Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1898-04-15
THE CAMPAIGN OF 1898.

To the voters OF the state OF Min
nesota@ E: H..
;: !: The central. committee OF the dem
ocratid dpartMof Minnesota, consid-
afs it dttingsthat: they should at this
time: explain the motives which
actuated the:committee in fixing the
tjme.and place for the state convan-
This year;
q. We are now in the second year Of
the republican national administra-
tl2nhand the first OF the promises
made by that party during the cam
paign of 1896 has yet to be fulfilled.
The mills have not been opened, the
currency laws have not been re-
formed, confidence has not been re-
stored, prosperity has not returned,
sufficient revenues to provide Tor the
ordinary expenses of the govern
ment have not been provided.
Vacillation and ineRciency have
marked every act of the administra-
ton except in the protection of cor
porations and in furthering the
interests of trusts.
The republican administration in
this state presents in an exaggerated
form all the evils of the national
administration. For forty years
the republican party has had alb
solute control OF the legislation and
administration OF public affairs in
the state of Minnesota, and the
people, therefore, have right to ask
that party to give an account OF it's
stewardship.
In natural resources Minnesota has
been peculiarly blessed. With a
fruitful soil abundantly watered,
with magnific Mt forests, with in
exhaustible mines and abundant
waterways or transportation, the
possibilities for prosperity and hap
piness to the people of this state arr
boundless. In the absence OF specia
privileges being granted, by means
Of which few could monopolize tn,
natural wealth Of this state, genera
happiness and prosperity must hav,
come. Unfortunat ately, however, ou1
public servants have seen fit tt
grant,su license to monopoly anC
corporate greed, that the wealth o
the state provided by beneficent
Providence for the benefit ofthe peo
pie has been diverted to the use and
enrichment of a few.
The total area of Minnesota is
about 49, 100000 acres; more than
10,000,000 acres have already been
decided to railroad corporations un.
der various land grants, and the total
amount claimed by them under land
grants already made amounts to
nearly 20,0O0,O0O acres: At fair
valuation this would amount to
sufficient to rebuild and re-equip
ever y mile of railroad in the state OF
Minnesota.
Unjust discrimination in freight
rates is notorious, and to such an
extent has this been carried in that
portion of the state where iron
mines are found that such mines are
practically valueless when owned by
those who are so unfortunate as not
to belong to the syndicate which
controls the adjacent land. And yet
yesterday. when tine Interstate com
merce commission met in St. Paul,
the pitiful spectacle was seen Of rep.
resentative business men fleeing the
state to avoid testifying to their
illegal transactions. .
Whenever through the inadvert-
ence of the railway managers a val
liable piece of land appropriated to
the state for educational purposes
has been overlooked, some political
favorite has obtained it for an in
adequate a price. And when a leg
islature was found independent
enough to pass a law providing
for the taxation OF rairoad lands
the republican managers went to the
extent OF robbing duly elected
member Of the senate OF his right to
seat in that body for the purpose Of
furnishing the railroad companies
with a technicalleg al defense through
which they hope to defeat the
solemnly expressed will Of the people.
Under the fostering care Of the