The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-10-31

ated in 1853, teaching school winters and
with IS own earnings paid the expenses of
ms college course and preliminary school
ing. He studied law at Burlington and at
the Albany Law School, and was admitted
TO the bar in August, 1865, and in the fol-
lowing fall was elected states attorney of
Grand Isle county. Mr.. Ladd came West
in August, 1866 settled in st. Peter Mimi,
and became at once one of the leading law
yers in that part of the state, several
cases which he won in the supreme court
during his 10 years residence in ST. Peter
becoming what is called leading cases in
our states Jurisprudence, on account of the
important legal principles settled by them
In 1877 Mr.. Ladd nominated by the
Republicans of Ncolet county for the legis-
lature and was elected without opposition
the Democrats refusing to put up a candi-
date against him, and in the following ses-
sion he was chairman of the committee on
ways and means, and one of the leading
members of the judiciary committee, and
was very hard working member
MY. Ladd came to Minneapolis in the fall
of 1882, and he has resided here ever since
in the practice of his profession. Early in
1888 he was appointed professor of medical
Jurisprudence in the College of Physicians
and Surgeons, and has occupied that posi-
ton ever since. He delivered before the
students of that institution the first course
OF lectures ever delivered on that subject
in this state. Five years ago he was an
pointed lecturer the law of taxation in
the law school of the University of Min
nesota, but has not filled the position. In
April, 1892, Mr.. I-add delivered an address
before the Single Tax League on the SUBJ
ject of the so-caled Minneapolis street
railway franchise. He took the position
that the street railway company had at
most license and not franchise: tina +
the city council had no authority to- pass
any irrepealable ordinance; that it had no
right to abridge its own powers to control
the public streets. could if Weld itc
power to regulate the charges of any per-
son or corporation who were common car
riers upon the public streets; that the
state legislature could confer no authority
on city council to parcel out or bargain
away its sovereign control over public
streets, could the legisla ture legalize
any such action of a city council; and
that the general welfare and convenience
of the inhabitants of a city were para
mount considerations to which all claims
or pretended franchises of street railways
or other corporations must yield. This
address was considered an exhaustive and
comprehensive statement of the law upon
that subject.
dered it to be published, and it attracted
wide attention. In fact, the position which
Mr.. Ladd took on this question: and the
legal proofs he arrayed in support of it.
was a revelation to many persons who
had supposed that the street car company
had a contract right franchise to run
its cars for 30 years longer in this city,
and could not be interfered with, however
much the changing needs of the people
might require a change.
The principles enunciated by Mr. Ladd in
this address We're more than year after
wards incorporated by Seagrave Smith one
of the judges of the district court of Hen
nepin county, in his decision in mandamus
proceedings against the Afinnea polls street
car company to enforce the so-called Har-
vey ordinance; Judge Smith therein hold
ing that the compapy's so-called franchise
was a license merely.
Mr.. Ladd many years ago the con-
ditions that vast wealth concentrated in
the hands of a few men would bring upon
this country. He saw that it would prove
as it is proving, a menace to American lib
erty, that it has already gained large van
tage ground in this country, where it is di-
recting its assaults against the very citadel
of liberty. Mr.. Ladd believes that the well
fare OF the people is the supreme law in
America that the republic was built upon
that foundation that by the spirit of that
maxim the national constitution must be
interpreted and that any system, scheme
contract franchise whose tendency
either directly or indirectly, is to destroy,
hinder impede the welfare of the people,
is hostile to the spirit of the constitution
His conviction is that the government,
through the agency of both the old politi-
cal parties, has fallen into the hands of
miionaires, who by means of unconstitu-
tional legislation and by lack of restrictive
constitutional legislation, have enormously
plundered the people and absorbed their
earnings and the public domain, and in a
large measure destroyed the welfare Of the
people; that the nalienable rights of the
people have been bartered away; that the
only remedy lies in the reassertion of those
fundamental principles which gave birth
to the republic, to liberties and to the
constitution itself; and that the Peoples
party offers the only available plan of SAL
walton, the only available means for the
restoration of the government to the sim
plicity of the fathers of the republic who
designed it for the welfare of ALL Mr..
Ladd voted for Mr.. Owen four years ago.
and the Peoples party ticket two years
ago, and he is proud of the fact that he is
among the first who took their places in
the ranks of the new movement
Men of Mr.. Ladds stamp and convic-
lions and unquestioned legal ability are
needed on our supreme court bench as
never before, where within the next few
years are to be settled grave and momen-
tous questions affecting the welfare and
prosperity of the people of this great
state.
Keep Your PaDerS.