New Ulm review., 1919-02-19

recommendations. Opposition to this
,, measure has developed and letters from
farmers to their representatives would
help push the bill. This is an important
measure as every farmers wife can
testify
| The Safety Commission.
By skillful maneuvering and not a
little personal pleading on the part of
! Rep. Merton, Chairman of the COM
mittee ON Rules, and Burnquist, Floor
Leader, all of the resolutions and the
bill aimed at the Safety Commission
have been temporarily side-tracked.
iRep. Pittinger introduced bill abolish
ng the Commission at the very first
of the session, but has allowed the
measure to slumber in the Committee
on Civil Administration far beyond the
time limit. The Nett resolution asking
for an accounting for the fund expended
and the resolution by Siegel to investi-
gate all OF the activities of the Com
mission are still in the hands of the Com
mittee and Mr.. Norton would like
mighty well to keep them there, but may
not succeed, for both Nett and Siegel
are really in earnest, and if these reso-
lutions do not get before the House for
consideration it will be no fault of theirs.
-r ~
To Emasculate The Primary Law.
The House Committee on elections
Warner Chairman has perfected bill
doing away entirely with state wide
primary in the nomination of state
officials, except members OF the Legis-
lature and the bill has been made a
special order for Feb. goth. This bill
has the support of all the re-actionaries
and moderate progressives The League
and labor members and real progressives
will oppose the measure as step back
ward that should not be taken. This
is one of the pet measures of the Governor
and his supporters will try hard to put
it through.
Notes.
\ Some of the anti-agitator howlers in
the Legislature seem to be sublimely
ignorant of the history of their country.
George Washington was an agitator, so
was John Adams and Ben Franklin and
all OF our revolutionary forefathers. The
Tories and super-loyalists of that day
did their level best to suppress these
agitators and if they had succeeded
what calamity would it have been to
the human race,
A fire cannot be started where there
is no kindlings and agitation will not
amount to anything unless there is a
just grievance. That has been the
history of the whole human race.
commend this observation to those
timid law. makers who profess to fear
the results, of the work of professional
agitators. 49, .s,., !:
Some super-patriots in their own
estimation in the House are loud and
bold in denouncing what they call the
/. W. W. Bolsheviki, Anarchists and
Socialists, and probably would include
the Non-Partisan League if they dared.
But when the roll is called on important
measures they nearly always line up with
big business and against the interests
of the common people.
There are few law makers among the
farmer haters who see the cloud in the
political horizon and expect a deluge.
Well, their expectations are likely to be
realized. .--~
The Welch bill to tax ore on it's net
value rather than on it's tonnage or
quantity is rapidly gaining friends in
both Houses. Some think 10 per cent
tax is too high and may seek to reduce it
which the League farmers will strenuous
ly resist. The Governor never men
toned tonnage tax in his message and
the presumption is that he is against
it, but he will hardly dare to defy public
sentiment and veto the bill.
The difference between re-actionary
and progressive is strikingly illustrated
by two bills introduced in the House on
the same subject. Briggs of Pipestone,
a pronounced re-actionary has fathered
q Dill, making it crime for "derigatory
remarks concerning a bank OF banker;
while Hon. A. c. Welch, league Leader,
has presented one to guarantee bank de-
posits, SO that no matter how badlya q
bank may be looted by its officers the
depositors will all be paid promptly
and in full. See the difference?