Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-01-10
MONOPOLY STILL FLoURIsHEs.

MONOPOLY SILL FL0URISHEs.
Republican politicians and editors
have placed their party in this state
in very peculiar position. In the
last campaign we were told that Gov.
Van SAINT was the St. George who had
gone out to fight the dragon of rail-
road mergers and that anyone that
dared oppose the doughty champion
was friend Of Jim Hill aud the rail-
roads. They succeeded in making the
people believe this, aud Van SAINT re-
ceived the largest majority ever given
a guhernatorial candidate in this
state. With such champion of the
people at the head of the party and so
heartily supported by it man would
naturally infer that the party was in
accord with him on the one question
involved; that the party leaders had
violently severed the strings that had
so long tied them behind Hill's chariot
and were ready to back Van SAINT up
in his chosen work.
Then commenced the fight for the
speakership, and we found to our sur
prise that there were still some repub.
lican leaders that had not been regen-
Grated. The press of the Twin cities
and its echoes among the country press
told US in the plainest of language that
DIR. BabcOck was the candidate of the
mergerites and therefore the chosen
tool of the Northern Securities dragon.
We were astonished that the republic
cans had been so careless as 10 let one
such man slip into the legislature, but
OF course we had no idea that there
could be enough like him in tn at other
wise immaculate party to give him
even the ghost of show for being
elected.
Judge then of our surprise in finding
that two thirds of the members of the
House were willing to place themselves
fon record as favoripg this representa-
tive of the dragon. It must have
shocked the entire nation, which has
had its eyes glued on the valiant Van
SAINT for year and was getting black
in the face from holding it's breath in
its intense watching to see the blow de-
livered that would end forever all rail-
road combin ations. Yea, even nature
was shocked, and the worst blizzard
of many years tore over the northwest,
as if nature had tried to wipe out the
blot by blowing the whole region off
the face of the earth.
How awful the shock was can be in
ferred from the following from the
Minneapolis Journal, one of the most
active shouters for the dragon killer:
Yesterday elements in the legislature
supposed to be hostile to the admins
tration and so regarded by the COVER
nor, succeeded in dominating the re-
publican house caucus. This was done
In spite of the earnest protest of the
governor and his personal appeal to
the members to stand by his admins
tration. Certainly, something very
important must have happened to
make such q result possible in the re-
publican house, Remarkable induce
mentS must have been offered in order
to persuade the members of the legis-
1ature that it would be wise at this
juncture to place the organization of
the house in control of men rightfully
Regarded as hostile to the administers
tion and unfriendly to It's policies.
That comes pretty near intimating
that some of the legislators were
bought, doesn't it?
There can be only two deductions
made from this. Either the republican
party was not sincere in it's protesta.
tions during the last campaign, and
nominated Van SAINT merely to catcf
votes while the mergerites were salts
fed by being given the privilege O
picking the candidates for the legisla
ture, or else the fight against Babcocl
was merely q struggle between twt
political machines inside the party
each anxious to get the upper hand
! II two-thirds of the republicans in TIL
legislature are really tools of Jim Hill
then the party is certainly in ba
shape. It is up to the friends of tn
administration to explain this matter
The people have q right to kno'
whether the fight last fall was sha1
d or. # the speakership fight shall be pr
IN that class. -
- -