The Worthington advance., 1888-08-23

OF this state and the NR
the nation upon - al
unanimous nominal N1t vVllo
ton and the as
snred election of Grover Cleveland as nrcsi.
dent, and Of Allen G. Thurman as vice presi-
dent OF tho United States. The long public
record OF these nominees, the rare courage
nnd ability shown by each OF them in the
discharge of the official duties repeatedly en-
trusted to them, their indomita bic antuHOn-
Ism to corrupt schemes Of corporate monopoly
nnd partisan plumber, their conscientious
adherence to the principle that ''public Office
Is a public trust, and their stalwart honesty
and fearless devotion to sound political
principles, in spite Of popular ci;mor and
regardless Of personal popularity, aro the
best guarantees that thccxccu,ivca adnlillistra-
ton of this government can be safely com
m,tt"d to their care. The national Democ-
rn"y invites the country to no experiment
with unt'led men; it offers tho tested fidelity
and craftsmanship of its candidates as tho
best argument for their election No sus-
picion of jobbcry, timity or official derclic-
ton ton talnts tho administration of Grover
Cleveland. To him owe it that the great
question of the abolition of n supcrliuous
revenue by reduction Of tie excessive
taxes upon neccssarcs Is made the
prominent issue of this campaign. This
issue. as declared in the national Democratic
Platform, meets our unuunlifed approyal.
vanrcd principles set forth in the platform
adopted by the last Democratic state con-
Vcntlon as an explicit statement of that
policy of rcvcnne reform Which wc believe
should he adopted gradually, but as rapidly
as practica hle until the entire system of tax
ing the many for the suhsilizins Of the few
shall be forever abandoned. We hope that
the slight reduction of IA per cent in the
existing ~ per cent tariff as proposed by
the so-calcd Mills bill. will. when put into
practical operation, fully satisfy tho people
that II greater and more thorough rcductionin in
thcsaIne system taxation can safely be made
with permanent benefit to our rn,llstlin! inter-
"Sts, to tho wOrhinGmcn employed therein
and to all the people Of our whole country
But 1t is not alon" he "h! of national pol
itirs that demands the attention ofte voters
OF Minnesota. Ih" same Influences that have
created extravaganza, proili+,ucy and corrup-
ton in the national RrIuhcan party have
worked out their incvii a hl" results in the ad-
mnlstration by tiat party of the affairs of
this state. For years last past the Icpulli-
can party has held nn,liSput ed control of all
branches of the state government, resulting
III the rapid development in lts legislation of
tho Republican conception Of government as
the surcst fountain of cusiIy y-ac1uired
wealth. The complaints Of tho people
have been either unhceded or, under
tn" rrctcnsc OF giving relief, have been met
with remedial laws which, through ignorance
or design, have but aggravated the evils
complained of, while the legislature dOmi-
mated hy the party, has departed from the
legitimate functions Of Al state and has per-
Ncrtc,l its powers to unusual and unWiso pur.
poses
Grain 1nsncction--TEc farmers of the state
comrlainrd that they were suffering from hc
cXtortinns of the elevators; that these by q
pcrvcrsion OF the powers and duties of the
railroads, were, though built and owned by
the roads. Gi wen into the exclusive control of
luIIVIlu)IS who ODprc tod thpm in fhair
interests. TINS creating q monopoly of
grain hnyin" with he usual cOncOnli ants
of such power ill dorkagc of weight
and systematic unI"rgraing of grain;
and that for this there was no relief aside
from tho power OF the state of which they np-
peal. ignoring, either through ignorance or
desire, the simple remedy of compelling roads
to resume and perform their proper fllnc ctOns
as carriers of grain, and in their exercise to
operate the elevators for the shippers of
grain rs they operate their yards and ware
houses for the shippers OF other commodities.
The only remedy q Republican legislature OF
frre;l WAS the present cumbrous and inehi-
cicnt grain inspector act, which. if
honest is stupid anil if not is
malevolcnt. They answered tho appeal for
relief from grinding monopoly by con-
timing the monopoly; for an open market
by one scaled l'y petition: and they armed
the farmer against the undergraunG of his
grain by the lemarknblc provision for it's in
spcctiOn at point hundreds of miles from
and at a time days after the time he had
sold it to the local buyer. This masterpiece
of Legislative stupidity deceit, not only
Injuries the class it assumes to protect but
adds another to the usual uncertainties Of
the market against which the local buyer
can only guard by diminishing the price. But
it takes annually from the treasury about
$50, 900 to feed the officers it creates.
House File 157-While under arbi
trary laws the state cnforces the pay
ment of the last cent of tax levied upon the
property of the humblest citizen, Republi-
can legislature by that measure, notorious
as "House File No. 1872 RENTED to a rail
road company, enriched by a grant of the
public domain, the taxes upon its land evad-
cd by it for years, and amounted to about
S1.OOO,OOO, under the spccious pretense of
IAN act to relieve settlers on these lands.
We offer this as monumental example of
the kind of "prOtection modern Republican,
ism affords to taX-burClened people.
Multiplicity of Ofofficcs-successive Republican
legislatures have busted themselves in the dis
covcry of places in the civil service ofthe state
i'll which officers could be planted and cultured
Commission has followed commission and
bureaus with large salaries appended have
been created, and each successive legislature
taxed its ingenuity to find place for heedy
partisans until the charge lies against the
Republican party, which century ago our
fore fathers laid against their king: "IJc
has erected multitude Of new officers, and
sent hither a swarm of officers to harass
our people and rat out their substance"
Extravaganza - 1t has greatly increased
the amount of taxes imposed upon our
people, and with lavish hands it has wan
tonly sQuandercd the funds thus collected
So recklessly has this been done that the
state il now confronted with the appropria-
tiOns exceeding the revenues. go the public
institutions are now being run unon
credit.
Oil Inspecton-It has ignored that prnci-
ple of legislation which, when possible, leaves
the execution of laws to the selfinterest of
men, and has created an oil inspector, whose
fees are paid by the consumer and amount to
100000 per year, and the legislature at its
last session refused to take any action though
requested.
We particularly arraign the present cxecu-
tive of the state for he has persistently re-
fused to intcrpose his veto for the protection
of the public treasury against the extrava-
CANT legislature. We commend to his consid-
Grafton the example of Grover Cleveland as
evidence the wholesome influence upon vicious
legislation which an intelligent execu-
tive can exercise by q judicious
and resolute exercises of the veto power. lie
has debased the civil service of the state by
removing officers of mature experience in
der to pay the debts and discharge the obli-
cations Of a political campaign. Under him
the judiciary of this state for the first time
in our history has been prostituted for the
nurposes of factional partisanship, and men
of knowledge geincompctency have been clothed
with the Judges ermine as 81 compensation
for their political services in the caucus and
upon the stump. We submit that the time
1,,o .or,o for ho 1eciSive overthrow Of thp