Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-10-07
WI LII NJ AR IN TRI B UN r.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER Z, 1903.

WEDNESDAY. OCTOBER 7, 1903.
the new CANDIDATE FOR
GOVERNOR.
Frank M. Eddy is without doubt one
of the shrewdest politicians in this
state. His platform, promulgated by
him in his Cokato speech; and pub
lished elsewhere in this issue, shows
this plainly, His 9utterances on the
tariff and trust questions are bold and
pointed, and likely to cause great ad-
miration for this noble champions Of
the people. Most people will most
likely forget that the governor of
Minnesota does not have anything to
do with settling these questions. The
tariff question is one that congress
only can do anything about. So is
the related question of reciprocity.
AS to trust legislation, Eddy specific
ally states that congress alone can
settle it, and that q constitutional
amendment must be passed to give
congress the necessary power. 1t
might occur to some impertinent citi.
zen to ask why the redoubtable cham.
pion of the people waited until he was
out of congress before he raised his
voice against tariff protection for
trust made articles. The conditions
we have now existed then. Eddy was
in congress during all the years when
the biggest trusts were organized.
Did anyone ever hear of his propos-
ing to remove the duty on steel when
the steel trust was organized? Did he
propose to apply that potent remedy
to remove the trust cancer in any in
dustry? Well, not to any perceptible
extent. Perhaps he was too busy hir-
ing foreign laborers for the Clergue
syndicate. But Eddy knows that peo-
pie forget quickly, aud figures that
bold talk now, when he seeks posi-
ton in which the people cannot ask
him to do Anything to further the re-
forms he advocates, will make people
forget his inaction in the past.
When it comes to state issues it is
easy to see that Eddy expects Bob
Dunn to be his most dangerous CON-
petitor. To take the wind out of
Bob's sails he raises with much ado
the main sail used by Van SAINT 10
sailing into Office the second time.
No doubt Dunn is the more popular
man of the two in Minnesota. But if
the people can again be stirred to
frenzy on the merger issue Dunn may
be beaten, for he had the courage to
say what many people undoubtedly
thought, that the governors loud
talk on that subject was mere bun
combe. Most people who have really
thought on the subject have come to
the conclusion that the railroads can
not be forced to compete, even if they
are forced to maintain separate Or
CARNATIONS; that the question can
only be settled by government regu-
lat1on OF rates or government owner
ship and operation of the roads. But
most people do not think; they absorb
other PERSONS thoughts, and the most
popular pill of tn at kind at present is
the one manufactured by Van SAINT &
Co. SO Eddy shouts the merits of
this prescription and intimates that it
would not be safe to elect any man
who does not swear by it; therefore
Bob Dunn won't do. The choice so
far then is limited to Eddy and Van
SAINT, and as the latter has had the
Office for two terms he ought to get
off.
Thus Eddy is running on two main
propositions, one of which he can do
nothing about if elected and the other
one that'will be settled by the courts
before the next governor takes his
place. 1t is a very safe platform, for
it will leave him nothing to do to
carry it out.