Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1908-09-30

!. I IL u
government and make certain that
political combinations and official col
lusions between them should not be
doubly probable, and to that end made
one branch Republican and the other
Democratic, they simply emphasized
the constitutional purpose of a divided
responsibility between the two branch.
es Of government.
Harmony In All Branches.
But, as matter of history and fact,
Notwithstanding my election as a
Democrat and the election of a legis-
lature Republican in both branches,
doubt if any governor in the fifty years
of this states organization has re-
ceived on the whole a more substan-
tial cooperation on the part of the
legislature, or had a larger number of
his recommendations enacted into law,
than have had during the past four
years at the hands of the members of
the sessions of 1905 and 1907. More
over, so far as the achievement of
practical results is concerned, no legis.
lature in the history Of Minnesota has
enacted into law as many vital re.
forms, or placed upon the statute-book
az many important measures Of con-
structive craftsmanship, az the Ieqis.
Iatures Of 1905 and 1907 during the ad.
ministration Of Democratic governor.
II my worthy opponent, furthermore,
knows Of any legislature Of which he
has been a member, that has been
more free from the influence of lobby
lists, more divorced from the control of
special interests, more devoted to the
protection of the highest public well
fare, or has done more for state in
situations and the states general
development. than the two legislatures
with whom I have shared a divided
responsibility during the past four
years, challenge him to name it.
Charge Strikes Fellow Candidates.
To sustain his general proposition,
that the division of responsibility
between the executive and legislative
branches of government is productive
of bad results, he charges extrava-
gance, increased taxes, and the null
tiplication of Offices and salaries. "Nor
were the Democrats impartial" ad-
mits Mr.. Jacobson, "for they divided
with their Republican brothers, and
all got their share" In short, accord
ing to the charges filed by my worthy
opponent, Democratic and Republican
executive officials must have "gone in.
to cahoots'' with the Republican legis.
lature to loot the state treasury. But,
if Mr.. Jacobson's charges are true, or
if he believes they are true, he should
go into every legislative district of
this state, Republican as we'll as
Democratic, and demand the defeat of
every member of the last legislature
who is up for reelection; because not
dollar can be appropriated for state
purposes, and not an Office or salary
created, except By authority of the
legislature. If Democratic cover.
nor recommended the measures and
signed the bills. it was a Republican
legislature that passed them. More.
over, Mr.. Jacobson, to be consistent,
should likewise oppose the reelection
of many of his colleagues on the same
ticket; for the Republican lieutenant
governor, auditor, treasurer, secretary
of state, and attorney general were
likewise to some extent particeps Grim
inis. But, inasmuch as Mr.. Jacobson
is looking for Democratic shoulders
upon which to lay his charges, and
claims that all of the alleged bad re-
suits have arisen in the state "since
it fell under Democratic government
! cheerfuIIy accept tho challenge and
am here to meet the issue. Not only
do l deny the charge of general and
undue extravaganza on the several
branches of the state government dur
ing the past four years, but I am pre-
pared to Justify the claim that In nd
other four-year period Of It's history
has the state government Of Mime
sofa made finer record from the
standpoint Of the public income and
investment, of she public revenue and
expenditure, Of the protection and
management Of public property, Of
the handling and security Of the pub
lie funds, Of the development and adj
ministration of public institutions, Of
public control and supervision over
private corporations, from the stand
point Of the public peace, health
morals and enforcement Of laws, OF
from that Of conserving and develop
ing the states resources and advanc
ing Its general welfare.
Asked for More Money.
But Mr.. Jacobson, in discussing this
question Of administration, and, as he
terms it, RECKLESS legislative extrav
agance," is in possession of short
memory; because, if his indictment Is
true, he is amongst the greatest Grim
inals Of them all. Mr. Jacobson fol
time served as member of the
State Board of Control, body having
charge of the various charitable and
penal institutions of the state, and
likewise, during his term, had financi
al management of many of the educa
tional institutions of our state. Under
the law it was the duty of that board
to make report of the biennial period
to the governor and the members oil
the legislature. Mr.. Jacobson, as
| chairman, signed a report in which
he said:
I'm assuming charge Of the institu-
tions on August LIST. 1901, we found the
salary list of employees generally much
below what it should have been, taking
! into account the cost of living and sala-
ries paid in the business world. We have
advanced them from time to time, as
means were provided for so doing, unit
the total increase amounts to twenty pc,
cent, or an additional annual outlay fol-
salaries Of seventy-ive thousand dollars
| more than has previously been paid. The
| last advance was made in cases where
meritorious services seemed to require i,