The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-09-17
Closing the Primary.

night, the primary campaign reached
it's climax in the great law and order
meeting at the Auditorium on SATURDAY..
That meeting gave character to the
whole campaign. It brought promi-
nently to the front the fact that this
has not been a partizan campaign 50
far as the mayoralty is concerned, but a
movement of the people to protect and
hold the ground which has been taken
for law enforcement. The reception to
Mayor Jones was a remarkable testi-
monial of popular approval. No such
ovation has ever been given to a candi-
date for local office. No such ova-
ton is possible except where a candi-
date represents an issue which trans
cends ordinary political interests, and
which crosses party lines. Mayor Jones
could better afford to be defeated with
the approval of the great concourse of
3 itizens who gathered at the Audito-
than his opponent could afford to
inated without it. But with the
. iu3tal of such a meeting, carrying
c 50, Ioslt the approval of the whole city,
s Mayor Jones cannot be defeated
The question now before the repub-
lican primary is that Of giving Mayor
Jones' administration such an emphatic
Endorsement that the mere detail of the
regulation Of the saloon by law will be
taken out Of politics. The mayor can
then go forward to the consideration Of
other constructive work for the city.
The points to be observed by politi-
clans are:
First that in opposing the present ad-
mlnistration and it's policy they are op-
posing not Jones, but the law enforce
ment sentiment Of the community AS
Mr.. G. W. Van Tuyl stated it In a talk
last evening, it is comparable to the
anti-slavery agitation. The public
man who in 1881 allied himself with
the pro-slavery party lost nothing. But
the same man who allied himself with
the pro-slavery party in 1851 lost much
for himself, for his children and for his
children 3 children. He fell outside the
breastwoTks and he dragged his de.
scendants with him. The Temperance
sentiment Of this country has been
growing, at first slowly and afterwards
more rapidly. It has reached a eli
max as did the aspiration for freedom
in 1861. The man who puts himself in
opposition to the tide does himself and
his children wrong.
Then there is to be considered the
material benefits involved in the re-
nomination and election of Mayor Jones
We must not think this thing is being
done in corner. The whole country is
observant Of the campaign in Minneap.
oils. If Mayor Jones is defeated on the
issue he has raised it will go out over
the country that Minneapolis has gone
back on the stand she took for law en-.
forcement. The people who are looking
toward Minneapolis as model town fol
a home and for business will have their
ardor dampened. It will be useless to
tell such people that the defeat of
Jones made no difference, that the other
candidate is a good man. The people
who are looking toward Minneapolis
will, if Jones is defeated, wait to see
what happens and they may meantime
make other plans. The accessions to
our population will be less in number
and of less desirable quality if Jones
is defeated. The country knows Jones
and what he has done. It does not
know Williams nor what he will do No
! body does. The city knows Jones and
what he has done. The city does not
know Williams and he refuses to tel
it what he will do. On the one side is
; certainty, on the other uncertainty. Or
the one side is a known policy which il
progressive; on the other an unknown
policy which may be retrogressive. The
choice is between the known and the I'm
known. It is not between Jones ant
Williams as individuals but between
the Jones who says and the William
who shirks. The American people wer,
e never known to follow shirker. Per
sonal friendship, which ordinarily is
large factor in local politics, loses it,
effectiveness in this crisis. This is no
a pat-me-on-the<back campaign. It i
not "good fellow campaign. It i
a campaign in which the republicans O
Minneapolis are going to say whethe