Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1902-09-04
ROSING OPENS UP
THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE
FOR GOVERNOR MAKES
HIS BOW.
WHAT he THINKS OF THINGS
CONSIDERS THE TRUST CUES
TON ONE OF GREAT PUB.
Lie CCNN:RN.
WHAT NE THINKS OF THINGS
QUESTION OF STATE TAXATION
DEMOCRATS HAVE LONG HAD A
PLAN TO CORRECT
THE EVILS.

Democratic candidate for governor
opened his campaign in this city las
night. He said in part:
This is essentially a state cam
paien. The questions Of immediate
interest and Importance are those
touching us as citizens CT Minnesota
Nevertheless, there are questions o.
national import which. press upon Us
FOR consideration and which will de
mand our attention in the congress
sional campaigns and which cannot
be separated entirely from the state
contest because, after all. the same
general principles apply in national
and state affairs. The principle OF
equal rights for all and special priv
ileges . none applies in state as well
as nation, and in the application OF
this principle electors must decide
upon which side they will take their
stand.
"a question of public concern. the
settlement Of which demands our best
thought and courageous action, is that
involved in the monopolistic tenden-
cies OF the so-called trusts. Corpora
tons are formed under statutes Ell.
acted by the Representatives Of the
people, and the power that creates
necessarily has the power to fix the
limitations of its creatures.
''As q preliminary step. 1 would ad
ileges which these so-called trusts and
joy.
Democracy believes that the first
remedy should be the removal of all
duties upon articles handled by COM
binatlons in restraint of trade. Let
them compete with the world. These
infants that have been capitalized
at billion dollars and more would
seem to have passed beyond the need
of tribute from the purse Of the Amer
lean citizen.
The Republican candidates. state
and congressional. have no right to go
before the people of this state upon
a platform of promises. They have had
the opportunity, they have had the
power. and the people of the state
have the right to say to them: What
have you accomplished? Do not tell
US what you are going to do
There is one suggestion in this
campaign upon which l desire to ex-
press my views with special frankness
l say suggestion. for the reason that
1t does not appear to me that any issue
is presented upon the matter. at least
SO far as our opponents are concerned
For good many years there have
been upon the statute books of this
state provisions forbidding the con-
solidation Of parallel and competing
lines OF railroad. It is claimed that
these provisions have been violated by
the Great Northern and Northern Pa
cific railroads, and it seems TO me that
1t must be apparent that if they have
not been directly violated. an attempt
has ae least been made TO evade their
spirit
Gov. Van SAINT did his duty in call
Ing upon the attorney general to en-
force the law against the consolida-
ton OF the Northern Pacific and Great
Northern. but there he stopped.
The lron range roads were merged
by the United States steel trust in
February. 1901. sixty days after Gov.
Van SAINTS Inauguration. and nine
months before the attempt to merge
the Northern coast lines. If the pres
ent state administration is entitled to
reelection because it brought suit to
forbid the consolidation of the coast
lines. what does it deserve for ignor-
ing the merging of the Iron Range
reads, which are wholly within the
state OF Minnesota and are the orig
iral merger offenders?
Ihe Democratic platform pledges
us candidate and the party to the en-
tcrcement of the present statutes
against consolidation. and that in
every case. and if MY nomination shall
be ratified at the polls this fall I
pledge myself to carry out the in
structlons of the party in that regard"
Mr.. ,sing said that the question of
railroad rates was of special impor-
lance to the people at large. He said
that the record of the present railroad
commission is one Of inefficiency and
subseryiency to special interests. He
urged the election of the Democratic
saying that the question of
regulating railroad rates would then
be given proper attention.
Mr.. Rosing then went over the rec
Ord OF the last Democratic commission
and compared it with what had been
oSitS ~ eHS PiSSSAt COMMISSION.
The question of state taxation was
next taken up. On this question Mr..
Rosing said:
For the past six years the Demo-
Gratis OF this state have had a plan for
correcting the most glazing evils of
cur present tax system. and if the leg
lslalure OF 1901 had not been blinded
by partisan prejudice and the desire
to make political capital. rather than
to legislate for the interests of the
people. there could have been no nos.
sible excuse fer calling u G extra ses.
sion of the legislature The minority
members OF the legislature presented
{. comp ete program. in harmony with
Democratic ideas. That Program our
PARTY platform indorses, and by it |
an willing TO stand"
The principle of direct legislation
is SO thoroughly democratic and re-.
publican that there should be no diff
ference OF opinion in regard TO its
dcsirability"
Mr.. Rosing closed with tribute TO