Willmar tribune., 1900-10-20

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The people are demanding that they
Xbeeempo TO elect certain officials
that are now app ointed BY executives
or chosen BY legislatures The de-
mand is justified, and will prove BEN
efeial # the people use their enlarged
power diligently # they will con-.
slider the merits only Of the candi-
dates from whom the officials must be
chostn q, and vote for those who are
i most wo, thy, regardless Of the politi
cal party they were chosen by, then
the enlarged power will prove benefi
scial. But if they are content to en-
dorse the action Of q nominating con-
vention, regardless OF how it was Gre
ated or manipulated, then they may as
we'll let the present system stand. A
responsible executive is likely to make
better appointments, in fat, than an
lrresp sponsible, excited political con-
yention. 4:> r. y ": 80 81
III Minnesota enlarged power has
been given to voters, to be used for
the first time at the coming election.
d The state railroad and warehouse
commission is now an elective one,
and the result will determine whether
voters are disposed to or capable Of
exercising their new power wisely.
Fortunately, as to four of the six can
didates. there are sufficient differences
in fitness for the position they stsnd
for to leave no one in doubt as to
which are most worthy, and if the last
are defeated it will show most CON
clusively that voters will use their
new power to no higher purpose than
to endorse the action Of nominating
convention, and it will have to be con-
fessed that the new power has brought
with it no promise of better officials or
improved service. - i
Two OF the three can6 idates on the
republican tick. t must be conceded to
be Objectionable to the mass of the
people: even the party managers con-
fess to the weakness of this part of
their ticket. One, Mr.. Mills, was a
member, of the commission for seven
years. He was close friend anil sup
porter of the old grain weighing and
inspecting regime, that induced SO
much dissatisfaction on the part of
grain growers for many years. He
voted to retain Mr.. Clausen as chief
grain inspector after that gentleman
had been condemned by the legis-
lature. He drew the notorious Miller
bill, which Gov. Ltd vetoed because
it would lead to. endless litigation in
every attempt to enforce she present
railroad laws. During the last three
years of his official career the law en-
powered the commission to proceed
upon its own motion to adjust rate
questions. No move was ever made
by the commission to take advantage
of this clause of the law, in spite Of
the fact that rank and unjustifable
discrininations existed during the en-
tire period. .sSs S
In short, it cannot be said that he
did anything to relieve the people or
to antagonize railroad or elevator
methods while a member Of the COM
mission. Another candidate, Mr..
Miller, is recognized as ..'the rail
roads candidate. He occupied an
Important position for several Years
with what is known as q s'Rockefeller
railroad" /" in the northern part of
Minnesota. This does not seem to be
the environment to take a man from
E who is expected to be impartial in
passing upon matters in controversy
between railroads and people.
Opposed to these men, On the demo
cratie-people's ticket, are Messrs. F.
NJ. Ring gdal and T. NJ. Knox, present
members Of the board, and appointees
h of Gov. Lind. These men have been
associated on the commits sion only
since ] anuary last, and during that
time have done more to relieve the
b people from unrea soma Bile railroad
charges and discr nations, and more
toward improving the efficiency and
algmen enting the justice Of the grain IN
specttii.g and weiig ing dep az time ent than
was done during the preced ing Is years
.,off the comm ssion $ existence. In the
the aeq,la ization of of grain rates il the
I southWe stern larter OF the state 9
Saving Of f 500 ss4aooeO, ], 600 q year IS made te
grain growers q lone reducing
I and eaual ling genera freight rates, t,ss,,