The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-11-01
COLE ! / ]. IN 4 " ARDS n
in MINNEAPOLIS
REPUBLICAN, CANDIDATE, FOR
GOVERNOR SPEAKS.
Record Of Governor johnson on the
Railroad Question Is Vigorously Dis
cussed State Executive, in Declar-
ing Laws Sufficient, Is Shown Up.

A. L. Cole, republican candidate fol.
governor, spoke in four Minneapolis
wards last night. The meetings were
well attended and marked by enthusi-s
asm. Owing to the extent of territory
ne had to cover, Mr.. Cole was able to
speak only a few minutes in each place,
and at each hall many voters insisted
on stopping him for a hand-shaking re-
ception. = Z s.. : !.
Mr.. Cole stated his position briefly,
on state issues, and dwelt especially on
died Governor Johnson IS record and
published utterances in vigorous fash
ion. =. -. ~. 3. = -'.s."
Kenyon,' said Mr.. Cole, IT declared
that there was not only need for strict
enforcement Of our existing laws on
the railroad question, but. that addition
al legislation was needed. My .oppo-
nent takes the opposite view and says
that our present laws are both efficient
and sufficient: He has also made the
unk1nd remark that agitation for new
laws was a convenient excuse to, avoid
Now let me call your attention to q
speech delivered by the governor, Jan.
10 Of the presnet year. In that ad-
dress he declared that the people Of
Minnesota were being robbed by the
railroads Of thousands Of dollars by ex-
cess1ve rates, Determinations and re-
bates. He declared that under the
Iowa laws the people Of that state were
able to get service at greatly reduced
cost, and he urged that the people Of
this state elect a legislature this year
which would provide better laws for
the protection of the people Is interests
against the. railroads. -. -.
Seeking an Excuse7 =.
"Was Governor johnson irving at
that time to find an excuse for the non
enforcement of existing laws, or has he
had new light on the question since, to
convince him that OUR laws are eff
Gent and sufficient 2 :. As long as the
pass evil, the rebate evil, the private
exist, are our laws good enough9 L
say no. . m: .,
his seat until August of the present
year, he never seemed to- realize the
existence Of the board Of railway and
warehouse commissioners. No matter
how strongly he: may have talked on
the subject of rate reductions, he
never said word on the subject to the
officials authorized; to correct such
abuses. He never made suggestion,
find out what the commissioners were
doing. or proposed to do. 1t took a Lett
ter Of inquiry from a country editor ITO
awaken him. Within three DAYS after
that letter was written, exposing his
Inactivity. he wrote g., letter to the
commission. On. the strength Of that
letter he now. comes. forward with the
claim that he forced. the railroads of
the state to make reductions in freight
rates saving the people ,$l,5OO,000 a
year, IF by. writing 4 single letter the
governor could accomplish such \ great
results, why didn,' he write the letter
eighteen months beforeY,, It is a pitv
he didn't, 'aHdIso save the people Of
the state a. e6uple7 o8 millions which
they paid out DIN iBXeessivef crates dur
ing that time. -~-, It,. =.
~ am in favor of a law that will
put the orders of the commission into
immediate effect, and force the rail- rail-
roads ito make the reductions ordered;
whether they appeal to the courts or
not, the order to remain effective unless
the courts set it aside. - - -"
-. ~..> Timber Trespass. 80. :
Mr.. Cole took up the timber tres.
pass question, relating his own part
in the passage of more stringent law.
and said that the attorney general was
the man who had prosecuted the tres:
pass cases., altho the, governor has been
claiming the credit.
The first meeting was held at For
ester's hall on Thirteenth avenue NE,
where Mr.. Cole spoke from the same
platform as Mayor Jones and Frank NJ.
Nye. Karl De Laittre presided. The
Cole party then crossed the river p
aaSomobiles, and stopped first at $40
Eleventh street s, where Mr.. Cole al.
dressed fifth ward meeting. The third
speech was delivered at Monitor hail
in the twelfth ward, at Twenty-fifth
street, and Twenty-.eventh avenue s.
and the tour closed with a big meeting
in the Seventh ward wigwam on Lake
street. Another meeting had been
scheduled and announced by mistake
to be held in the Third ward wigwam
on Plymouth avenue. Several hundred
people made their way to the hall and
found it in use fora dance.
Speaks Again Tonight.
Mr. Cole spent today in Minneapolis
and fnnIcrh4 hos c+r