The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-10-23
THE TRUTH; EVEN WHEN 1T

The Minneapolis Times, referring to
one or two sentences in the address Of
President James J. Hill before the irri-
cation congress at Bismarck. says that
he could not refrain from taking what
slangy folk call "a shot at Minnesota"
The portion of the address referred to
is probably the following: Maybe we
should put in little line or two in
Minnesota if the people of Minnesota
would wake up. I have tried hard in
former years. used to try harder in
former years than I do now-to arouse
them, and harder than I had to do with
your people. And now you have grown
in advance of them until there is no
comparison between you in prosperity,
none whatever, and you deserve all you
have got''
The Times, after the fashion OF the
man who has an end to serve and a
case to make out, and not like one anx-
ious to find the fact, whether it be
pleasant or unpalatable, goes hunting
What it and all others who love Min
nesota and believe in her future would
better do is to inquire whether the fact
be as stated, and if so what is the eX-
PLANTATION and the cure of it. Mime
sota's prosperity will not come or go
at any ones bidding; but if it has de-
clined, or if It is less marked than that
of those having similar or even lesser
advantages, there can be nothing more
patriotic or more profitable than to in
quire into such a state of things with
view to putting an end to it.
The fact that North Dakota has rel
atively outstripped Minnesota in the
increase Of production, wealth and
general business seems to be undenia-
BILE. The people of Minnesota have
had every advantage possessed by their
neighbors and more. The state is old
er, better settled, closer to the great
markets, with more complete trans
fly and enlarge its industry have been
incessant and were begun long ago,
and in these Mr.. Hill himself played no
small part. It certainly is not inferior
to North Dakota in soil or climate or
any of the conditions favorable to
growth
This being true, Minnesota should
outstrip her neighbor to the west in
progress. She has not done it. The
returns of the railroads, of bust
ness houses, of the activities that
mark development agree that it is
not so. Advance she does, but she
is being greatly distanced not mere
ly in percentages, which would be
applicable in a new country, but in
actual increase of business from year
to year by the newer, poorer, but ac-
tive, sensible and industrious state of
North Dakota They do more work
and play less politics over there with
business interests for counters, and
this is the result.
If the fact is not pleasant, that does
iio' @iie'HSc It's SldHuIhS DIS 1dcl.
Neither does any foolish imputation of
reasons for stating it change the fact.
And a fact it is. If the Times or any,
| one else does not believe it, the figures
to prove it are available and will be
Forthcoming. They would not be
| pleasant reading for the people of this
state, but a careful study of them
would be salutary if it should lead to a
renewal Of the splendid enterprise and
harmonious cooperation of all the
factors of prosperity that built the
greatness of this commonwealth which
demagogy more than threatens to i'm
pair.