St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-11-23
The PEOPLE RULE.
The Corporations and Their
Tools Disappointed in the
Late Election.
Details Of a Gigantic Scheme
to Secure a New System
OF Taxation.
II the Republicans Cannot
Rule in the House They
Will Obstruct.
Congressman Elect EalvOP-
sen Being Worked on by
the Republicans.


suits of the late state election than most OF
them imagine While the leaders of the
Farmers Alliance of the state very early in
the campaign made up their minds that the
railroads were taking more than passing in
terest In the legislative contests throughout
the state. few, if any of them, were aware of
the fact that the agents of these corporations
were on deck at every senatorial convention
almost that was held in the state dur
ing the summer. Little attention
was paid to the conventions held
for the purpose of nominating candi-
dates for the lower house of the legislature
for the simple reason that the state senate is
much less bulky body, and in the past has
been much easier to control.
The causes that led these corporations into
taking such a course are not hard to find.
Two years ago bill submitting the question
of the repeal of the constitutional provision
regarding railroad taxation TO the vote of the
people at the late election. This was very
1nnocent-looking measure, and for time it
seemed as though it would carry The farm
erS were to be won over by the plea that the
coming legislature would pass a law providing
TOR the assessment OF the railroad properly
IN whatever counties it was found. OF
course this might be all right, but in the last
days OF the campaign, when the people
gained the idea that there were senatorial
candidates in nearly every district who were
receiving aid from outside sources for cam
paign purposes. they turned i'll and voted
solIdly against the railroad, or. as it was
commonly known, the second amendment
with the result that 1t did not receive over
20, 600 to %, 00J votes in the entire state
In their endeavor to carry both the state
senate and this amendment it now appears
that the corporations lost both, and there
Will be now no necessity for the enactment
of new scheme for the taxation of railway
property. There will, however, of necessity
be some legislation III regard TO the railway
commission, which at present seems to bear
a consi lerably knocked OUT appearance
Either it will be abolished altogether or it
will be strengthened and made of some use
And just here appears the cloven hoof of
the Republican bosses of the state.
The Republican machine i'll Minnesota has
Tor so many years been only "a means TO an
end i'll the hands of the railroad and other
corporations, that the effort of the managers
Of this corrupt machine to organize the Re-
publican members of the legislature at the
coming session into band OF obstruction
lists are not at all surprising. Still, however, it
remains to be seen how many of the Repub
lican members-elect of the next legislature
will care to follow the paths marked out for
them by Hon. Frank E. Searle of ST. Cloud;
hon. Allen j. Greer. of Lake City: and other
Republicans at the Merchants hotel confer
ence of a few days ago.
"a few more conferences of that kind. re.
marked prominentand well-known Alliance
man yesterday. will leave The Republican
machine high and dry in both houses Of the
legislature, The Alliance members of the
Legislature will come TO St Paul this winter
with determination to make good records
and, II they find that the Republican mem
bers are 10 he man pulated IN the interests of
the railroads. il will not take them very long
TO make up their minds to shake that party
for good.''
This scheme of the Republican managers,
however, has only been devised for use in
case Alliance men enough are not won over
TO the Republicans to insure the election of
Frank Searle. OF St Cloud, as speaker, for,
cherishes hedelusion that he has show OF
securing the speakership- The siimness of
his chances may be realized from the fact
That the straight Democrats and Alliance
Democrats elected to the house will
be strong enough, numerically, to
organize the house without the aid of the
Alliance men, who have heretofore been act
ing with the Republicans. OF this latter
class il is safe to say that Mr.. Searle or no
other Republican will be able TO command
all or even half their votes, should there be
breakup in the Alliance organization.
The chances are, however, that the Alliance
and Democratic members will be found vot
ing together at the opening of the session
When the Republicans find out that they
will be unable to organize the house the
plans mapped out by the ''big Seven" buck
man, Searle, Greer and others. will at once
be set in molten aud the obstructionist tao
tics of the bosses will be kept up from that
time on 10 the end of the session with the
object OF discrediting the Alliance and Demo-
cratic majority before the people of the
state.
'.'rhe fact of the matter is" remarked
Democratic member OF the next state senate
yesterday. 1.-THE whole scheme of these fel-
lows may be summed up as follows:
'First-A desire 10 make campaign material
for the Republican bosses; ana
''Second-To accomplish at the same time
substantial results for the big corporations OF
the state.
You will find" he continued THAT as
soon as the Republicans fail to gain control
of the organization of the two houses a roar
will be set up by the big Republican organs,
to the effect that the farmers and Democrats
propose TO ruin the railroads and scare Capt.
tai and prevent It's investing IN this state.
The object of this hue and cry will be to en-
deayor to scare the niaioritjeS into a do-noth-
ing policy in regard 10 elevator and railroad
legislation, as well as in the matter of reduc-
ton of the legal rate of interest. notice The =
Republican papers are claiming that Hon
r. Sevatson, who was elected to the sonata
by the Alliance III the Eighth Legislative dis
trlct, composed of the counties of jackson
and Cottonwood, will vote with the Repuo-
licans. New, as a matter of fact Mr. Seyat-
son will do nothing of the kind. He accepted
the Alliance nomination Notwithstanding
the protests of Gov. Merriam and the
Republican state committee, both having
demanded his withdrawal in favor of n
j. knoX, the Republican nominee, ana |
am satisfied he will go with the Allinn C
IN all cir just demands. Sevat san =
dependent man, and no one Can lea uIm
around by the nose, and he will never help
out the men who left no stone unturned 10
defeat him in the late election, for it is well
known in his district that the Republican
state committee sentconsiderabie money into
JACKSON ana Cottonwood counties 10 ue used
against him, and to help Knox.
he Republican leader in the lower house
will undoubtedly be Frank Searle-at least
that is the Intention Of the managerS-but il
is very doubtful if he viii be backed by the
solid party strength in the house, as his al.
1iaEce with the bosses is too well Known He
IS a first-class parliamentarian, and in the
role OF Instructor and commander-in-chief of
the klckers he will undoubtedly be by far
the most satisfactory leader to be found on
that side OF the fence" ed
Some OF the Republican managers of the
Fifth district have started in to hoodwink
Congressman-Elect Halvorsen. They tell
him that by ecting with the Republicans in
the next congress he will he able to do more
for his district. and even intimate that the
upon him few fourth-class S5e-a-year post
offices in that event. Mr.. Halvorsen is no
spring chicken, however, and ne will do as
o member of congress exactly what he did as
a member OF the legislature of Minnesota
vote as he thinks right and for the best in
terestS of the district which sent him to
Washington. Being q low t9riff man and
pledged to honest and economical govern
meut he will, without doubt. be found
more frequently voting with the Democrats
than with the seventy or eighty Republicans
who will be in the Fifty-second congress. AS
far as the claim is concerned that
he would be able to do more for
his people as an assistant Republican, there
is nothing more absurd. The majority will
be overwhelmingly Democratic, and that
party is the one that will be able to assist MT
HalyorSen, as the latter very well knows. The
Republican bosses who have set out to can.
ture Mr.. Halvorseu may as well give up their
selfassumed task: Kittel Halyorser is an
honest man.