Willmar tribune., 1900-10-17

S>~eS
expenses $4,000 less than in 100, and
only $4,000 more than in '9s. In other
words. the increase Of the expenses for
two years under Governor Lind was
only SIG, 600, while under the Repub-
hcan administration the average in
crease in the expenses was $4,000 a
year, or $50, 900 for two years.
Before the joint legislative committee
OF the last legislature, Mr.. Clausen and
his subordinates themselves admitted
that they had made the grading Of
wheat more severe early in the season,
and had gradually made it more lib
eral as the season advanced; IL other
words, in the fall whea the
farmer sold, the standard Of gvad-
Ing was high and the farmer re-
celved a low grade on his wheat and a
correspondingly lower price; bns later
in the season when the wheat was sold
out OF She elevators and warehouses.
the standard of grade was low and the
wheat received comparatively higher
grade. and brought a comparatively
higher price, the profits of which went
into the pockets Of the warehouse and
elevator men. The gross injustice of
such practice is apparent to every
one. and no farmer can view it with
feelings other than those of bitterest
resentment.
1t was Governor Lind that put stop
to this fragrant abuse, and determined
that the grades on wheat shall be main.
tanned with the same integrity and f.
deity at all times for the protection of
seller and buyer alike; that the stand
ard of grading shall not be high at one
time and one place, and low at another
time and another place; that there shall
be no discrimination against the farm
or, and in favor Of the elevator and
warehouse men.
And now comes Republican spell
binder and calls upon the people Of
Minnesota to repudiate Governor Lind,
and put in his place man who showed
his hostility to the interests of the
farmer by dodging the vote on the bill
which provided for the erection of grain
elevators on the right of way of rail-
roads, and the construction of side
tracks to elevators near the right Of
way OF railroads.; measures which be-
came law, without the captains vote,
and which have done more to keep the
grain market out of the clutches Of
monopoly than any other laws Oh the
statute books. These bills the captain
did not want to vote for and he did not
dare to vote against them, so he lodged.
The captain will probably say that he
forgot to vote, but the farmer will not
forget.
In no department of the state has the
excellent business Judgment of Gov.
ernor Lind been more apparent than in
the management Of the state twine
plant. In spite of being obliged to buy
at dlsadvantageous prices, in spite of
the opposition of trusts, Governor Lind
has succeeded in protecting the farmer
against the greed of the trust and net
ting fair profit Of $lS, 900 besides. Put
the state administration into the hands
OF the Republicans and the TWine
Trust will have its own way and scut.
tie the state twine plant as they did in
Kansas, and then where would the
farmer be?
It was under the direction of Cover
nor Lind that the railroad commission
ers investigated the freight rates and
regulated them and reduced them in
some cases as much as ~ cents per
hundred, thereby saving for the farm.
ers of the state more than $4OO, 900 q
year; more than it takes to run the
county government Of all the counties
affected.
1t was Governor Lind who worked
to secure the passage Of bill to tax
the business and capital of foreign cor.
porations operating in this state, bill
that would have brought thousands
upon thousands of dollars into the
state treasury. and it was the Republi.
can legislature that prevented the pas,
sage Of the bill, and as a result, cor
porations like the Standard Oil Trust,
dong business of millions of dollars
III this state, go practically untaxed.
1t was Governor Lind who tried ia
secure the passage of a gross earnings
tax bill whereby the railroads would
have been taxed on their gross earnings
as they are in other states. And it was
Republican legislature that opposed
the bill and defeated it.
In other states the tax on gross earn.
ings on railroads is as high as 5 Dor
cent, and in Kansas it is even as high
as IL per cent. By the refusal of the
Republican legislature to raise the tax
on the gross earnings of railroads to 4
per cent, they have deprived the state
Of $4,000, 900 Of taxes, even it the next
legislature should make the raise as
soon as possible.
It was at the initiative of Governor
Lind that the Somerville law was
passed. and license fee imposed on
foreign corporations for the privilege
of doing business in the state, which
law has already brought upwards of
500, 900 into the treasury.
It was under the direction of Cover.
nor Lind that the state board of equai.
zation raised the assessment of the
street railway company of the Twin
Cities nearly $4,000, 900, and raised the
assessment of the mining companies III
St. Louis county $1,000, 900, and raised
the assessment Of the lumber syndi-
Gates and other tax dodging corporations
so as to make them bear their just and
proper share Of the burden Of taxation,
and not let tae bulk Of it rest upon the
shoulders Of the people at large. ...~
L. And now comes this Republican
spellbinder and on the strength Of a
few trumped up charges and statements
expressly manipulated to mislead the
nnWarY ha calls unnn. tha reorla of