The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-07-28
OPEN LETTER TO
THE PEOPLE.
Mr.. Editor.


Our people are crying out now to the
public officials and legislators: Save
the swamp lands! Why did we not see
far enough into the future to save the
State iron lands. Why not stop and
save what we have left and not lease
any more to ship away out of the state
in the raw state. would have every
ton of ore mined from state lands
manufactured at home for the benefit
! of Minnesota's people. If this policy
had been pursued 20 years ago, Min
| nesota could have been so wealthy that
she would have been self sustaining
without taxing her population to run
! the state government. The people of
other states that have no such source
Of wealth as the iron mines Of Min
nesota would flock here III large num-
bers, if we had little or no taxes to
| pay, because we were smart enough
| to save and use our richest resources
| at home, rather than to lease state
lands for little or nothing, and allow
the raw material to be carried to ports
so far east of US that we derive no
benefit for our own people. Labor goes
| a-begging here with millions at our
feet. All because Of the kind Of men
who are sent to the legislature by their
master, and the common populace look
on and wonder why the great public
| officials have such small heads and
! such long pocket books and want the
farmers and mechanics at home and
the ordinary working men to be taxed
to pay their fat salaries while they roll
In free dinners, free drinks and free
passes. Oh! what bliss they have
enjoyed at the expense Of the deaf peo-
pie, but what good have they &C.
complished for any body but them
selves. Put your finger on any legisla-
| tive act passed to help the common
people. No, you can't find it, for the
past Is years the corporate masters
have owned and controlled the men
who sit In the house and senate daily
a few short hours and in the wine
room till the wee small hours in the
morning and then sleep till 10 a. m.
day after day, and then they imagine
/ their heads are swelling. Perhaps they
| are, but not with increased knowledge
Of how to make their constituents pros
porous and happy, their state govern
ment strong and great. If you were
| to ask many Of the members Of the
house and some Of the senate why they
| are sent to the law making halls: What
are you going to do this term for
the good of your constituents? All, We
are going to gather up the wealth of
| our great state and hand it over to
strangers, and when all the shining
| millions have been hauled beyond the
| borders Of the state, ah, then we will
cheer the sorry hearts of our hood
| winked constituents with the assurance
| that now If they will only vote once
more for us, we will save for them the
swamp lands. Don't worry about the
| iron lands we have leased. Look at
| the great carrying crafts that have
| come to our doors to float away our
| Minnesota dust to the ports of the
East, where the iron masters are gloat-
Ing over their great and good fortune
! enjoyed at Minnesotaas loss. Oh how
| long will the free American people re-
main free? When will they learn to use
the great power of the free ballot left
| by our forefathers. which in recent
years has ben dragged in the mire Of
bribery, perjury, robbery and duress.
| Some of the best tacticians among
the great corporate powers vote their
| y,
by voting their large armies Of labor
ers like cattle driven to the yoke, and
these same men who are mostly money
kings will go upon the public platform
and boast of the free ballot. Take a
long suit in the political management
of the greatest party organization that
ever existed, but there is something
wrong Of late, the people have stopped
voting the tickets put up by these
great corporate leaders, they are now
beginning to buck, and what is the
result Well, the great republican
state Of Minnesota has a Democratic
governor, and her yeomanry are glad
Of it. Several of the largest and best
cities In the state have Democratic
mayors, too. The great and wise po-
litical fathers Of our once proud party
surely must have slipped. Too many
self-appointed pinheads at the helm,
the voters have turned their backs and
! for two years have gone the other
way, and the breakers are looming up
for November. Look Quit. The STRAIT
egic play at the great Duluth conven-
t1on was fine to look upon, but was it
good politics in state populated as is
Minnesota, and they are a good class
Of citizens, too. l like Mr.. Cole, he is
good, clean business man, and will
vote for him, but while can do that,
there are many who will not do so,
not for any prejudice against Mr.. Cole,
but what they fear are the political
powers that must necessarily be his
| supporters and will claim all the plums
when he is elected.
Thanking you again, am yours for
| good government.
| D. M. De WORE,