Backbone. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. ;) 1897-1906, 1900-09-01
THE GUBERNATORIAL CONTEST.
By w. q. Calderwood.

Many earnest temperance men who
believe that the greatest and most i'm
portant issue in this state is the liquor
problem, will vote for S. R. Van SAINT,
and many others of the same view will
vote for John Lind, next November,
and the majority of these will give one
of two reasons in justification of their
action. Some will urge the Importance
of other issues, FORGETTING THAT
THERE IS NO ISSUE BETWEEN
THE OLD PARTIES OR THEIR
CANDIDATES ON STATE POL
ITY OR ADMINISTRATION. The
entire campaign will be carried on, by
the two old party candidates, Just as
similar campaigns have been carried on
for the past ten years, SOLELY on
matters OF national polity ana admins
tration, over which the verlest political
dullard knows that the governor OF this
state has no more jurisdiction nor inf1u-
ence than the Calf OF Bagdad or the
Lord High Duke of Pecaciacy. Those
matters will be settled by the u. ).
Congress and the administration with
out even asking the opinion, much less
recognizing the authority OF Mime
sofas governor.
For two years past this state has had
for governor John Lind, and no one,
except the of6ce-seekers and henchmen,
would have known there had been a
change in the politics OF the states
chief executive. And the same will be
true this fall. Whether Lind or Van
SAINT be elected, no change in policy
of administration will follow.
The other popular excuse will be that
the Prohibition Party, which voices the
sentiment of the voter for whose con-
temptation this item is written, cannot
win. And it surely cannot win so long
as its FRIENDS insist upon voting
against it till it does! Moreover, it
WOULD win at THIS election it every
enemy of the saloon would vote tor 1t
to win instead of voting for it to lose,
at this time, when there is absolutely
NO ISSUE between the old parties
on STATE problems.
On the other hand the PROHIBI-
TON party does represent an issue OF
greatest and most vital interest and i'm
portance to this state. The election OF
Hon. B. B. Haugan as governor OF this
state would mean change in the ad-
ministration of its affairs in the way OF
ing an exception in the case of the sa-
dens and resorts of infamy. Not only
would ofice-seekers and henchmen
know that there had been a
change of administration at St.
Paul, but every saloonkeeper, gam
bier, and scarlet woman would
learn the much-needed lesson that the
law has a dignity which must be re-
spected even by the vicious. Further,
every person affected by these evils
the families of their victims, the mer-
chant who loses by the waste they oc-
caslon, the churches and the Christian
workers, from whose helpful hands
hundreds are snatched by the clutches
of these baleful iniquities-in fact, ALL
would feel the helpfulness of the en-
forceinent of even the present laws.
The propositions are just three:-
First. That by their platforms and
by their histories, and by their candi-
dates, there is no difference in the
STATE policy of the other parties.
Second. That B. B. Hangar could
be elected if those who believe in the
principles for which he and his party
stands would vote for him.
Third. That if elected, present laws
would be enforced and further restric-
tons on vice actively encouraged.
Now, candidly and thoughtfully, what
is to be gained or lost by the election
of either Lind or Van Sant-consid-
cred morally, or economically? They
are as near alike, as touches STATE
matters, as two peas. Then why not
cast your ballot for B. B. Hangar, who
stands for law, as we'll for the saloon
keeper as for the church member, and