The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-03-18
WHY NOT AN mssuE?"
Politicians Should Favor Development
The People Do.

Politicians Should Favor Development
The People Do.
To the Editor of The Journal
Some days ago I read in your paper a
letter from H. c. Erwin of st. Cloud,
wherein he favored state development as
one Of the issues in the next political
campaign And my attention has just
been called to an article in the st.
Cloud JournalPress, wherein that paper
condemns the proposition on the ground
that there is no political advantage to be
gained by making that issue; that it is
a question that both parties would favor,
and the democrats would get just as
much benefit from such an issue as
would the, republicans, consequently that
question should not be taken up.
I have read nothing more surprising in
many day. Are we to sidetrack every
deserving proposition when we see no
party advantage in favoring it, are we
to work a little bit for the good Of the
state? .s 1-F y
Mr. Eastmans course of reasoning may
be very good for the politicians, but it
is not satisfactory to- the people. Charity
begins at home and let us see for a little
while where our interests lie. Let us
see for a little while whether the agita-
ton of the question of state development
would be of any help to the farmers.
For the last six or eight years the great
state of Minnesota seems to sit around
with it's arms folded. while Canada and
the states to the west of us have been
vigorously at work trying to get settlers.
Pick up twin city paper and you are
liable to run across a great long article
! setting forth the advantages Of Canada
or Dakota, and giving many reasons why
| it would be profitable to move there.
Look for anything favorable to the Min
nesota lands, and you will hardly find
a word. Everything is dead: No appar-
ent effort in the settlement Of our own
state. What is the RESULT Trainload
after trainload; thousands top of thou
sands of people have gone right thru oul
state and passed better lands to locate
| in Canada or Dakota. The state that
makes the effort is the state that gets
the people. Those commonwealth are
rapidly gaining in population and wealth
And how is it with us? Many Of the
counties where the soil is as rich as {
barnyard haven't, got as many people nov
as they had ten years ago. 1t is almos
impossible to get desirable: tenant, ant
to hire a farm hand is much like buy
ing a gold mine. In some Of the coun
ties Of the state much Of the fertile land
once cultivated, now lies idle because i
is impossible to- get desirable tenants
The people have been enticed out Eof tn
state and no sufficient effort made t
fill the vacancy. Let this condition o
things continue for a while, and it vii
:; unless we wake up and do something
and the price Of real estate will be fat
tened out like a lath. We won't any o
us be worth as much as we thought w
were. Land that you can't get tile
Operates as liability instead of a
tasset. People will soon tire. Of ownin
farms that are a bill Of expense. Thi
condition of things need not be. A
} we have to do is to wake up and d
r something. Our land is as good sas an
r on earth. Let us¬ hesitate nor fail t
say SO. Let us work together An