The Virginia enterprise., 1908-10-30
MINNESOTA
HIST0R'ICllIl
SOCIETY.
REPUBLICANS MAKE LAST STAND
The Triumvirate, Cottoo-C CIapp and
C0aQd0n, Address VirQin;aos.

In lieu of the man who dared not
come to the range to ask the sup
port of range voters in his candi-
dacy for governor, the republican
campaign committee favored VIII
ginia with trio of speakers to fill
the cancelled Jacobson date on
Wednesday-Messrs. Joseph B. Cot
ton, the steel corporation attorney,
Chester A. Congdon. a mine fee
owner of Duluth, and the Hon.
Moses +. CIapp. US. Senator whose
toga will again be awarded him,
peradventure, at the coming session
of the legislature.
Mr.. Cotton slid in on a special in
the early morning, accompanied by
&. G. Hartley, the reputed owner of
the Duluth News Tribune, Ed Win
dom, claim agent for the Missabe.
and number of other Duluthians
who dislike to see the range 90
wrong" at election time, and the
word went out that he would speak
at the Fay Opera at ten o'clock. But
the wires evidently got crossed, but
a dozen citizens appearing, and the
event was postponed until two
o'clock. AT this hour a fair house
turned out to hear the steel corpor-
alton representative, who delivered
the goods in a caustic address, ex-
tolling the virtues or alleged vir-
tues of Mr.. Jacobson and painting
Governor johnson in diametrical-
ly opposite manner. The tonnage
tax occupied much of the speakers
attention, but the united efforts of
Mr.. Cotton and of the speakers who
followed him at the evening pro-
gram did not avail with the think.
ing element of their audiences as
would the appearance of Mr.. Jacob
son and plain statement by him
of his past and present position on
this important question-provide
his present position, as alleged, ia
of a different hue from what his
past record shows.
The evening meeting, addressed
by Messrs. Congdon and Clapp, was
we'll attended, the address of Sena-
tor Clapp being at least entertain
ing to all, even those who differed
with him in opinion finding him, as
ever, pleasant and affable speaker.
Both gentlemen devoted L..
greater efforts to Mr.. Jacobson, each
dverring that Mr.. Jacobson had, in
private conversation with them,
gave vent to the statement that lie
was now strictly against tonnage
tax in any form. And while it is
not for us to question or impugn
the statement of either gentleman,
we would say that Mr.. Jacobson
has kept very quiet about such a
stand in any public utterance, al
though it is anticipated that he will
make the statement at Duluth on
Saturday evening when too late to
herald his alleged change of heart
the southern end of the state.
There is no fight against either
the republican national or republi.
can state ticket on the ranges aside
from the fight against the republic
can candidate for governor, whose
Legislative record brands him az an
exponent of the tonnage tax princi-
pie and as an opponent of every
northern Minnesota interest; and
the fact that a representative of the
steel corporation is championing
his cause in section where it ap-
pears Mr.. jacobson dare not come
and state his position on questions
of vital importance to our welfare.
has raised the question whether or
no the steel corporation wishes a
tonnage tax "in lieu of all other tax.
alton" or whether Honest, Rugged
Old Jake came across. If the latter
is the correct solution, he has kept
the secret with profound judgment;
he has not even breathed it into
phonograph that the record might
be reproduced for the delectation
of range voters.