Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1908-04-01
THIRD WARD
ELECTION ISSUES
Dr.. Johnson Discusses The Ones.
ton Involved I'm Third
Ward Election.

Ward Election.
Editor Willmar Tribune
At the mass meeting at Bonde
Hall large and representative del.
egation from Third ward nominated
Mr.. Victor E. Lawson, editor of
the Tribune, for alderman. The
writer of this, at the request of
representative citizens and property
holders Of the ward, moved his
nomination. and being also one of
the teliers, knows that he was nom.
mated after a fair and square con.
test with Mr.. Holt.
One would suppose that the oppo-
nents of Mr.. Lawson who partici-
pated in the caucus would have a
sense of fairness enough to abide
by the result of the caucus. Is the
position of alderman Of ward in
Willmar really Of sufficient import
ance for gentlemen to assume the
role Of boilers? If citizens who
did not participate in the caucus
were not satisfied with the caucus
nominee they could with all propri-
ETY. put up another candidate. But
that the very leaders of the oppo-
nents of Mr.. Lawson in the caucus,
because they were beat, should
at once proceed to nominate another
candidate is certainly peculiar pol
'tlcs in an aldermanic contest.
S 4ppose Mr.. Lawson had lost and
Mr.. Holt had won, does anybody
for a moment suppose that DR..
johnson would have lowered him.
self to such an extent as to 60
around with q petition, or signed a
petition, for an opposing candidate?
| hope not.
AS Mr.. Lawson, being the editor
Of the Tribune, cannot with propri-
ETY. discuss this aspect of the cam
paign, | 'eel obliged to do so, in
justice to manhood. l therefore
submit to the candid consideration
Of the voters of the Third ward the
question: Why this determined
opposition to Lawson?
lst. Is it because Mr.. Lawson is
a temperance man? | think not.
Mr.. Holt, his opponent at the eau
Gus, is temperance man. His &C.
ton on the council, had he been the
candidate, would have been practic-
ally Identical with that of Lawson.
| End. Is it because Mr.. Lawson
is bright Intellectually, is clean
morally and is energetic enough to
stand by what he believes is best
for the city? Perhaps 50. Yet
Mr.. Holt possesses these qualities
to a marked degree. No, there
are other reasons for not wanting
Lawson
Sd. Is it because Mr.. Lawson
has stood by the present council in
it's contest with the telephone com
pany? Undoubtedly Lawson atti-
tude on the telephone question is
one reason, the chief reason, why
heaven and earth must be set in
motion to defeat him. Mr.. Holt
was supposed-whether justly or
uniustly-to be vacillating on that
issue. We all know exactly where
Lawson stands on that question.
He stands openly, fairly. and
squarely for the interest of the citi-
zens of Willmar. That is why,
suppose, the telephone interest feels
it must defeat him with any means
within its power.
| Mr.. Lawson was nominated by,
and stands on the platform of the
city mass meeting, to-wit: for the
enforcement of law, economy in
finances, and support of the atti-
tude Of the present council on the
telephone question.
What does his opponent stand
for? You don't know and l don't
know, but it is safe to presume he
stands for something else. It is
reasonable to infer that he repre-.
sents the men or interest back of
Lawyer Gilbert and Wheat inspect.
or Johnson, who are plugging for
aim.
Does anybody fear that the coun-
Gil of Willmar is going to hurt the
Northwestern Telephone Exchange
Co.? Why, bless our soul! Will
mar can no more hurt that gigantic
concern than it can hurt the man
in the moon. That company has
it's lawyers hired by the year and is
guaranteed by supreme court deci-
sion after decision in it's right of
fair return on the capital invested
in it's plant.
But the trouble is that the com.
pany is not satisfied with fair re.
turn on its investment. We be.
lieve it earns several times fair re.
turn on its investment. We de.
mand to see its books and appraise
its plant. The law guarantees us
this. We demand to know that il
is giving US fair rates. Is there
anything unfair in this? No. it is