Grand Rapids Herald-Review Newspaper, April 26, 1911, Page 4

TASE FOUR Published Every Wednesday By E. C. KILEY. TWO DOLLARS A YEAR IN ADVANCE Entered at the Postoffice at Grand Rapids, Minnesota, as Second Class Matter. Official Paper of Itasca County NORTHERN MINNESOTA, Out of the legislative scramble Northern Minnesota alone comes with any semblance of credit. Its mem- ers had the force of cohesion and eonsistency; they generally worked together and maintained their self- respect and dignity. Every good measure adopted either eriginated among its members or be- eame a law through their efforts and votes. They stood for all that was good, and refused to be whirled off their feet by the onslaughts of mere brainless stupidity. Northern Minnesota has reason to congratulate itself in this and, though reapportionment was lost, its repre- sentation was the only oasis in the desert of incompetency.—Duluth News-Tribune. LET IT STAY ADJOURNED. The legislature has adjourned. It has been a peculiar animal, neither beast, bird, fish nor human; not even a good vaudeville conglomerate. It was just a muss or a mess, without recognizable features or any excuse for being. The worst of it is, that it was dubbed Republican, though the Demo-' crats succeeded in so scrambling it shat it was unrecognizable, even as an egg-hash. But it is adjourned, and the most ardent hope is that it may remain adjourned. Certainly the governor would be inexcusable in calling it back for any purpose, unless it could be guaran- teed that suicide would follow. Yet Minnesota has seldom had a legisla- wre in which there was more of in- dividual ability, as it certainly never has had one which responded so read- ily to shiney spoon bait of interests which find safety in chaos. At the opening of the session the house seemed well organized to ac- complish results. Speaker Dunn had perfected what seemed to be an im- gregnable organization. But the Klem- er incident brought pandemonium. Sanity was never restored, and in the closing melee Mr. Dunn seems to have turned a back somersault in- to the arms of the opposition, throw- mg the constitution into the waste basket and his friends with it. In the senate, former Republican leaders placed themselves siubborn- ly, brainlessly at the gentle mercy of the Democrats, who proceeded to iusert the nose ring and then apply the lash of bitter, unreasoning, blind The result was delightful mas- prejudice. —to the Democrats and their ters. R center, and the four-year senatorial term was the goad. Discretion, po- litical sense, honor, fairness, justice and finally decency were shed and showed the nakedness of selfish, vin- dictive, bitter malignity. Never since Minnesota became a portionment was the storm state has a legislature created so universal a feeling of absolute dis- gust and nausea among the people. This is more a result of the spirit shown, of the nastiness displayed, of the weakness and entire lack of dignity, than because of want of ac- complishment. Legislatures have done less and passed creditably into history, but this one will rank as anathema, and deservedly so, for its utter lack of manliness.—News-Tribune. EMPLOYERS’ LIABILITY. Employers’ liability was not defeat- ed in the legislature and it is hard- ly fair even to say that it did not pass, as it but barely got in. It was brought up to the door in three forms, none of which had sufficient aupport to get more than a chilly in- troduction. Yet every one seems agreed that there should be such @ law and just erdinary horse sense confirms this. But to know this and to frame a bill, satiafactory to even its maker, are very different things. All lives and legs, all arms and heads seem of equal value to their possessors. No man is willing to admit that his hand is not as valuable as any oth- er man’s hand and yet its earning capacity may be vastly | different. Nor is any man willing to let the law exactly fix the value. Indeed there @re so many complications that the age of Ann is a comparatively simple proposition. The only thing on which the law has been able to fix an exact value is life, and this legislature raised this fifty per cent, in spite of the increased cost of living. It seems to be realized that the man who is killed is too dead to protest. There is only one way by which each penson can fix a value upon his own members and his own injuries, and that is by insurance. Thus allow one man to say his leg is worth $500, $1,000, or any sum he may wish, to the limit of his earning capacity to meet the resultant premium. To help the workman pay this pre- mium the employer who is always more or less responsible for the in- jury, and the state which also has a responsibility and in the utlimate must aid all who are incapacitated for self-support, should be