Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1927-01-20
Legislature to GrappIe
With Evolution Problem
Bill Prohibits Teaching in Public
Schools and State Institutions that
Man Descended or Assembled from
Lower Order.
Auto License and Gas Tax Will Not
be Raised-H0t Fights Over Elec-
ton Contests Stir Both Legislative
Branches.
Representative Therrien Proposes Re-
organization of County Governments
by Legislature After Interim Inves-
tigat1On.
BY Martin w. Odland.

BY Martin w. Odland.
st. Paul, Mimi, Jan. 18-Evolution,
which has received more advertising
in America the past year or two
than ever before, owing to the ia
nous Scopes trial in Tennessee and
William Jenning Bryan's crusade
against the teaching of the doctrine
in the public schools, is bound to
prove red-hot issue in the Mime
sofa legislature this winter. The Re-
doubtable fighter against the evolu-
ton theory, DR.. w. B. Riley of Min
neapolis, is already marshalling his
forces for an assault on the cham
pions of Darwinism in Minnesota, and
an anti-evolution bill, read at a pub
lie meeting in DR.. Riley's church, is
expected to make it's appearance in
the legislature within a few days.
1t provides that lit shall be unlawful
for any teacher or instructor in any
public school, college, state teachers
colleges, or the University of Mime
sofa, supported in whole or in part
by the public education funds of the
state of Minnesota to teach that man.
kind either assembled or decended
from a lower order of animals. No
teacher, instructor or text book COM
mittee shall adopt or use any text
book which teaches that mankind
either descended or assembled from
lower order of animals in any school
described in Section OF this act"
Any teacher, instructor or text book
committee, found guilty of violations
of the act shall be guilty of mis-
demeanor and shall be fined not less
than $50 nor more than 5000.
There is sure to be sharp division
of opinion among the Legislators as
to the wisdom of the proposed act.
One legislator, Representative Albert
Lagerstedt of Sibley county, has al
ready introduced resolution eX-
pressing disapproval of injecting the
anti-evolution controversy into the
Legislature, holding that the Mime
pable of passing upon Darwin's the
cry, and should not be diverted by
the impending controversy from the
consideration of many pressing prob
lens of vital concern that the legis-
lature is being called upon to solve"
Mr.. Lagerstedt's resolution was laid
over for future consideration.
Representative John B. Hompe of
Otter Tail county, a conservative, and
the oldest member of the entire legis-
lature, was the first legislator to in
troduce bank guaranty bill. 1t pro-
vides for a one per cent tax on the
deposits in state banks each year, the
proceeds to go into a fund out of
which to pay losses in defunct bank
incurred by the depositors, or as
big a portion of the losses as the
guaranty fund can pay.
Representative Charles Mum of
Osseo, Hennepin county, has brought
in a bill to empower the governor to
appoint a United States senator in
case of the death or resignation of
either of the Minnesota senators be-
fore the end of his term. Such APP
pointee shall serve only till the next
general election. If such law had
been in force when Knute Nelson
died, there would have been no
special senatorial election to fill the
vacancy caused by his death.
Representative Joseph E. Therrien
of Pine county announces his pur-
pose to introduce resolution for the
appointment of an interim commits
sion to investigate the feasibility of
an act to reorganize county govern
ments. He holds that such a reor-
ganization would do away with a
great deal of inequality in the salar-
les of county officials and make for a
big saving in many counties. He be-
lieves that such an act would mean
a great deal more to the taxpayers
than the act recognizing the state
government put through two years
ago.
The hottest issue SO far injected in
to either branch of the legislature Is
the fight between H. B. Rutledge and
Emil S. Youngdahl for a seat in the
house from the 35th district, Mime
apolis. The canvassing board found
Rutledge elected By over hundred
majority. Youngdahl asked for a re-
count The law provides for such
recount by referees appointed by the
district court The referees named
by Judge Montgomery of the Henne-
pin district court found that Young
dahl had won by majority of SO.