Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1919-01-08
OBJ SER HATI0N Ms
(By q Cornfleld Philosopher.)
xix-THE, LEGISLATURE.

xix-THE' LEGISLATURE.
On Tuesday, Jan. 9TH, at high noon,
the Minnesota Legislature will con-
vene In regular session.
Lieutenant Gov. Frankson will pre-
side over the Senate, while it is con.
coded that w. l. Nolan, from one of
the silk stockings districts in Min
will be chosen Speaker OF
the House. Oscar Arneson, now Of st.
Paul, formerly of Grant county, will
be Chief Clerk of the House, a posi-
ton he has held and given general
satisfaction for a half dozen sessions.
OF the 81 members Of the upper
House." as the-Senate is called, 80 are
old members, while z have been pro-
NOTED from the House, several others
have had previous Legislative exper-
fence. OF the House, "a Of the 1870
members have been reelected, while
four or five others have been members
of some former Legislature.
Hostile to The League.
The organization of both Houses is
frankly hostile to the aims, PURPOSES.
or at least the methods, OF the Non
Partisan League-the House probably
more so than the Senate
OF the Senators, eight are League
members, or were elected by the Lea.
que. They are Romberg of Brown,
Schmechel Of Renville, Lee of Pope,
Noplin of Pennington, johnson of
Meeker, Loonam Of Stearns, Stephan
Of Todd and Wilcox Of Washington.
The latter defeated that able standpat
leader, Geo. H. Sullivan, who Is con-
testing the seat and hopes to displace
Wilcox.
In addition to these eight, Labor
elected six, Conroy of St. Paul. De-
Void and Dwyer of Minneapolis, and
Erickson, Boylan and Besset of St.
Louis county.
These fourteen may be counted on
to act together on most if not all
measures affecting labor, and the
farmers. In addition to these, Sena-
tors Rask, Ward, Gillian, Millett, Bon
niwell, Swanson, Gjerset, Gandrud,
Sageng, Cummings, Madigan, Bloom
gren, Kuntz and Carley, have at times
displayed strong Progressive tenden-
cies.
Hopp Of Fillmore was elected as a
progressive, Lindsey of Murray is or
was a League member though chosen
in opposition to the regularly endorsed
candidate. Baldwin voted for the Ton
mage Tax.
The Reactlonaries.
We may safely count among the
conservatives or reactionaries Sena-
tors, Kingsbury, Nolan, Gooding and
Anderson Of the First District; Put.
nam, Wedell and Cashel of the Sec
ond; Reed and Rockne of the Third :;
Jackson, Handlan, Denegre, Won How
en- and Orr of the Fourth, (St. Paul. !;
Palmer, Brooks and Wallace of the
Fifth, (Minneapolis) Sullivan and Nc
Garry of the Sixth; Hall and Cliff of
the Seventh; Adams and Nord of the
Eighth; and Fowler, Turnham and
Larson of the Tenth There were no
reliably reactionary Senators chosen
from the Ninth unless it be Void of
Norman or Hegnes of Marshall and
both Of them have strong progressive
constituencies. Peterson of Clay vot.
ed against the Tonnage Tax but claims
to be Progressive on other matters.
This makes at least 26 Senators that
the conservatives may safely depend
to vote against any freak" legislation
as measures in the interest of the
masses are generally called. Eight
more votes are needed to control the
Senate.
or these, Homer of MilleLacs, while
classed as a farmer, was chosen in
opposition to Fay Cravens, the League
endorsed candidate-he might be one
Rlbenack of Duluth is uncertain, ex.
cept that he is probably opposed to 6
Tonnage Tax on ore.
If opposition to the League is made
the issue, the reactionaries can easily
swing the Senate. But If the progress
siVes keep in the middle of the road,
there will be lively scrimmage be
tween the contending forces on al
lines Of legislation.
An Invaluable Member.
One thing is certain and that is, The
League members will be heard from
They have in Magnus Johnson OF
Meeker, a leader of conceded ability
several terms OF Legislative expert
ence, and OF brave and courageous
disposition. Mr.. Johnson is q born
fighter, ever vigilant and determined
and nothing will be pulled off or put
through on the Senate to the detri
mont of the farmers and the taxpayers
without arousing his opposition.
The House Membership.
The success of w. l. Nolan in Sc
curing pledges that insure. his cleo.
ton to the Speakership, while proof
of a hostile feeling towards the Farm.
ers League on the part of the MAORI
ty, does not necessarily mean that all
progressives measures favored by the
League will be defeated. AS a matter
OF fact Nolan is a radical DRY" and
skilled parliamentarian, and will
make a model presiding officer so far
as that goes. Whether or not he will
use the power Of his position to pro
tect the interests of big business re-
mains to be seen. We can tell that
when we scan the makeup of the i'm.
portant standing committees.
The Tonnage Tax.
OF the members reelected from the
First District, Parker, Sitter, Hale
Frisch, Leonard and Christensen yot
ed for the Tonnage Tax on ore and
were generally Progressive.
In the Second, Green, Grant, Teieen
Provel and Bendixen, made similar