The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-01-05
A Good Message.

A Good Message.
Foreign capital will not be shocked
by the tone of Gov. Linds message,
and in consequence will ebb and flow
upon the same peaceful flood that was
wont to irrigate and fructify the state
Of Minnesota under strictly Republican
rule. The attack upon capital and
vested rights. which the Republican
press predicted would be made by the
nominee of the Democracy and its al
lies. in the event of his election, has
resolved Itself into a conservative, even
mild, analysis of the relations to the
state of certain corporations. accom-
panied by the recommendation that
their taX-paying powers be somewhat
more freely drawn upon by the state
in the development of the public rev.
enueS. Inasmuch as the legislature is
Republican body. it is not to be sup
posed that these corporations are dis
turbed for a moment over what the
future may have in store for them
from the direction of the state capitol
It is upon the financial feature of his
message that the governor has appar-
emily tailored with the greatest care,
conscious of the part it would play in
his own future as we'll as that of the
union forces that brought him into the
political field. 1t is perfectly dispas-
sfonate and may not. therefore, wholly
please those who rant of corporate
wealth 1t is ingeniously constructed
ana may in consequence invite the
pointed critiques of those pro-
fessors of expression and mas
tiers of technicality who con-
duct corporate wealth through the
mazes of the law at so much per year
Gov. Lind is somewhat Of a lawyer
himself and he has made it as comfort
able for his professional brethren as
was possible, considering the obliga-
tions that he owes to us-the people.
He has wandered into no untrodden
paths In his desire to serve us, the peo-
pie, and his recommendations have all
The support of precedent established by
law and fortified by the Interpretation
of courts of last resort. We cannot
as we have already indicated. expect
them to be hammered into concrete
form. because a Republican legislature
stands in the way
Upon the care of the insane the gov
ernOr dwells long and Interestingly.
His visit to Wisconsin has borne fruit
in that it has led him to indorse the
county system of caring for lunatics
prevailing in the Badger state. In a
way. this may be said to be an appli-
cation of the principle of home rule.
and the effect of thus picturing it to
the legislature will be watched with
interest.
We are reminded that a political
campaign was recently on by the gov
ernor's expressed desire for an extern
sion of the state binding Irvine indus
try. The management of the state
prison is Endorsed by him, and natural
ly no reference is made to the alleged
practice of turning out the guard and
levying assessments for political pur-
poses at the Saltwater institution
Some differences of opinion between
sundry farmers of the Red river val
ley and the grain inspection depart
ment, in which cookie, dockage and
grading figured as the essentials of
red-hOt campaign discussions, are sug-
gested by the governors brief refer
ence to the esteemed railroad and
warehouse commission. He is decided
that mo new legislation is necessary"
and he CURLY dismisses the commits
sion into outer darkness. with the
statement that "the criticism which
the commission has been subjected to
in connection with the grain inspec-
ton department relates to administra-
ton and cannot be discussed with
profit on this occasion"
We are devoutly thankful that the
campaign is so peacefully ended, and
that Lamphere and the Democracy
have so successfully libeled the party
of William Hy and gotten away with
out a suit, not even for SANDER.
In dealing with those two imposing
adjuncts of modern civilization the
'initiative' and the referendum SO
dear to the hearts of some of our fell
low citizens, the governor shows COM
mendable caution and deliberation.
One might almost fancy him in pain
as he penned the conclusion that a
legislative minority should have the
constitutional privilege of referring
certain enactmentS to vote of the
people before becoming operative.
The recommendation will be gener-
ally Endorsed that the clerk of the SUI
preme court, the oil inspector and the
surveyors general be deprived of their
lucrative fees and be placed on sala-
ries AS these Offices always have
been and probably always will be filled
by Republicans, the work Of economy
and reform can begin not moment
too soon to suit the old-line Democrats.
In it's entirety the message is as good
as ever emanated from a state execu-
tive. 1t has the merit Of having been
written by man who possesses ideas
and clear way Of presenting them.
Its temperate tone Is it's admirable
feature. This alone differentiates the