The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1910-10-06
Should Extend the Primary Law.

SnOuIo C\tSno the PRIMARY Law.
With all it's imperfection the pri-
mary election law in Minnesota has
made for government by the people
and freedom from the domination of
special interests in the selection of
candidates for public Office. 1t has
broadened the power of the masses
and curtailed the power of the classes.
The principal objection filed against
it, that it enables voters to break over
the party line, has two sides to it.
There is such thing as hide-bound
partisanship that defeats patriotism
and good government. / therefore ia
vor the extension of the primary elec-
ton to the nomination of state Off
GERS. The domination of powerful in
terests in state conventions has been
so fragrant, that I believe patriotic
citizens of all parties will welcome the
transfer of the nominating power to
the people. There is no question that
the primary election has been the
dominant factor in putting "stand-pat"
congressman devoted to foreign inter-
ests out of power in our common
wealth; and there is no reason why
it may not do similar service in re.
gard to state officials who are faith
less to the people.
But while I believe in a progressive
extension of the primary, I also be-
lieve that it should not be possible
for an insignificant minority to make
nominations, nor should political par
ties be deprived of their privilege and
duty of declaring their beliefs in dele.
gate conventions.
Agricultural Education Is Endorsed.
Minnesota is great agricultural
state. It's resources are wellnigh
boundless. 1t has been said of Cali.
fornia that it has changed it's staple
three times and has been first in each
department of endeavor; that it was
originally first in gold, then first in
wheat, and lastly, first in fruit. The
state of Minnesota has not changed
so radically but has demonstrated an
adaptability to diversified crops which
marks it's climate as the most gracious
in the world, it's soil the most product
i've, and it's people the most eager to
learn in the school of intelligent work
We have been first in wheat; we are
first in quality if not in quantity of
dairy products. A few years ago our
farmers said, ooh, we can't raise corn
leave that to Iowa and Illinois" To.
day we are raising more corn to the
acre than either. Our crop has in.
creased in six years from ten million
to sixty million bushels. Our expert
mental stations have developed new
varieties and extended our corn belt
to the Canadian line. Their work in
the development of new grains and
grasses adds ten million dollars to the
value of the total crops annually.
Such progress indicates besides hav.
ing resources, that our people are in.
telligent in their theory of the states
development. Every county fair is a
herald of new endeavor. Their eX.
hibits, ranging from the work of rural
schools to the development of blooded
cattle, is a revelation to the denizen
of the city who, still in his slothful
| ignorance, pictures the farmer as an
unsophisticated child of nature doing
| what his father did, and in the same
pioneer fashion. The farmer does not
| lag behind. He leads in the demand
| for education. He clamors for i'm
provement. He does not deny the adj
vantages of cultural studies but he
asks as foundation not lessons from
dead languages but that education
which fits men for living the whole life
of man. Our boys are learning farm
ing in the agricultural college, and
expect to live to see the time when
it will be the largest, as it is now the
best, college of it's kind in the land.