The Irish standard., 1908-10-03

that the voter should discard his own
judgment and conscience at the polls
and substitute that of the party or.
ganiZatiOn, however controlled. But
ours is government for and by the
people. 1t was never intended to be
for and by political organizations. The
voter and not the organization is the
sovereign. If the voter surrenders
his judgment to the organization he
abdicates his sovereignty. The final
and logical result is government by
the special interests, who own the
machine and employ the bosses who
manipulate the conventions and deal
out the nominations. 1t was precise
ly to defeat and prevent such domina-
tion that the independent voters of
this state rose en- masse and regis
tered their own judgment at the polls
in 1904 and 1906, the judgment which
my opponent now condemns. The issue
again lies before you. Are you SOW
ereigns in your own right, or simply
by grace Of the party whip? Will you
exercise your right to the registry of
your own judgment at the polls. or
have you delil cred your rights as a
voter to the interests or faction which
NOuClOAS a bldtt5 SOuSClLlOu.
Fruits of Independent Voting.
The issue thus laid ! cheerfulIy ac.
cept. hold that the voter who
goes out in the honest determination
to vote for the best man, regardless
Of partisan or other influences, can.
not go far wrong; and if Mr.. Jacob,
son wishes to take Minnesota's ad.
rinistration of the past four years
as the test Of that proposition, glad.
Iy accept the challenge. 1 am glad
of the opportunity to show that the
Republican voters who scratched
their tickets in 1904 and 1906 did
not, as claimed by Mr.. jacobson,
scratch their cross in the wrong
place. It gives me the greatest plea
sure to be able to show that, in prac.
ticaI reforms achieved, in construc.
tive legislation enacted and enforced,
in public property saved and pro.
tected, in public revenue recovered
and increased, the judgment of the
people Of this state as expressed re-
gardIess Of party in 1904, and again
in 1906, has been amply and doubIy
justified by definite and tangible re.
suits.
Jacobson's Logic Unsound.
The first article in my worthy on.
ponent's bill of Indictment is, that in
electing a Democratic governor and
Republican legislature the people of
Minnesota in 1904, and again in 1906,
were guilty of creating a divided re-
sponsibility."
"How many people ever consider what
the results are, or have cxamincd tho
under Democratic government? In a
financial sense what do you suppose the
results have been? Wien you divided
your votes you have done one great
thing. You have divided the rcsponsi-
bility."
Were the Fathers Wrong?
Now it happens that our government
is one of divided responsibilities. The
constitution of Minnesota, like that of
the United States and of the several
states, makes sharp and distinct line
of cleavage between the legislative,
executive and judicial responsibilities.
1t was the clearly expressed intention
Of the constitution makers to divide
governmental responsibilities so
strictly that each of the three great
coordinate branches should not only
be independent of, but should act as
a check upon, each of the others.
Therefore, when the voters Of Mime.
sofa saw fit in 1904 and 1906 to insure
the independence of the executive and
legislative branches Of the state