The Irish standard., 1900-10-20
CAPT. S. R. VAN SAINT.
Facts Which Show Him to be an
Artful DOdger.

1iul GlODe Vi SeIl. SLOWS Wudt
manner of man Capt. Van SAINT, Re
publican candidate for governor, is:
1t is essential that the man who is
called upon to fill a public position,
whether executive, legislative or judi
cial, should act firmly and in manly,
Straightforward way upon all matters
which are presented to him for his Of
fetal approval or disapproval. He may
not evade action where it Is clearly
his duty to deal with question. The
public has no respect for the dodger,
but will even prefer the man who flies
in the face of its opinion rather than
the man who shirks his duty.
And herein lies the weakness of
Capt. s. r. Van SAINT, the Republi-
can candidate for governor, with the
people. He is not man who stands
up to the tasks set before him. He
either attempts to serve two masters
or he halts between two opinions.
Whatever may be the controlling in
f1uence, it is certain that Capt. Van
SAINT has on many important occasions
made an inglorious retreat rather than
place himself on record.
Take, for instance, his action on the
Boer war. If he had declared that he
was a friend of the Beers he would
have pleased many people, no doubt;
and if he had professed friendliness
for the British he would have pleased
some others and have been in accord
with his political party. But, at the
critical moment when few straight
forward, manly words from the cap
tain were due, his actual position on
the Boer question was somewhere
in the wilds Of Wisconsin. He lodged
the question.
Those who know Capt. Van SAINT
best We're not surprised at his inglori-
Gus retreat or his silence on the vital
question of the hour.
AS on the Boer question, so it has
been OH many vital matters which
came before the state legislature when
During the session of 1898, when the
so-called misunderstanding bill, II. T..
20, came up for final passage, Cap
tain Van SAINT rolled silently and
swiftly into one of the ante-rooms or
some other commodious recess and
lodged the vote. For some unknown
reason he dared not vote for this
measure, so important to labor, and
he was afraid to vote against 1t.
Captain Van SAINT acted in the same
way over another bill of great impor-
lance to labor, and in one of the most
meritorious measures that was ever
presented to legislative body. This
was Senate File No. 2GG, a bill requir-
ing street railway companies to vesti-
bule their cars for the protection of
the motor-men or drivers from the
inclemency of the weather.
1t seems incredible that any man,
unless he happened to be a heavy
stakeholder or an official of a street
railway company, would hesitate for
a moment to vote for such just and
humane measure. Why, even Tom
Lowry, street railway magnate though.
he is, would vote for such bill and
be glad to do so.
But Captain Van SAINT lodged. lie
skipped gayly out of sight when the
roll was called on the final passage of
the bill. He dared not vote for it and
was afraid to vote against it.
There were many other bills which
came before the legislature of 1898,
and for which there would seem no
valid reason why an upright man
might not vote, and it is conceivable
that perfectly honest man might
conscientiously have voted against
them. But Captain Van SAINT lodged,
and among the bills on which lie
lodged the vote were the following:
II. +. 96.-A bill for the protection Of
employees.
H. f. 324.-A bill to prohibit pawn
brokers from charging more than 10
per cent interest. (Why on earth
couldn't the captain vote-f0r this bill p
81. f. SOFA bill to permit the cree
ton of grain elevators on the right of
way of railroads in order to prevent
monopoly of the grain elevating bust
ness.
H. r. 674.-A bill to regulate express
companies in similar manner to the
railroads are regulated by law.
II. Il. G24.-A bill to prohibit pools
and trusts in Minnesota.
S. T. 114.-A bill to provide for the
taxation of inheritances.
s. IA bill requiring notice to be
given when trains are behind time.
S. f. STA bill providing for the
investigation of alleged frauds in the
sale of state lands.
81. F. 56.-A bill requiring railroads
to furnish sidetracks for mills and
elevators adjacent to their right of
way.
H. f. 34O.-A bill providing for the
Interchange Of cars between railroad
companies at junction points.
H. F. 274.-A bill requiring trains to
stop at county seats.
To- NoD4o3r Won Son4 t,od voted