The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1889-10-18

UulFuS, WlUnOuG l0aQcrS ana O1SOr-
gained. Iowa has a vigorous rail-
road law, well enforced; but Minneso-
ia in ten years has not been able to
reduce freight rates, by law, one cent.
IhenewappOrtiOnment law largely
increases the number of members and
senators from the cities. The farm
ers will be more pOWerless in the next
Legislature than ever before.
The cities will elect no farmers. If
the farmers elect representatives of
the cities they still further increase
their own disability. I do not mean
to say that there are not inhabitants
of the cities who are just and right
eous men; just as there are farmers
who are unadulterated skalawags.
But the Legislature is the battle
field of class interests. 1t represents
the great American game of grab.
1t is based on the Biblical max
i'm that ''to him that hath shall
be given; and from him that hath
not shall be taken away even that
which he HATH
And here I would quote an extract
from an address issued by the ALI
ance a few years ago.
STAND BY YOUR OWN MEN.
"There is another point we would
urge upon you: In war, the enemy
employ sharp shooters to pick off the
officers. If they can kill the generals,
the army is half defeated. In poll
tics it is the same; they fire at the
leaders. If any man is faithful to
you he will be bitterly denounced. If
he is corrupt, he will be praised by
those who buy him. The moment he
sells out the sharpshooters are with
drawn and the fire ceases. Be sus-
picious OF any of your own men who
are praised by the enemy.
III a man stands by you, stand by
him. lnevery county there are those
who, by advocating your interests,
have made themselves targets for the
arrows of calumny. Other things be-
ing equal, these are the men for you
to send to the Legislature. Those
who have ably advocated your cause
before the people will best advocate
it in the Legislature. You want earn
est, honest men and no blockheads.
1t is not sufficient to elect man who
will vote right; he must be able to
plan right, speak right, fight right.
There is no substitute for brains.
Money needs tools. Thepeople want
men.
"Above all avoid those who carry
open hands behind their backs.
"When you nominate a man the
Observation-Disclosures, and the hire
lings OF your enemies, will cry out !:
sob, he wants an Office" Well, SUD-
pose he does? WHO'S better entitled
to it than the man who is your
friend?
"And this cry will be raised by those
who want the Offices worse than he
does, and who are not your friends.
These rascals would have you believe
that the Offices belong, under the
constitution, to your enemies; and
that any man who advocates your
interests must necessarily take a
back seat. If you sustain any such
doctrine you will drive the able and
ambitious men among you into the
ranks OF your enemies. Ambition is
a virtue, if it is directed to good ends.
The right to rise in the world is the
primal right that underlies society,""
These truths are as self-evident to
day as they were when first uttered
by the Alliance.
BALLOT REFORM.
perceive that the Century maya
zine, for September, 1889, declares
that "the agitation for ballot re-
form was started by the discussions
OF the Commonwealth Club of New
York City, in the spring of 1887; at
that time there was no law embody-
ing the principles of the Australian
system to be found in any part of the
United States.'' But the State of
Minnesota can justly claim that
months before the Commonwealth
Club of New York City commenced
their work, a bill was introduced, at
the request of the Alliance, in the
House of Representatives of Mime
sofa, of which had the honor to be
the author, which contained all the
principal features of the Australian
system The bill, am sorry to say,
failed to pass, with many other
good measures. Since then, similar
laws have been passed by Massa-
chusetts, Indiana, Montana, Rhode
Island, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Mis-
souri,, New York and Connecticut. In
the case of the last two states the
bills we're vetoed by the governors.
Minnesota last winter passed a bill
which applies, however, only to the
principal cities. We must see to it
that that law is extended all over
the state, so that every citizen, how
ever poor or humble, may be as
sured of a perfectly secret and I'M
trammeled ballot. We hear great
deal, and very justly, Of the oppres-