The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-03-31
When is a Liberal?
Plenty Words
Liberal Policies
There Ought to be a Law
Windjamming
Whats in a Name?

Windjamming
Whats in Name?
The Century has given birth to 9
Great Epoch, but the great moment
inds petty generation" So sale
Johann Wolang Goethe more than one
hundred years ago. Could he look dowr
on the Minnesota Legislature of 1888 he
might be moved to declare that the
times have given birth to a great op-
portunity for constructive statesman
ship but the great moment finds only
the playing of petty politics
The legislature of 1888 is the mos!
politically minded legislature that has
sat in Minnesota in many years. Poll
tics rules the roost in both houses and
senate. AS TO the senate, we have the
governors word for it; in the house we
see it day by day.
When is a Liberal?
For the first time in the history OF
the state the farmer labor party con-
trolls one of the branches of the legis-
lature, the house. Now that it has wor
to power the house, the farmer-iabol
majority soft-pedals its name. Not that
it is ashamed of the farmer-labor label
of course, but it thinks it better politics
to go by the name of liberal" or pro
gressive" and politically minded is JUS
what it is not anything else but.
i-
the lower house of the forty-eightt
legislature? 1t is your statesman who
recommends himself to all and sundry
particularly to the voter, as pure ano
undefiled in the service of the ''peepul.'
1t is your statesman who instantly
brands any and every opportunity
brands any and every opponent as q
'reactionary." Your modern liberal" il
a modern PhariSee, who trusts in him.
self that he is righteous, and despiseS
all Others" He stands in the Forum
and thanks God that he is not as Other
men are, schemers, publicans and sin
ners, ''reactionaries.
The lower house majority of 1888 il
liberal" in that it raShly rushes ahead
with new and untried schemes for socia
betterment. There is magic in a name
to the liberal house ma jority. If il
finds something that sounds good, il
is good to it, and it does not propose
to stop and find out what the latter
end of the alluring scheme may be
Anyone who wants to do that, anyone
who wants to stop, look and listen,
anyone who wants to weigh and con-
slider, is "reactionary." to be sound
to be sane, to be sensible, is to be
reactionary."
Words, Words, Words
Some of the leading lights of the
house majority seem to think that il
they propose and pass powerful passel
of resolutions everything will be al
right with the world The present
session of the legislature has seen one
of the most violent epidemics of wordS
resolutions that the Minnesota state
house has ever experienced. The house
in particular is fecund breeder of ver-
bose resolutions. Its "whereases," strung
end to end, would almost reach from
PembinaW to Hokah. 1t has advised
congress, with SNUG cock-sureness, or
pretty much everything under the sun
The 'whereases" of this long troupe
of flamboyant resolutions are fearfuily
and wonderfully made They denounce
without reservation and approve with
abandon. They positively settle beyond
peradventure of doubt the most con-
troversial problems, national and inter
national. If congress only had, right
there at its elbow in Washington, the
resoluteerS of the Minnesota house, il
would no longer have to worry an6
wrangle over the problems of the hour;
the resoluteeerS know and unctuously
declare just what should be done.
Pages upon pages of the house journa
are numbered with whereas after
Whereas, clarifying fiat money, settling
the farm problem, which congress has
debated for years, in a few lines, casting
the R F. C. into outer darkness; praying
that the R. F. G. will let the light of its
countenance shine upon Minnesota
condemning all Hoover policies as in
famous; denouncing as 'unwise anc
unfair" attempts of the National Econ
omy League to prevent waste demanding
that the U. S. A. go into banking bust
ness p. d. q; and other inanities by the
score. The liberal" resoluteers ever
scored the President, whom they ha6
just elected, for his many and resolut<
attempt to prevent waste in the govern
ment of their country. They have
wasted hours and even days, in debating
these bombastic resolutions.
Some years ago a certain member o.
the legislature confined his law-makins
exclusively to the introduction of 6
number of high sounding resolutions
Having introduced them, he folded hi.
hands his work for the session wa
done. But at the bustings he ran TO
reelection on these resolutions ans
came back to father more resolutions
Perhaps it is platform material for tn,
next campaign that our word.
resoluteers have in mind.