assessed. Whatever proposition the employer himself would pay, the amount he gets would be regulated by the amount he earned, and this is fair. If by self denial he could make this amount larger than others having the same wage, it also would be fair to make the employer and the state match that denial. This would obviate the necessity of fixing compensation on a wage scale; the insured would do that for him- self. All that is necessary is to fix the premium for each amount of in- surance according to the hazard of the employment with the proportion of contribution from the workman, the employer and the state. This is state insurance, the only sane, satisfactory and practical way of fixing employers’ liability and the only feasible law for that purpose. Some day Minnesota will come to this, no matter what laws it may pass in the meanwhile —News-Trib- une, ANOMALIES IN RECIPROCITY FIGHT. The sudden entrance of the reci- procity agreement into the political questions of the hour has produced a curious crossing of party lines. The agreement itself was the work of a Republican President and a Republi- can Secretary of State. In the House of Representatives its main support has been the Democratic majority, although nearly half of the Republi- can minority also support it. Among those Republicans who oppose it in the House are found such irreconcil- ables as Cannon and Lenroot. The most regular of the Regulars and the most radical of the Insurgents are found fighting side by side against an overwhelming majority of the House. In the Senate there are likely to be quite as many anomalies. Senator Cummins, who has been a lifelong proponent of reciprocity, seems in- clined to oppose the agreement un- less he can amend it—which, of course, he cannot do. Senator Nel- son, who first came into prominence in National politics while a member of the House by voting against a Republican tariff bill because he be- lieved its rates too high, now oppos- is reciprocity for the sake of the farmer and the Western malting in- dustry. In the Senate, as in the House, the backbone of the agree- met’s support is likely to be fur- nished by the Democrats with enough Republicans, both Regular and Pro- gressive, to pass the bill eventually. What is the meaning of these ap- parent contradictions in politics? Do they indicate that the old parties are breaking up? When a Republican President and a Congress more than half Democratic join in such a meas- ure, when such men as Cannon and Cumming and Lenroot join in oppos- ing it, does it mean that party lines are to be wiped out and drawn over again? Probably the situation merely GRAND RAPIDS HERALD REVIEW WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 1911. means that reciprocity is not and cannot be made a party quéstion. com aerate cn. PEOPLE SHOULD ultra-protectionist followers oppose’ it for a totally different reason. They; 3 fear it is the entering wedge for lower duties on manufactured goods Appeal By the Northern Minnesota and the readjustment of the tariff] Development Association all around. The two reasons are not to the State. consistent, for both fears cannot be} well grounded.—Minneapolis Journal. | -____DENUNGIATION OF BROKEN PLEDGES SENATOR D. M. GUNN TRUE TO CONSTITUENTS, szsisstion Sars There Is No Es- case for the Failure of Reap- portionment — Governor and Dunn Fair. Minneapolis Paper Says the Grand Rapids Senator Was Loyal to Northern Minuesota. Th ti In a general review of the work of =Disaetiong hptgue lees ota | ¥ the late 1 ices hs Minneapolis No™uern Minnesota Development as- Tribune makes the following signi-' ROCIAOn met Bt Real Wed 4 ficant comment im its issue of Wed- | 224 save out the following statement neaday, April, 19: \relative to the failure of the legis- Governor Eberhart, elected on the lature to enact a reapportionment " bill: Republican plattorm,. used; every. et | “The failure of the thirty-seventh fort to carry out the pledge of that | legislature of the state to pass a fair platform. The senate organization ' reapportionment measure is attributa- was opposed to him at the outset. | ble to any one of several distinct Members from the city and from no:th- causes. In the house there was no ern Minnesota professed to be for particular opposition to the Congdon reapportionment, but with two or, reapportionment bill. Speaker Dunn three exceptions few of them were! was, from the opening to the closing heartily or sincerely for it. Senator day of the session, a fair minded, D. M. Gunn of Grand Rapids is a/ consistent friend of reapportionment .through the authorship of notable exception to this hypothetical indictment. Senator Gunn was heart- ily and wholly in favor of reapportion- ment and had all the reapportion- | ment senators been as sincere as he | the platform