The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1935-01-17
Legislative
Letter
BY r. w. Hitchcock

Some time after Bill had gon
west to grow up with the countr
he wrote home that he was 'in tn
Legislature now" But" complain
ed the Old Man, "he doesn't sa,
what for"
Nearly two hundred representa-
tives Of the people are in the Min
nesota Legislature now for foul
months of confusion and hard la
Dor. The session will be beset with
puzzling and weighty problems. Il
will be a good Legislature If II
solves one of the many serious pro
blems confronting it; namely, the
tax problem; but If it does that II
will do more than any other legis-
lature, in Minnesota or elsewhere
ever did before.
Fatigued with the excitement and
labor of organization and with
thought Of the heavy tasks outlined
in the Governors message, the
Legislature will probably adjourn
today to rest up over the weekend
and gain strength to face their
committee assignments next week.
The Legislature IS always a slow
starter, but late in April it will
work night and day and put on a
fast finish.
Some Legislative Statistics
The Legislature meets only in
the odd numbered years. This is the
states forty-ninth. although it had
eight other legislative sessions as
a territory. 1t is limited by law to
30 legislative days which will draw
out the session for four calendar
months and bring final adjourn
ment late in April. The Legislature
consists of 131 House members and
81 members Of the Senate, all Of
whom, strange as it may seem, are
entitled to be called Honorable.
Each member gets 1000 for the
two year period; believe it or not;
that's all he gets; being a member
of the Legislature isn't what 1t
used to be. About 5000 bills will be
introduced of which perhaps 400
will get to be laws; if we may be-
neve what many critics of law
making seriously say, this is about
800 too many. Some six or seven,
maybe a dozen, statewide laws of
major Importance will come out of
the session; most Of the rest will
of existing laws. The session, if it
follows recent precedent, will cost
between 100000 and $4,000. If
this distresses any taxpayer, let
him consider the New York Legis-
lature which has the same number
of members, sits for the same
length of time, costs S2,O00,000, and
will repeat the performance next
year when the Minnesota Legisla-
ture is taking complete rest,
praise the Lord.
What A Legislature Is
The Legislature is a representa-
tive democracy in function, Repre-
senting the people, it is the sover-
eign power of the state. and can
add to or take from every other
activity of the state, privilege, au-
thority and power.
The Legislature is the people in
the act of governing themselves.
Good or bad, it is what the people
make it. When we praise it, we
take pride in our own accomplish
ments; when we blame it, we find
fault with ourselves.
Flesh Pots of Egypt
More than a month ago each fac
ton of the legislative membership
held caucusses in the effort to con-
troll the organization of the House
and Senate, and on the opening day
of the session, Tuesday, these eff
forts were completed. The papers /
have been full of the matter, the !
members have been keenly con-
cerned and the people at large con- !
siderably interested. What was all |
the excitement about? Everybody
said. particularly the contending |
factions, that it was to determine |
the character of the legislation Of
the session. But it wasn't that at |
all. We get about the same legisla-
ton no matter which faction con-
trolls. Minnesota is a liberal, pro-
gressive state; it has been enact
ing liberal, progressive laws at
every legislative session since it
became state. All the hullababoo
about organizing the House and
Senate was simply for the purpose
of determining who should get the
flesh pots Of Egypt-the appoint
ment Of clerks and stenographers
for the session and the choice COM
mittee places.
The people determined last Nov
ember 9Th what should be the
character Of the legislation Of the
session of 1885 when they exercised
their right of choice among those
who were standing for the legisla-
ture.
The people then determined that
laws should be made in the Legisla-
ture Of 1885 by those who are OPP
posed to the principles set out in
the Farmer-Labor platform of last
spring.
What's In A Name?
The Farmer-Labor Leader ap-
peared last week for the first time
as a weekly publication under the
name Of The Minnesota Leader. Is
the Farmer-Labor party wearying
Of its name? Is this the first step
toward a change? Do the leaders
Of the party want name that will
be more acceptable to the nation
at large? Are they looking forward
TO the formation of a national
party and Is 'Farmer-Labor'' too
provincial name to function I'M
der.
If the Farmer-Labor party wants
10 change its name, that is I'M
doubtedly its business. but it takes
It pretty hard that the opposition
In the Legislature has changed it's
name also and now calls itself the