The Irish standard., 1908-10-03
GOV. JOHNSON'S KEYNOTE SPEECH

government and make certain that
political combinations and official col
luslons 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 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 lcgis.
lature Republican in both branches.
doubt If any governor in the fifty wears
OF this states organization has re.
ceived on the whole a more substan.
tial cooperation on the part OF the
legislature, or had Il larger number of
his recommendations enacted into law
than l 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 leqis
lature in the history Of Minnesota has
enacted into law as many vital re
forms, or placed upon the statute-book
as many important measures of con
structive craftsmanship, as the leqis
latures of 1905 and 1907 during the ad
ministration of Democratic governor
If my worthy opponent, furthermore
knows of any legislature of which he
has been Il member, that has beer
more free from the influence of lobby
lists. more divorced from the control o
special interests, more devoted to the
protection of the highest public wei
fare, or has done more for state in
stitutions and the states genera
development, than the two legislatures
with whom l have shared a divided
responsibility during the past foul
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 mul
tiplication of Offices and salaries. mol
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 lcgls-
lature to loot the state treasury. But
if Mr.. Jacobson's charges are true, or
if he believes they are true, he should
so into every Legislative district OF
this state, Republican us we'll as
Democratic, and demand the defeat OF
every member of the last legislature
who is up for reelection; because not
a dollar can be appropriated for state
purposes, and not an Office or salary
created, except b. 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 "sincC
it fell under Democratic government u
cheerfuIly accept the challenge and
am here to meet the ISSUE Not only
do | deny the charge OF general and
undue extravaganza on the several
branches OF the state government dur.
ing the past four years. but ! am pre-
pared to justify the claim that in no
other four-year period of its history
has the state government Of Mime.
sofa made finer record from the
standpoint of the public income and
Investment, of the 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 ad
ministration Of public institutions, OF
public contro! 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.