The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-04-02

Rosing, c. M. Stanton, J. N. Johnson
T. T. Hudson and B. J. Mosier, were
Of the opinion that an address was just
what the voters Of the state were
waiting for, and below will be found
the result of the labors of the commit
tee:
Republican, Promises UnfulnIled.
To the Voters of the State Of Minnesota:
The central committee of the Democratic
party of Minnesota, considers it fitting that
they should at this time explain the mo-
tives which actuated the committee in fix
ing the time and place for the state con-
vention this year.
We are now in the second year of the
Republican national administration, and the
first of the promises made by that party
during the campaign OF 1886 has yet to De
fulfilled. The mills have not been opened,
the currency laws have not been REFORMED,
confidence has not been restored, prosperity
has not returned, sufficient revenues to pro-
vide for the ordinary expenses OF the gov
ernment have not been provided. Vacilla-
ton and inefficiency have marked every act
of the administration except in the protec-
tion of corporations 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 absolute control Of the legislation and
of Minnesota, and the people, therefore,
have right to ask that party to give an
account of its stewardship.
In natural resources Minnesota has been
peculiarly blessed. With a fruitful soil
abundantly watered, with magnificent for
ests with ineXhaustible mines and abun-
dant natural waterways for transportation,
the possibilities for prosperity and happi-
ness to the people Of this state are bound
less. In the absence of special privileges
being granted. by means Of which a few
Ito L, xl,.,
state, general prosperity and happiness
must have come. Unfortunately, however,
our public servants have seen fit to grant
such license to monopoly and corporate
greed, that the wealth of the state pro-
vided by a benefcent Providence for the
benefit of the people has been diverted to
the use and enrichment Of a few.
Railroad Land Grants.
The total area Of Minnesota is about
100000 acres; more than 10,O00,0 900 acres
have already been decided to railroad cor
porations under various land grants, and
the total amount claimed by them under
land grants already made amounts to near
ly 2O,OOO,0O0 acres. At a fair valuation this
would amount to sufficient to rebuild and
re-equip every mile Of railroad in the state
Of Minnesota.
Unjust discrimination In freight rates is
notorlous, 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 valuless when owned by
those who. are SO unfortunate as not to be-
long to the syndicate which controls the
adjacent railroad And yet yesterday. when
the interstate commerce commission met
In St Paul, the pftiful spectacle was seen
of representative business men fleeing the
state to avoid testifying to their iIIeeaI
transactions.
Whenever through the inadvertence of the
appropriated to the state for educational
purposes has been overlooked, some DO
htical favorite has obtained it for an in
Was found Ad when anns legislature
law providing for the taxation of railroad
lands the Republican managers went to
the the extent en- OF robbing, a duly elected mem-
that body for the purpose of furnishing the
railroad companies with technical legal
defense through which they hope to defeat
the soie"hiy expressed will Of the people,
Fostered by Republicans.
Under the fostering care of the Repubu-
can administration of this state the value Of
railroad properties has Increased enor-
mously. This is no more idle statement. for
that such Is the fact was solemnly adjudi-
Gated by our supreme court in the famous
Steenerson rate case That a proport;onata
increase in the holdings of the peopIe eeno
orally has not taken place is proved by no
less an authority than the present Republi
ranort ran STATE for aSatSr 1Ss1s pupn says in his
time confronted with these undeniable facts:
The general expenditures of the state are
rapidly Increasing and the valuation of tag
able property decreasing
Republican policy for forty years has re-
suited therefore in the enrichment and ar-
grandizement Of corporations and in the I'M
poyerishment of the people generally.
1t has become by-word that the Republi-
can ofice-holders of this state and the rep
resentatives Of this state in both houses. Of
congress submit, with a subserviency that
1ooc -fnfn 10 Ave-
manhood. to the dictation of the great cor
porate magnates of the Northwest.
The foregoing are few of the many rea-
sons which led the committee to believe that
the issue now is the same as it was two
years ago, viz: "Shall the people or the
corporations govern this commonwealth 2"
The forces which opposed "Iannaism" in
1885, oppose "Hannaism' today. The party
which supported that obnoxious principle
then, supports 1t now,
Work Since Last Election.
Since the election Of 1896 this committee
believed 1t Its duty to proceed upon the