The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1906-03-08
STATE ISSUES,

ues" has {, seductive sound, but it
needs something more specific to
get votes,
In the first place Wat state issues
shall we have? The development
of the northern part of the state.
Good-but it is so good that every
body will agree to it. You cannot
have an issue unless somebody
takes issue with you. That is the
practical trouble IN evolving state
issues for the Elephant that will
give it an advantage over the Mule
The Mule is some times wiser than
it looks, and it can endorse Just as
enthusiastically sentiments that will
be generally approved as can the
Elephant. With both great parties
agreeing on the same things, there
can be no political advantage for
either, and certainly the Democrats
not will furnish the Republicans a
step-ladder on which to climb back
intot he governors chair.
Now there is an issue, which is
both national and state, that has cot
to be fought out right here in Min
nesota. 1t is the regulation of
railroad rates, and the correct solu-
ton of this question will do more
for the prosperity and development
Of the state than all the side-issues
that can be conjured up by crafty
demagogues.
There is not an inland town or
city in this great commonwealth
but what is being held back by un-
fair railroad Notwithstanding
rates in favor of the big cities.
Just one illustration: The
distance from Duluth to the twin
cities is longer than from Duluth
to st. Cloud, and yet the people
of St. Cloud are compelled to pay
fifty cents ton higher freight on
coal in carload lots than the people
of the twin cities. This means to
st. Cloud twenty thousand dollars
a year which the business men and
householders of the Granite city
hand over to the Great Northern
road for no reason. In mild TERMS
it is railroad robbery. The same
condition affects nearly every article
shipped into nearly every town in
the state west of st. Paul, Mime
apolis and Duluth.
How can this be made state
issue? Everybody will agree to
the truth of the statement and to
the conclusion that something
should be done to remedy the
trouble.
There is one way-and we can
see but one way. Let the Republi-
can party have the courage and the
honesty to nominate man whose
record will make this the issue-a
man who has fought the railroad
lobby year after year until he
created public sentiment which
compelled the Legislature to increase
the gross earnings tax of the rail
roads from three to four per cent
and has given the people of the
state million dollars year in in
creased corporation taxes. Nomi-
nate such man and the people will
know that the Republican party is
in earnest, and has shaken off the
control of the corporations, which
throttled it two years ago.
The only way for the Republican
party to win this year in Minnesota
is to nominate candidate who will
make the issue-who will put the
party right before the. people-and
who will relegate the Democratic
party to its time-serving place-the
tool of the corporations.
That is state issue worth talk
ing about-and it is the only one
which is worth while. Give Min
nesota square deal in railroad rates
and there will be such a tremendous
growth and prosperity that our past
progress, marvellous as it has been,
will be in comparison as the feeble