pledge would have hadi been adopted. Most of the Demo-| cratic senators, comprising the brain- | iest portion of the upper house are} from southern Minnesota, They! were heartily opposed to any re-! apportionment and succeeded in lin- ing up Republican Senators with} them. The Congdon bill was defeated on} the ground that it was unfair, but’ the real reason was, more likely,’ that it would vote the senators out of of- fice. After having gone on record this way, the senators could not consistently see their way clear to vote any kind of a reapportionment bill to take effect now or later, Sen- ators Moonan, Duxbury, Haycraft and Weiss then introduced a constitution- al amendment which would Kmit the number of senators from any county to six. This was introduced largely for the purpose of giving the senator am opportunity to allege as an excuse for not voting reapportionment that the constitutional amendment was pending and therefore they would not be justified in passing a reapportion- ment measure until the people had decided the question for themselves. Governor Eberharrt, anticipating this move, secured the introduction of a bill in the name of Senator Han- son similar to a measure which pur- | ported to be under discussion, Clague and Rockne, but which had been un- accountably delayed. The only differ- | ence was that it declared for imme- diate reapportionment. Contrary.o the usual courtesy extended to bills emanating from the executive, objec-, tions were made that day by Sena- tor Coller on the ground that the time had passed for the introduction of bills and the objection was sus-| tained by Lieutenant Governor Gor- | don. That night the anti-reappor- | tionment senators met and decided | to push the constitutional amend- ment. They brought it up the next’ day and passed it, later killing the Hanson reapportionment bill by a vi-| va voce vote. | The bill then went to the house, | which had previously passed the Congdon reapportionment Dill. In the meantime, Speaker Dunn, follow: ing the publication of the Kleme: and he insisted that thé subject have fa‘r.and.hon’s‘.cors de at’on, Through the influence of their senators and from other causes to be hereafter dis- cussed, a few house.members. violated their party pledges, and the oath of their office, and voted against reap- portionment. “It is to the action of the senate, of course, that the defeat of reappor- tionment must be.chiefly.charged. Th platform of the Republiacn party un- equivocally pledged the party to re- apportionment under existing laws, effective immediately. The Demo- cratic platform was equally plain in promising reform, but no definite tim wherein the law was to take effect was promised. In addition to the plat- form declaration which should have bound them, all the northern senators signed pledges, either generally, to vote for a fair reapportionment meas- ure, or definitely, to support the Congdon bill. ‘Until after election the senators from the norhern and southern part of the state appeared equally honest in an intention to reapportion the state on the constitutional basis of population. It was not until after election, when the southern senators were finally entrenched in their seats that they cast about for an excuse to break their pledges and to retain their seats as senators for an extra two years. They then suddenly dis- covered that the constitution was wrong in principle and that if reap- portionment was made according to population the large cities would gain an undue advantage in the legisla- ture. “This contention coming from the source it did was plainly a subterfug concealing the real reason, that is, a desire to retain their seats as sen- ators without again facing their con- stituents at the polels. The oaths of the senators pledged them to fulfill the law as it now exists, not as it may exist in the future, and not as the individual senator believes it should exist. “The people of the southern part of the state are as fair-minded and honest as are the people of the north, and are as willing to do justice to the northern part of the state as is the northern part to receive the same. To the fair-minded honor of these people we appeal from the sel- fish verdict of their senators, trust- ing that the sense of honesty and fair lay of the people of the state will charges, had changed front and had' induced them to properly rebuke the apparently joined the cry of the coun- narrow-minded selfishness of the men try against the city. Largely through , bers who thus violated their personal his influence the Dill passed the | and party pledges. Doubtless a con- house after an amendment had been tributing cause of the defeat of reap- passed increasing the number of sen- ! portionment was the lukewarmnese of ators from any county from six