The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-09-26
A Great Awakening ON Political Sub
jects.

A Great Awakening ON Political Sub
jects.
To the Editor:
There seems to be a great awakening
taking place throughout the United States
an awakening by the way, which is
brought about great deal more quickly
from the fact that Cleveland and the
Democratic party have for nearly two
years been-willfully or otherwise-misre-
presenting the peoples interests at Wash
ington, although I think it is a fact that
despite the Democratic or Republican OPP
position, the awakening would have come,
and soon. The people, the common people,
are patient to a fault and 10th to confess
that they in their childlike confidence have
been the dupes and victims of a set of
confidence men a thousand times worse
than their prototypes at Monte Carlo but
like the miserable victims Of the gaming
table after being thrown out upon the
world penniless, they find that they must
hencefortn be wholly dependent upon them
selves, and this awakens them to the fact
that something is wrong, and something,
must be done. The people of this nation
have been gambln g--nothing more nor
less-the last few years, the stake was
their liberty and constitutional rights; the
national bankers and legisla tors We're the
Stockholders, it was their game and if
given another chance or two, they would
undoubtedly rake in a ma gnificent ''jack-
pot" In most respects the common people
differ widely from the professional gamb-
ler inasmuch they believe in making
progress honestly and industriously. They
are willing to wait patiently for their
small reward as long as they think they
are treated honestly. This is true of most
civilized nations, but particularly so of
the American people. They are as a nation
the most enlightened and most energetic
and If the plans formulated by those
great men who first uttered these words
THE United States of America" had been
left untampered to their paternal in
tentions, and from time to time present
only such changes would promote the
welfare Of the growing nation, which is
the people, and not a favored few. what
a grand, beautiful land this could have
been! Prosperity and happiness would
have been the order where now, speaking
of the people of the nation, the contrary is
the fact, but as I say the people are
awake, and that is the cause of the
Peoples party's existence today, and
henceforth let he who goes to represent the
people in the house or senate-chosen by
our direct ballot-look out that he does not
misrepresent or legislate for any one else
but the people. However, in a short time
our Initiative and Referendum will have
a chance to battle the efforts of even the
goldbugs and dukes such as Pullman, Car
negie, the fellows in Wall street etc. The
Initiative and Referendum placed in our
platform is doubtless a great acquisition,
and will prove to be applicable in most
cases of lawmaling.
l wanted particularly to say few
words in regard to the qualifications of
candidates for office-county or state.
During late years under the Republican or
Democratic regime it has not been the
candidates peculiar adaptabiities to man
l. %1ao AL %I,1%
especially considered: but on the contrary.
popularity, goodfellowship, a good amount
of ready cash and a willingness to spend
it in a Doodle campaign will generally
make such a man what his dupes and tools
are pleased to call a vote getter. In this
connection I want to say that st. Louis
county has had one especially good audit
or the present incumbent, Geo. w. La
VAGUE now please don't consider this an
ad for him, l simply want to use his name
to show what may be done by such an
officer if he is the right kind of man.
For many years the different railroad COM
panies have held valuable tracts of land
contiguous to the city and docks here at
Duluth, on which they paid no taxes
claiming that said lands were being used
as either right of way or yards and conse-
quently exempt 1t seems that it never
occurred to any of the previous auditors
that the railroad companies might be get
ting the best of the county, but Mr.. La
Vauue was equal to the occasion; being an
arduous worker he on investigation found
that something was wrong and made up
his mind to right it. He notified the diff
ferent railroad companies of their indebt-
edness to the state and county, and asked
them to show cause why they should not
pay the same. They had good deal Of con-
tention and wrangling but he finally landed
the railroad companies in court where
judgments were rendered against them
not only for current years taxes, but for
six years back taxes and penalties. This
was the full limit of law The different
amounts of taxes thus collected during his
six wears in office will aggregate close to
s25 oOn Now the above only a sample
of what may be done by men that are
especially fitted for their position OF
course it may be claimed that you don't
know what man is good for till you try
him. but is it not a fact that mans