The Irish standard., 1908-10-03
state officials who have served the public.
Good Roads and prainaue.

state officials who have served the public.
Good Roads and Drainage.
"extrayaaanss" DURING the past four
n reads a. and 5 state "a drainage; For the cause
ated state highway commission, ion ap-
priation Of $1,000 a year as salary and
expenses exp at.,, OF the engineer and assistants.
tieth Of a mill on the total state valua-
tion to constitute a state road and bridge
fund; The session ..od Of d 1897 made direct
bridges in the eighty five counties, besiles
providing for a more effective co-opera-
tion between the counties and the state
of a state system of good roads. IL this
Is extravaganee, then say let US have
enough Of T. to give Minnesota one Of
There is no more effective means of de-
velopment of the industries and trade of
community than by building good roads.
The greatest beneficiary of all is the
farmer. If it costs the farmer six cents
| to eight cents per bushel. as estimated,
to haul his grain from the farm to the
reduce this cost merely two cents on
AIinnesota's 9 grain and potato crop of $780,,
100000 bushels would be worth to Min
| more than partisan cry of "extrava-'
gance," to block the liberal support of a
Minnesota.
opment, or Democratic extravasance,".
past four years, is that Of drainage. The
state drainage engineer estimates that
during the two years. 1907 and 1905 alone.
VIII reaes Sae Sis GE does nee
all come out of the state treasury. BY
the amendments in the state drainage
law laws OF 1.-THE, the last session, private parties
the enginsser. nearly 80 per cent of the
Of 81 fss3s2 as aths the
construction of the two years will reach
the. vast aggregate of nearly 4,5OO,Oo0
cubic yards. making approximately at S35
two years work, s41,soo acres Of land
will be reclaimed for agricultural pur
Is owned by. the state. At an average
benefit of only $500 per acre. the aggre-
gate benefit to the state Of Minnesota on
suit of an expenditure of s1S5,O00. The
drainage expenditure of the two years
therefore yields the state net profit Of
liable channel of public ''extravagance''.
nay, rather. sound public investment.
than. this, for a state owning millions of
ern counties?
The state drainage commission consists
Of the governor. auditor and secretary Of
state: 1t is therefore, as at present COM
posed, non-partisan, or, my worthy
opponent ,lI. would term it. made up on the
drainage expenditures of the past two
years? Prior to 1907 the total drainage
expenditures res under the commission We're
original Red River Valley drainage com
mission made total of only s35S,OOO OF
drainage Improvements in the previous
the s450,O00 of drainage Improvements OF
the past two years. At the same time
only 125. 900 acres of state lands were
past two years. 1t is now up to YOU the
taxpayers and benefciaries of this great
system of reclamation, to determine
vided responsibility" which brings to the
state $SS7.0O0 benefit at an expenditure of
s1S5,0o0, is good and should be perpetuated
years.
In concluding this important summary
Of my stewardship, let me touch upon a
erelan directors and stockholders in this
great institution, one Of the greatest on
is stt It as Of xren Sez1 Arf ny
good. or as /. political institution for the
~ Gss, Your r. foremost 9 Rs and exclusive thought
is the general public good. At the same
time, it is true: the party oMrganizations M
that purpose? That purpose is publicity.
and as a check upon abuses Of control.
Political compstition and aa rivalry gives the
into abuses, and it also furnishes Che
called a. check upon the dominant control
| by placing a Democratic governor in the
capitol, and continued that check in 1906.
with such marked success in 1885 when
you interrupted the dominant political
regime by eleeti,ng as governor YER Hon John
| gents of your state university. The sue
cess and wisdom Of these three expert
Is the question now n: be-
Have the results been satisfactory to
you as sovereign directors OF your great
| corporatIon7
When has the state made greater prog
ress. enjoyed greater general prosperity.
achieved greater public reform, protected
and agricultural domain. expended and
| invested funds more wisely and pro-
! ductively for the general development.
| cational and charitable institutions, as
well as win honor and credit at home and
throughout the nation in greater degree.
which YOU voted for so-called "divided
domination? Even the gross earnings
had the honor to introduce though not
with success at the time. was introduced
when there was Democratic governor.
John Lind. who recommended and de-
| manded this reform with all the power
of his logic and wisdom. as embodied in
his message to Republican legislature
been achieved through LEGISLATION and the
sion. % has 's come ~ when there was a
Democratic governor In the capitol de-
mandlna such reforms. Every Republican
department, even the Republican legisla:
ture, have done better work. produced
greater results, kept an ear closer, to
| sentiment, when there was a Democratic
governor to call them to account or sound
the toesin Of public reform Do You want
choose to throw the government back
upon the. old regime Of domination by
wheh You haSe durne
| the past four years? You are the owners
and stockholders in this great Democratic
institution-the State. 1t is up to you.
............'.....'....
the stewardship which you have
established during the past four
tao W %hst Xoy YOU ase key eet
by reversal Of stewardship? DO
you want the present administra-
support Of public institutions, de.
veiopment Of public highways and
drainage, extension Of twIne and
| harvester manufacturing, reduction
Of railroad rates, strict examina-
tIon Of public and corporation
accounts, efficient regulation Of In
surance and banking, protection
Of labor and health, promotion Of
the states great agricultural indus
try, production Of revenue by Justly
| Increased and reasonable Ievies
upon the great mineral, timber and
| franchise interests. the strict and
impartial enforcement Of the laws