The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1907-09-20
'l'E,l RIDDEN MINNESOTA
Rich Resources and Legislature
the Prey Of Combinations.

In considering the clique that con-
trolled in the House four questions
sugeest themselves: N What called
the combination into existence7 (2
Of what did combination consist'
(3) How did this Reorganization"
accomplish it's own creation and other
objects' ~ What were the ends at
taiuedi I shall not attempt to ans
wer these questions, but merely to
suggest conditions and incidents
which should stimulate every consci'
entious citizen to closer study and
his own solution.
To fix the situation in your mind,
you must remember that the North
Star state, with all rich resources, has
become to an alarming extent the
prey of corporations. Minnesota was
at the time of the last session, and is
today, the worst trust-ridden state in
the west. To the northward the
great steel trust has fastened ite grip
upon that vast source OF mineral
wealth, worth more than a billion,
and has steadfastly refused to pay
even a tenth of it's share of the tax
burden. The steel trust naturally
had an interest in the legislature and
the clique that controlled it.
For years the railroads have per-
Sisted in q selfish policy which has
built up three great centers OF popu'
lation and commerce to the detriment
of every rural district in the state
compelling the people to pay rates
extraordinarily high and render poor
services, and on hauls unnecessarily
long. In addition, their stocks were,
and are, watered beyond all reason,
condition which works a gross injus-
tice upon the public, which has to
dividends on the fictitious,
as we'll as the actual, value. Public
sentiment demands relief, but the
railroads wanted these conditions to
continue, hence their very vital inter-
est in 'sthe combination"
The big breweries and whiskey
dealers were threatened with the loss
Of large areas of trade thru the coun-
ty option idea, so these extremely
powerful interests were Interested.
The old line insurance companies
presented the most anomalous spec
tacle of any party to the combination.
They really wanted certain reforms
to go thru so that they might reap
the reward of partially restored pub
lie confidence in their methods.
Then there were various other spe-
cial interests with legislative axes to
grind. Among these might be men,
toned the street car companies, paint
trust, telephone companies, sleeping
car companies, gas companies, and a
dozen of ".ramp corporations" that
fatten in our state. One very i'm
portant fact in connection with these
corporation conditions out of which
grew the necessity for "combina-
ton is that there was pratical pool
of their interests. All stood shoulder
to shoulder to shoulder in the fight
for control of the legislature. The
same crowd that protected the Nigh
ty steel trust helped to make railroad
reforms abo1tive and meaningless.
The liquor interests selected Repre-
sentive Webster of Glenwood to head
the House "temprance" COMMITTEES,
but heads of the others specially in
terested in liquor legislation were in
variably with the railroad represent
atiyes when votes were needed to kill
such measures as the Rockne stock
regulation bill or "play horse" with
the anti.pass proposition.
It was the same all along the line.
W henever the issue was clearly drawn
between the corporations and the peo-
pie the combination always asserted
tself. The common interest of the
corporations of Minnesota and the
tramp corporations operating in
Minnesota, was what caused them to
pool and, and cooperating with the
professional politicians of that body
to bring into being the combination
which was expected to control the
legislature and enable them to con-
tinue their special privileges and
powers over the people. 1t was the
common dagger of "square deal"
for the public that united the corpo-
rations, activity which resulted in