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The Minnesota Legislature of 1915

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The Minnesota Legislature of 1915 This document is made available electronically by the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library as part of an ongoing digital archiving project. http://www.leg.state.mn.us/lrl/lrl.asp The Minnesota Legislature of 1915 C. J. BUELL Author of "The Minnesota Legislature of 1913" "The Currency Question" "Industrial Depressions, their Cause and Cure" "Monopolies and Trusts" "Our Indebtedness to the Arabs" copyright by C. J. BUELL 1528 Laurel Avenue St. Paul, Minn. 1915 LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR BURNQUIST, Who has twice organized the Senate for honesty, efficiency and economy in government. COMMENDATORY FORE WORD. The manuscript for this book has been prepared by C. J. Buell, who gave his entire time, during the legislative session of 1915, to a careful study of the record of each member of both House and Senate and a thoro analysis of all important measures. Mr. Buell has wisely left the record of each member to speak for itself. We know Mr. Buell to be honest, independent and fear- less, and believe he has produced a History of the Legis- lature of 1915 that every citizen can read with profit. (Signed) Hugh T. Halbert, Louis Nash, T. T. Hudson, Elwood 8. Corser. PREFACE BY THE AUTHOR. This is the fourth time that a history of the Minnesota Legislature has been given to the public. These books have attempted to analyze, in a clear, simple and fearless manner, the more important legislative work of each session; and to show to the voters just how thei~ representatives had voted in committee and on the do07 of the House and Senate on these important matters. This publicity has had its effect. Many extreme con- servatives, reactionaries, and special interest men have been retired to private life, and more progressive and honest men sent in their places. There has been a great improvement in the direction of intelligence, honesty and independence. Steadily the people have been able to get more and the corporations and special interests less. I believe the legislature of 1915 has to its credit as much thoroly correct legislation and as few dangerous enactments as any in the history of the state. Some of my readers may think this a rash statement; but, when you have gone thru the different chapters care- fully, perhaps the good features will look better and the sins not so- heinous. Much credit is due to those public spirited citizens whose financial aid has made these books possible. As they have always been sold at about the cost of printing and postage, they have never brought any profit to the authors. Write me your candid opinion of this book. J. C. BUELL, 1528 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, Minn. TABLE OF CONTENTS. Commendatory Foreword ................................ Author's Preface ........................................ CHAPTER J . County Option and the Speakership ....................... CHAPTER I1. The Conlmittees and the 'lowers Organization ............ CHAPTER 111. Tying Up Members ....................................... The Patronage Bait ................................. President pro tern . of thc Senate .................... CHAPTER IV. Self Government .................. :..................... The Source of Government ........................... The Scope of Government ........................... The Bill of Rights ................................... Representative Governinent .......................... Democracy (Initiative. Reicre~~dumand Rc~11)...... Equal Suffrage ...................................... Amending the Constitution ........................... CHAPTER V . Taxation ................................................ Theories of Taxation ................................. Tax Situation in RiIinnesota ........................... Gross Earnings Taxes ................................ Natural Sources of Revenue .......................... Uneinployment, Wage Regulation and Tasatioii ...... CHAPTER VI. Public Service Corporations .............................. The Telephone Bill .................................... The Nolan Rill ...................................... Semi-Monthly Pay Day Bill .......................... Street Railway Bills ................................. CHAPTER VII. Good Roads ............................................. Repeal of Elwell Road Law .......................... Dunn Road Law ..................................... CHAPTER VIIT . Temperance and Moral INeasurcs ......................... County Option ....................................... Prohibition .......................................... The Anti-Road House Rill ........................... The Boxing Bill and Mayo Altiliation ................. CH.\PrY13R IX. Efficiency and Economy .................................. The "Big Bill" ....................................... The "Seven Sisters" ................................. CI-TAPTER S. Proposed Laws that Failed ............................... Spoiling the Merit System ............................ Medical Legislation ................................. Educational Measures ............................... The Grain Bills ..................................... CHAPTER XI A Non-Partisan Legislature. ............................. Some Laws that Passed .............................. What the Legislature Spent ......................... CHAPTER XI1 The Record the Members Made ........................... The Senators ........................................ The Representatives ................................ IA rimol'c's Record .................................. The Minnesota Legislature of CHAPTER I. ' COUNTY OPTION AND THE SPEAKERSHIP. Why was the question of county option the supreme issue in"the selection of a speaker of the House of Representatives? Are there not other state questions of equal or greater importance ? Perhaps, but the one overwhelming issue in the campaign of 1914 was the question whether the people pf the several counties of the state should be permitted to vote and determine the policy of the county as to the licensing of the liquor traffic. In almost every legislative district of the state county option was either the one vital issue or else it was one of the few questions around which the contest was waged for Senator and House members. What Does County Option Mean?. A few facts will make the answer plain. Under the present system of so called Local Option, the people who live within the boundaries of any little village or city have the entire power to license saloons within that territory. The farmers who occupy the surrounding country are wholly shut out from any voice in the matter; yet they must come there to trade; their older children must go there to school; and there is the social center where they must seek enter- tainment and religious and moral instruction. Are not the surroundinn farmers iust as much interested in the social and moral conditions of the town as are those who happen to live within its boundaries? Yet under the present system of "local option" they can have no voice nor vote upon the most vital question that goes to determine the moral status of their town. Is this fair to these farmers to whom the town owes to a large extent at least, its very existence? And more than this; the licensed saloon is the one greatest direct cause of crime and poverty. The whole county must pay the cost of prosecuting the criminals and supporting the paupers that result from the legalized saloon. Why then, should not all the people of the county be allowed to vote on the question of licensing saloons within its borders? Blind Pigs and Boot Leggers. * "But," you say, "If saloons are not licensed, 'blind pigs' and 'boot leggers' will spring up and flourish." The answer is: "Such places are outlaws. The halo and sanctity of law do not surround them. They can be closed and destroyed at any time, whenever any person or group of persons see fit to take action." If the people of the counties had a right to vote on this GEO. B. SAFFORD, Superintendent of the Minnesota Anti-Saloon League, the Organization that won in the Legislature of 1915. The Minnesota Legislature of 1915 7 question, it is reasonably certain that more than three fourt of the state would refuse to license and legalize this usel( and. .- accursed traffic. The people of the other counties, who might wisk. continue the license system, would in no way be prevc from doing so. This issue has long been a burning one, and the elec of 1914, the people chose a good working majority of ~dth House and Senate either pledged to pass a county option law, or known to favor such an act; and thus give to the citizens of each county the right to vote upon and determine the question whether or not the open saloon should be licensed and legalized. THE SPEAKERSHIP LINE-UP. Before the votes were all counted, the brewery interests had selected H. H. Flowers of LeSeuer county as their candi- date for speaker and were very busy lining up for him all members not pledged' to county option. From the start they made the extravagant claim of seventy-three votes, (seven more than enough to elect) and tried to produce a stampede for the band wagon. Ed. Claggett, distributing agent of the Hamm Brewing Co. whose headquarters are at Austin, Minn., was called in and took a fine suite of rooms at the Ryan Hotel. Here he remained, during the entire contest, working his best for Flowers, helping to influence members and secure votes. Agents of the N. W. Telephone Co. were also in evidence, as were also close friends of the Republican boss, Ed. Smith. Referring to the speakership one prominent St. Paul wholesale liquor dealer said to the writer, "We
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