Morris tribune., 1906-03-17
outside this state.

could well be abandoned and prison labor turned
in some other direction, such as roadmaking.
1t is certainty, however, that with the prison
plant out of business prices would at be
advanced by the Irvine monopoly, and the farm
ers of Minnesota would be paying
bic profits to alien stockholders So the MINI
esota plant must be kept going, in the face of
astute efforts to crush it. The issue must be met
"The cordage interests have planned to
confine the fight to Minnesota. AS the state
law now stands prison Irvine may not be sold
in other states. If next year the flax Irvine
should break into prison sales as intended, the
prison would be left with millions of pounds
unsold. The plan conceived by the board OF
control and the warden, and now Endorsed by
governor is to amend our law SO that if neces-
sary prison Irvine may be sold i'll other states.
The prison output is practically sold tor this
season, so there is time for this change to be
made by the legislature next winter 1t will
mean that if a Minnesota market IS cNt OFT.
prison Irvine will go into the Dakotas, Iowa and
Wisconsin, where regular trust prices are
maintained.
| "The trust must then meet prison prices
in all this territory and cut its own profits to
almost nothing, Minnesota will dispose of its
entire surplus and the plant will GO on flourish
| ing.
|
a powerful antagonist and it may need the
moral support from the farmers of the state to
help win out. The state has certain advantages
in the contest, however. The prison labor is
less expensive than any the trust can lind, and
the prison does not have to pay any dividends
| to stockholders The only profit exacted by the
prison plant is that will provide sinking
/ fund to buy new machinery and meet emergen-
cies. Under these conditions the state ought
to meet any industrial competition, and prices
being equal, the states interests should be sup
ported by Minnesota people,
The question is of vital Importance to the
people of this Legislative district The fight
will probably centre in the next Legislature, and
it is up to the people of this district and every
other district in the state to send their most
Trustworthy men to frame the laws by which
the executive officers of the state shall be
bound in their contest with the trust We lay
especially emphasis on the necessity OF trust
worthy men, because the man that is not abso-
lutely square, always find all kinds OF
excuses for Legislative chicanery The trouble
is that the trust will not fight straight from the
shoulder It will aim to kill a bill with amend
mends, with gilded and alluring counter-propo-
sitons or with some astute legal difficult
The man who lacks unfaltering, homely
" -
gan becomes entangled III this maze either in
Itentionaly or unintentionally, and his useful
ness to the people is absolutely lost; while the
man gifted with good common judgment, and
graced with honest purposes, easily picks out
and follows the right way
t S t
The St. Cloud Journal-Press is opposed to |
making estate development" campaign issue, |
and the editor in stating his position seems to !
have given more attention to perfect1ng the
literary excellence of the fable of the Elephant
and the Mule, than to the consistency OF his
thought In other words, it is too thin. He
would not make estate development a state
issue because the Democrats would "enthuslas-
tically endorse" it, and result there would
be no "poltical advantage to be gained. lie I
suggests that the read ustment of railroad rates
is more desirable issue. In the first place,
if the great Republican party is going to take
up only such questions as have political adj
vantage" in them, it better go out OF business.
But at the same time we believe Estate devel-
opment" is replete with political advantage.
Look at the strong vote the Democrats got IN
Northern Minnesota two years ago, and then
saw what issue better than estate development
will bring the erring ones into the fold. Min