The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1931-02-20
So to let down the bars for its return
Public Opinion Changes.

from IS to 100 men.
The law establishing the highway
patrol was one of the hard fought
measures of 1929. The house struggled
with it for several days. It was so
banded back and forth that its friends
despaired of its life. Finally, after the
most strenuous opposition, it won out
by a narrow vote.
This year the pending bill amends
the highway patrol act so as to in
crease Earle Browns salary, for that
very efficient gentleman has thus far
been drawing down the grossly made
quate sum of $4,000 per year for his
splendid work in organizing and main
tanning the patrol. The chairman Of
the highway committee, Representative
Andrew Finstuen, made brief state
ment explaining the terms Of the bill
when it came up in the committee OF
the whole. Nobody else said word
and the bill was unanimously recon-
mended to the calendar. When, next
day, it was reached on the calendar, 1t
again went to a vote without a word of
discussion and was passed by an over
whelming vote.
No rigid martinent ever made his
squad face to the right about more
smartly than has Earle Brown with
public opinion in the matter Of the
highway patrol.
When is a Boss?
The work of representative Willis I.
Norton has made him famous among
those who know the truth, and notori-
GUS among those who have been fed on
false report Mr. Norton has been Bit
terly denounced as "the boss of the
house." and his political backbiters
have made the political welkin in Min
nesota ring with their cries Of Nor
tonism" The truth about Mr.. Norton
is illustrated by little incident Of the
opening days of the session. During
one of the pitched battles which
marked numerous political tits of the
early DAYS of the session, reference was
made, in words that were unadorned
though perhaps not undefiled, to Mr..
Nortons power in the house. The at
tack was so acrimonious and so per-
sistent that Mr. Norton was finally
moved to declare that he possessed no
more power in the house than any
other member. Here's my chance"
thought a certain member, who pro-
fesses not to know what "blah-blah"
means. Can you tell us of any time
when you were defeated on the floor
of the house?" he demanded Of Mr..
Norton The implied, but unintended
compliment of this question almost
floored the chairman of the rules COM
ulittee for a moment, but he smiled
and said quietly, perhaps that indicates
that was pretty nearly always right"
A rather neat reply, we should say, and
one which quite accurately sets forth
the truth in regard to Mr.. Norton. He
is pretty nearly always right. We
could stand it if we had more bosses OF
this kind.
State Song.
Many have tried but no one has yet
succeeded in making state song by
law Some one has made the attempt
at nearly every session OF the leglsla-
ture in recent years, and they are at it
again this year We have notion that
songs are born in the hearts Of the
people, and not made by law, but there
is a bill to do it by law again this year.
A fine poem by Gertrude Thomas OF
st. Paul, set to music by Margaret Zen
der Beaulieu of Mankato, will be or
dained the state song of Minnesota if
the bill passes and Governor Olson
proves complaisant. Twice in the past
the legislature has tried to make
state song by statute, but each time
veto has prevented.
The law has done some fearful and
some wonderful things, but it never has
and never will, make a song.
A score of institutions, wherein live
wards of the state" are maintained by
Minnesota at cost of about 10 million
dollars for each biennial period. Visit
these institutions and our outlook on
life will be broadened and deepened,
but it viii be all too edged about, too,
with black despair. "Oh, the pity OF
it" will be the thought that throbs
through your depression, for here are
the states unfortunates, the derelicts of
society, the castaways on the coast Of
life Here are young boys and girls,
and grown men and women who have
been unable to adjust themselves to
the complexities of civilization. So
ciety has failed thsm in their hour OF
need, and. with minds dackened, they
have turned against society. Whose
failure is the greater, theirs or society's?
Some of them, because society has
failed, are feeble minded, and some,
oh the fearful failure of it, are idiots;
life has warped the minds of some and
turned them toward eveil, so that So
ciety, having failed to make them use
full, must lock them away from the OPP
portunity to destroy; the strain of iv-
ing with their fellows, aye Of even
living with their thoughts in a man.
made world. has darkened the windows
Of the souls of some and has finally
unhinged their reason. Here they are,
delinquents and dependents, many
thousands of them, for whom the state
must provide food and raiment, shelter
and daily care, and, if possible, for a
pitifully small proportion of them,
return to society as normal human
beings
Minnesota Shows the Way.
The Board of Control fathers and
mothers the states unfortunates in
eighteen state institutions, and in no
state in the Union is the work more
nobly done, In no state more efficiently
From the beginning, the record of
Minnesota's Board of Control has been
one of ideals and honorable service