The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1906-09-14
STATE POLITICS.
Observation-Disclosures.

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st. Paul, Aug. Cuttings around
the capitol have been more strenuous
than they have been and if Governor
Johnson doesn't look little out | am
afraid he will be doing something
Spectacular" 1t is only week or
two since there was an air of sublime
inactivity around the governors office,
but in that short space of time mighty
things have been accomplished, II we
allow the governor and his private
secretary to tell the story. | referred
in my last letter to the fact that Mr..
Blakely of Rochester smoked out the
governor and made him show his hand
on the question of rate discrimina-
tions. 1t so happened that he wrote
his letter to the commission at time
when the roads had decided that their
best policy lay in a voluntary reduc-
ton of rates. They knew it was COM
ing anyhow and probably would be
more radical than it would be If they
did it themselves. Now the governor
and his private secretary are claiming
oil luS SlOl LII Ills Ill III hoS
reminds me of story l heard a long
time ago of man and his wife who
settled on the frontier. One day,
while they were at their little home,
bear intruded upon them and the man
hied himself upstairs in jiffy. The
plucky woman stood her ground and
fought the bear and finally killed him.
Then the brave head of the house
crawled down from his hidingplace
and said: Well done, us, Betsy; US
killed the bear"
An official at the state capitol not
long ago was heard to remark that the
question of the drainage of state lands
did not interest the people of the
southern part of the state; he said
that the lands down there had all been
drained. This remark from one in
official life led me to believe that
there is vast amount Of ignorance
on the subject in high places. This
being true, what might be expected
of the busy farmers and tradespeople
who have no particular occasion to
study the question. The drainage of
the states swamp lands is of the
greatest Importance to every part OF
the state, as it is from these lands
that the revenue is derived which the
state gives to the common schools.
Originally the United States granted
to the state of Minnesota about 5,000,-
900 acres of land. These lands were
given to railroads and institutions OF
different kinds until there remained
only about 100000 acres. At this
point some wise headed fellow sug-
gested that the remaining lands, and
any further grants which might be
made to the state, should be set aside
for the common schools and the edu-
cational and charitable institutions of
the state. A constitutional amend
ment was presented to the people Of
the state and adopted. This amend
ment provided that the proceeds from
the sale of these lands should form
a perpetual fund, the principal Of
which should never be touched. One
half the income from these funds was
to be given to the common schools of
the state and the other half divided
equally between the educational and
charitable institutions. The school
funds are distributed among the
schools of the state In proportion to
the enrolment. In this way the more
populous sections of Southern Mime
sofa get more benefit from the drain
age than the counties of Aitkin, Bel
trami, Itasca, Roseau, ETC., where
most of these lands are located, but
where the population is small. With
out drainage these lands would not
sell for more than 81 an acre. Be
tween 1891 and 1904 the average price
obtained for these lands was S6.43
per acre. With these facts in mind it
will be seen that the question of drain
age is very great one to Southern
Minnesota. The young man at the
capital who draws his salary every
month was very much mistaken when
he said it did not interest his section.
The more money they can get from
the state the less they have to raise
by direct taxation for school purposes,
and the more money the state can
get from these lands the more it will
have to give to the schools.
l understand that Mr. McDermott,
the state oil inspector, is making his
boasts of being able to deliver the
vote of the Commercial Travellers as
sociation to Mr.. Johnson. These men
are among the most intelligent men
in the state and they usually do their
own thinking. I have been wondering
what would happen when they dis
covered the pompous claims being
made as to how their vote will be de-
livered.
Mr.. Coles speech was delivered on
Monday evening at Kenyon. 1t was
just what his friends expected of him,
a forcible and plain spoken state pa
per- Mr.. Cole takes advanced ground
in railroad matters and these are
what are most agitating the public
mind just now. He makes it very
clear that he favors the strictest SUI
pervision of railroads and reduction
of rates to point where they will
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