to| some of the northern members in (See eee: meee: cece meeereeeeremmemmmes cores J THE BEST OF SCREENS AND SCREEN DOORS At Lowest Prices Just remember that whatever your home may need in window screens and screen doors—and your house will need them this spring, that at the W. J. & H. D. Powers store you will find the largest and mos} complete assort- ments of the very best screens and screen doors that your money can possibly buy. W. J, & H.D, POWERS The Diamond Feed Co. Carries on hand a full line of Hay, Rough Feeds, Shorts, Bran, Oilmeals, etc and is per- pared to attend your wants on short notice Deliveries made to any Part of the village. Phone orders will receive prompt attention W. C. TYNDALL SPRING WORRIES Everybody has their worries about this time of the year and if you are worrying aboutthe weave or cut , 0f your spring suit, come in and let us lighten you of your burden. Our line of samples is more complete than ever and our designs are more perfect in shape, fit andtooks. No use having that troubled feeling as fong a6 we are in business. Perhaps your last year’s spring and summer suits need repairing and cleaning, or maybe they only need Pressing. No matter what it is, we can fix them up in the proper manner. ‘‘Satisfaction is our motto.”’ Yours For Satisfaction, Wacthel & Hansen We also handle a fine line of ladies’ tailor made garments and invite inspection. Concerning that old floor you're so ashamed of— my demonstrator who will be at Powers’ Hard- ware store May 8 and 9 will show you in a minute how to make it look like a hew hardwood floor, and wear like tone—hide all the blemishes, and make it as light in color as you wish. It will cost you nothing to learn and you will be under no obligation to buy. Chi-Namel Sietebedededetedebeebebebleebeebdeheeeedeieeh nk eee bt heehee resentatives of the next session to the end that the northern part of the the time stood the consistent friend of the cause, and Lieutenant Gover- seven. By this measure the man with the dinner-pail, the man employed in fac- | senators were absolute traitors to tory and shop, the man employed in the office and in the store, and in | all the multifarious walks of city life is partially disfranchised. Juniors Win First Game. By a score of 5 to 2 the Grand Rapids Juniors defeated the Tacon- ite Juniors at Southside park Sun- day afternoon. This was the first game of the season and if it is any augury of the season’s play, the team is slated to add many laurels to its already large collection. The team work of the Grand Rapids Juniors is fast and snappy and with Whal: their support of the measure, and in ‘the fact that a few of the northern the cause. We consider these men {as absolutely unfit for positions of trust, and we make a direct appeal to their constituents to retire them from public life. “Another cause contributing to the defeat of reapportionment was the hostile activity.of.a certain special in- terest of the state which we shall more particularly designate in the |near future. The emissaries of this interest were particularly active in nor Gordon has displayed eminent fairness in his attitude toward reap- portionment. Hach has redeemed his every pledge in that respect. The governor has in a measure pledged himself to call an extra session of the legislature ta consider a reappor- tionment bill, but in view of the great expense involved and for vari- ous other reasons we now believe that such an extra session at this time would achieve no good results. “We intend to present our just cause to the people of the state and to come before the next legislature opposing reapportionment, and it is ;to the pernicious influence of this in- jterest that the defection of some of ;the northern senators and the hostile attitude of some of the southern sen- and Thos, Erskine as the battery the | ators can be attributed. visitors had small chance of winning. “Governor Eberhart has during all and ask the enactment of a fair re- apportionment bill, based upon popu- lation, and we sincerely trust that the sense of honesty and fair deal- ing so canspicuously an asset of the common people of this state will be communicated to their legielative rep- state may receive its just dues.” Japanese Supper. The Epworth league of the M. B. church, assisted by the Malakalmah Sunday school class, wlil serve a Japanese supper at Village hall Fri- day evening, April 28, from the hours of five to seven o'clock. The decorations will be occidental im character and the luncheon is guar- anteed to alleviate the pangs of hun- ger from any person with a normal appetite. The concert and dance given by the Grand Rapids orchestra at Deer River, was one of the most success- ful affairs ever given at that place and they were very enthusiastic with their applause and encores.