The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1904-02-18

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otherwise, and have never done so
as my record in the state auditors
Office will fully bear out. / can
point to several instances where l
enforced the laws against these
lines of railroad embraced in what
is now termed the merger. There
was the matter of a claim made for
lands by the Little Falls & Dakota
railroad under it's grant, which l
successfully combated and saved to
the state 100000 worth of land.
My efforts to increase the gross
earnings tax of the railroads was
certainly not in the interests of the
railroads, and it is not likely that it
pleased Mr.. Hill.
"When l announced my candi-
dacy for the Republican nomina-
ton for governor at the beginning
of this year, l said:
81 heartily indorse and approve
the platform adopted by the Repub-
lican state convention of 1909.
"The particular plank of that
platform referring to the merging
of competing lines of railroads is as
follows:
at has been the settled policy, as
declared in the laws of this state
for a quarter of century, that
competing lines of railway shall not
be merged. We believe that the
protection of the citizen and his
property, as well as the safety of
the state, rests on obedience to the
laws.
"In my announcement | also
made this pledge: Il pledge my
self to a fearless and impartial en-
forcement of the laws on our statute
books. particularly those which
guard the interests of the people
from the encroachment of corpor-
ate greed and aggression Can l
make any declaration more explicit
upon this question?
81 have affirmed and 1 do now
again affirm that the
LAW SHOULD BE SUPREME
and as governor it would be a
pleasure as we'll as my duty to see
that all the laws are impartially en-
forced. 1 believe that the preser-
Walton of competition between COM
mon carriers is necessary to the
commercial prosperity of Mime
sofa. No matter what may be the
outcome Of the merger suit now
awaiting adjudication by the Uni
ted States supreme court, we must
all abide by that decision. How
ever, in case the final determin-
alton is adverse to the best interests
of the state, l shall urge the enact
ment of more effective Legislation,
such as will be for the best inter-
ests of the people.
eff any voter in the state thinks
that if am chosen governor I will
be influenced to act against the in
terests of the state by J. J. Hill,
Thomas Lowry or any magnate or
corporation, or induced by them in
the remotest degree to do anything
detrimental to the interests of the
people of Minnesota, it Is the
bounden duty of that individual to
oppose my nomination and election
at the primaries and at the polls.
"In view of my past record, and
my expressed declarations on this
question, it is unjust, unfair and
dirty politics for any one to en-
deavor to influence the people
against me in the manner that is be-
ing attempted on this issue.''
After long and vehement insist
ence on the part of Mr.. Dunn and
his adherents that "the merger was
out of politics" and emo longer an
issue" they suddenly awoke to the
fact that it was Gin politics" bigger
than a bear, and that it was can is
sue" that could not be side tracked
or evaded. For this reason this
strong, apparently anti-merger
statement is issued, and it is first
published, under startling head
lines on the front page of the Pho
neer-Press admittedly the strongest
and ablesu republican pro-merger
paper of the land, and to make the
travesty still more complete it ap-
pears simultaneously in the St. Paul
Globe, the state democratic organ,
whose reputed owner is the man
whose master mind conceived the
idea of the Northern Securities
company, the daring and brilliancy
of which startled the financial
world.
AS a mastery piece of special
pleading, as skillful evasion hid
den by the cloak of pretended frank