county, were out
OF the chamber at that particular
moment. Coming back soon after
wards, Mr.. Bessette nd his sus-
picions aroused in some way and,
after investigation, he roared
loudly to the effect that brother
Hicken had "slipped over" some
thing on him and the other law
makers.
Instead of the bill establishing
employment agencies for the
blind, the House had passed the
st. Louis county bill relating to
an easy plan for letting road
contracts when the cost was not
IN excess Of $500.
Both Bessette and Bergen were
strongly agains tthe road bill and
a mighty tempest was stirred up
quickly. The result was that the
vote was reconsidered and the bill
placed at the foot of the Especial
order" calendar.
One outcome of the matter is
INT st. Louis county has been be-
smlrched in the estimation of the
lawmakers Of the great state of
Minnesota, and another idol of
the people seems to have lost the
virtue that protected SO care