Mower County transcript., 1908-03-04
POLITICAL ISSUES

Some Of the Most Important Political
Issues in the Coming :
Campaign.
TO the People of the State of Mime
sofa:
AS we are at the dawn Of another
political campaign, both state and
national, it behoves the American
people to wake up and be alive to
their interests. The Republican par
ty is mainly responsible for the laws
now on our statute books, both state
and federal, and also for administer
ing and executing the same. The
Republican party has been a pro-
gressive and constructive party, and
all the grand and noble achieve
ments that have been accomplished
in this country in the last fifty years
have been accomplished through the
instrumentality of the Republican
party. In the state of Minnesota
there has been some disruption and
discord in the Republican ranks in
the last four years and the same thing
has happened in Iowa and other
states. Now what is the reason for
this? The reason is, there has been
too much "bossism" and ring lead
ers VINO have manipulated the con-
ventions and whole political ma
chinery and dictated against the will
of the people. Even under the pri-
mary election system this has been
tried, and it is about time the people
put a stop to it. The result of the
last two state conventions gave the
son as they never should forget.
They repudiated the will of the
people, and the result of the general
election was the most emphatic dis
approval and rebuke of political in
trigue and bossism. It was humil-
iating for the Republicans of Min
nesota to elect and re-elect a Demo-
cratic governor, but it was necessary
under the circumstances to do so for
the chastisement of the self-consti-
tuted political bosses and ringleaders
of political cliques, and to rectify
the wrongdoings of repudiating the
choice of the people. There are two
distinct and separate factions in the
Republican ranks today, both state
and national. One is the old stand
pat" faction, and the other is the
progressive faction who are work
ing for progress and reform to meet
the conditions of our time. The
"stand-patters" stand pat on their
old theories, customs and traditions,
who want to be dictators for tho
people. The progressive Republi-
cans believe in progress and reform,
and government of the people, by
the people and for the people" in
the fullest sense of the term. They
are growing backward into the orig
inal belief that republic was and
should be a government of and by
the people. The people are learning
the lesson of their power before the
cliques will learn the corresponding
lesson of seeking the men to high
offices of trust and responsibility
who are favored by the people and
are in sympathy and harmony with
the policy and interest of their con-
:stituents. That is a fundamental
lesson, the lesson of true Democra-
ICY, expressed through Republican
principles. The sooner the classes
learn this the better 1t will be for
the publication of American politics
and the establishment of stable gov
ernment. The people have the "pow-
er behind the throne" if they want
to use it, and their decision is final,
as they are the highest court in the
land under a Democratic form OF
government, as there is no other
tribunal who has any appellate juris-
diction. To the extent that the
American people learn to use their
collective power to demand what il
right and just and equitable, and de.
mand it intelMgently, will we have
government of, by and for the
people. To that extent only car
this be ''the land of the free and thu
home of the brave" The greatest
good to the greatest number is thu
maxim of the age. 1t is the cardina
principle of civil government. Thai
is what the "stars and stripes stani
for, the emblem of liberty This
is true republicanism, this is tru,
Americanism!
Now in order to bring harmonious
results the Republican party mus
unite their forces in Minnesota, ant
not let petty factiOnalism divide them