The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-10-30

to allay the general distress was in
special session Of congress. 1t was called
to repeal the silver purchasing clause.
The democratic party was at war with the
chief executive and the only relief was
that brought by the republicans The
democratic majority In congress passed
a tariff bill which would have greatly in
creased the misery, but the senate sue
ceeded In toning down some Of the most
drastic mea sures.
The "Free Silver" Cure.
The dear money complaint of the
democrats in 1896 had as relief measure
the free silver" cure by which a good
many people were almost led to believe
that they could go to the United States
treasury and help themselves to silver and
have abundance Of money. Free coinage
Of all the silver In the world at the ex-
pense Of the United States was the demo-
cratic panacea.
The republicans. however. declared for
an industrial regenera ton. for the open
ing Of mills. factories and mines.
Happily the republican idea prevailed in
1896 and again in 1900, and it has been
proved that money has become cheap and
easy because wages are high. A revival
Of manufacturing and commerce and a
restoration Of confidence was all that was
needed
The War and Results.
The speaker SRelt at some length on
the Spanish American war and the liberia
ton OF Cuba, Porto Rico and the Philip
pines from the yoke of Spain. The war
did much more than to strike off the
shackles Of oppression and dishonest gov
eminent from millions of human beings.
| The ridiculous ease with which the Unit
| ed States troops defeated overwhelming
| numbers Of Spanards, admitted to be
among the best troops in Europe, worked
! a revolution in the minds OF European
statesmen regarding the United States.
| Ridicule gave way to respect, and where
the Americans had hitherto been merely
tolern ted they were now sought in friend
ship. From being nobodies in the world s
politics, the Americans became the chief
! figures.
The Philippine question was no longer
an issue, and the democrats had even
abandoned their farcical water cure" agi-
| tat1on. The number of soldiers in the
Philippines had been reduced from 60, 00C
to 10000 In one year. and the whole army
! from $1,000 to 66,O00
The Trusts
Senator Nelson gave considerable at
| tentlon to the trusts, arguing that tho
remedy for the trust evil was not in tariff
revision so much as in modification Of oul
| corpora ton laws. He cited the action Of
the democrats In congress in defea ting the
| proposed amendment to the constitution
| giving congress the power to regulat tt
trusts, and read a statement from the
democratic leaders in the house to the
effect that the reason the democrats IL
congress opposed the amendment was tina
it would have taken the trust question
out Of politics and deprived the demo
Gratis of valuable campaign thunder. This
was proof of the shalloWness of demo
cratic antitrust talk.
Touching upon the merger question
Senator Nelson said: Take the Northern
Securities company as an example. The!
take one share Of the Northern Pacific a.
12O and one Of the Great Northern at Is
and merge them into three Of the new
company. Northern Pacific draws a div
idend Of per cent and Great Northern
7 per cent, or II per cent on both. TIL
three shares Of the new draws or pc
cent and leading railroad official IRE
ferring to ]. J. HID in a speech the othe
day. maintained that it might be pc
cent. That is a dividend Of 21 per cen
on inflated stocks that formerly drew blu
II per cent. Give the government tn
power to license, regulate and contrc
these trusts, and the question will b
settled and settled right. This ocer-cap
italization and imitation Of values is onl
scheme to draw bigger divfdends.'
Endorsements for Van SAINT and Fletcher
| Toward the close of his address, Sena
tor Nelson referred to Governor Van San
in the most eulogistic language and pro
voked the great gathering to continue
bursts Of applause.
It's an easy matter to be governor
times of peace" declared the senator wit
, an air Of conviction, but when grea
questions are at stake, affecting the right
, of the common people Of this state, the
. you should all come to the side of tina
= manly and courageous man, who Is feal
less enough to refuse to sit by as an i'd
= spectator while this great railroad merge
y went on.
If you allow these great monopoltes
> get taste of blood by the defeat of Coy
o ernor Van SAINT, then they will feel e1
couraged to grapple with our young an
= vigorous president, Theodore Roosevelt
=, who is making such a courageous stan
: | against the trusts
The speaker also had some kind wore
for Congressman Fletcher, to whom
> referred as the hardest working an
mobiles Roman Of them ALL an ole
q line, thorough going and earnest reput
y lican. He said that he had never see
n | a. congressman who worked with as muc
a zeal for his constituents as did Lore
r Fletcher There was not one reason WI
n he should not be returned to congress
:, and he urged the voters of Hennep
g county not to waste their political pri
IL ileges by sending democrat to congress
Ray w. Jones came in for some higl
n ly complimentary remarks from all Il