The record-union., 1894-08-13
a sELF-MADE MAN SPEAKS.

Il ShLf%hADE MAN GGbAhSs
Knute Nelson is Governor of Mime
sofa. He was born in Norway of a
peasant family so poor that it was classed
with the most dependent. He was
brought to the United States when years
old. He had in him the making of man
and as a boy resolved to be something.
He picked up such an education as ne
could, and while still very young and at
labor took to the study of law and won
his way to the bar.
When the civil war broke out he took
up arms for his adopted country and
fought with the earnestness of conviction.
At 25 he was elected to the Legislature of
Wisconsin, and little later to that of
Minnesota, and thence went to Congress.
A Republican, he had the courage in 1888
to vote with the low tariff people and
came home and successfully defended his
course. and in 1892 was triumphantly
elected Governor.
Such, in brief, is the record of a self
made man, whose career demonstrates
the splendid possibilities for the poor
man in this free land and under this
benefcent Government, which the Popu-
lists declare is going straight to the dogs
and is now not worthy of respect.
Now Minnesota is essentially an agri-
cultural State and a State of hard work.
ers, and there the Populists have been ex-
ceedingly diligent in attempts to build
up their fanciful party. The other day
Governor Nelson made a speech to his
people, and the Populist crew does not
like it.
The Governor took up the Populist
scheme line by line and showed it up in
all its hollowness and impracticability.
He gave the lie direct to the charge that
the farmer is a serf at the foot of the
economic ladder. He showed his hear
ers that the reason for the greater in
crease of wealth in other classes latterly
is because we were an agricultural people
up to 1880. whereas since then we have
energized manufacturing and railroad
building most, perhaps too much.so.
AS to the low price of wheat Governor
Nelson made the real cause clear, the
competition into which we are thrown
with Russia, Austria Hungary, India and
the Argentine Republic. He quoted the
price lists of the markets of st. Paul and
Minneapolis for 1893 and 1894, to show
that what is relatively and intrinsically
the cheapest and least profitable of farm
products, and the causes he proved are
not political nor possible to be found out
side of the economics of commerce.
As to the remedies the Populists preach
to Minnesota farmers. Governor Nelson
analysed them all and found them to be
insufficient or impracticable. AS to the
referendum it is as likely to give approval
to bad as good laws in times of great ex-
element. Woman suffrage. he declared,
few women care for or will use. The ac-
QUESTION of railways would impose taxa
ton too heavy TO be borne, and he pointed
out that it has not been demonstrated,
nor has it been reasonably shown by ar
gument, that we would have better or as
good service under Government control.
As for the State monopolizing the
liquor traffic. he showed that it would
not diminish drunkenness, but would
give a new weapon to bummers and
ward heelers.
On the silver question he took position
against free coinage and with vigor COM
batted the idea that the so-cslled demon
etization of 1878 caused the financial and
industrial depression of the present time.
He proved by the official figures that as a
matter of fact, instead of there being an
insufficient amount of money in circula-
ton. there was on the 1st of June higher
rate per capita clrculation-s24 54-than
ever before, and yet wheat was never
lower than on that date. His contention
was that not the volume of the currency,
but the law of supply and demand, regu-
lates prices.
Thus in Minnesots to-day the same
currency buys a bushel Of wheat at
fifty cents and bushel of potatoes at the
same price, which makes wheat cheap
and potatoes high, because one is plenti-
ful and the other scarce.
He took as illustration Freeborn
County with its $1,000 people, ,twenty-fo four