Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1910-11-02

KzSa Iizazs2 SsasIlss1 1ssks
James Gray.
this LEGISLATION should be made O.
some va':e to the public.
1T is 10 lon@er the presidents bill
Dr. the Wicke:sllam bill, or the Elkin:
bill. Against all the influences of thu
railroads, combined with all the pow
ars OF the administration, many BAT
provisions have been stricken out, ant
many good provisions have beer
adopted. In other Words-exceptink
as to the court Of conmerce-the ad
mlnistratiOn bill, framed in the inter
est of the railroads, has been torn tt
pieces and rewritten in the interes
of the people here on the floor Of the
senate"
The bill, as amended, passed con
gress. In its amended form, it is IL
most respects valuable piece of leg
islation. 1t prohibits interstate rail
roads from increasing any rate il
force Jan. 1, 1910, except, with thu
permission of the Interstate commerce
commission. The burden of proof tt
show that any proposed increase il
rates is just and reasonable is placed
on the railroad companies. I simpl,
mention this as one of it's many benef
icent provisions.
After this recital, and you will oh
serve that | have called none but Re
publican witnesses to testify to tn,
facts that have laid before you, neec
anyone be surprised that the people
irrespective of party, are sick ant
tired of the standpat leaders of tn,
Republican party? Don't you think
was justified in saying, at the outset
that it is this sense Of injustice ant
wrong ranking in the minds of tn,
people that has caused the nsurgen
movement?
Standpatters Here At Home.
But, my friends, the standpatter:
in public places are not all in Wash
ington. We have some in this state
We have had a good many in the
state senate for years. It is a curiou.
phenomenon that the senate, state
and nation, always shows tendenc!
to evolve standpatters.
Even our vice president blossomet
out as typical standpatter as soo1
as he reached the senate, but he lock
ed horns with Teddy "once too many
Our senate has been a school fo
standpatters as long as I can remem
her. Mr.. Tawney is a graduate o
that school and so is Gov. Eberhart
l do not wish to be understood tina
it is a reflection on a mans politica
character to have served in our sen
ate. On the contrary, some of ou
best men in public life have servet
in that body, and some of the hes
public work in. the state has beef
done by members of the senate. Blu
there has been coterie in the senatt
for years-the equivalent of the lack
pot gang" in Illinois, with whom it is
Identified. I did not come here to
discuss the state senate or the can.
didates for that body. only refer
to the subject because the Repub.
lican nominee for the highest Office
in the state has served his en-.
tire apprenticeship in the senate
as q member and as it's presiding Of
fcer. Gov. Eberhart suggested in his
Mankato speech that campaign state
ments made by candidates should not
be taken too seriously. If that be
true, the only means by which the
voters can get line" on candi
date is by studying his antecedents
and observing the character of his pc
litical company. I have observed il
to be as true in politics as in every
day life that man is known by the
company he keeps"
The Attack on Day.
! The governor, for the purpose, ap
noran+lv If diva a<$>n$;n~ ~
his own past company, attacks the
chairman of the Democratic state
committee. | hold no brief for Frank
Day. think that the man who fol-
nearly five years was the colaborel
Of our late beloved Gov. johnson lr
giving this state tho most brilliant
and, believe, the most efficient ad
ministration that Minnesota ever had
needs no defense at my hands.
Since the governor has invited dis
cussion of chairmen, I may be pardon
| ed for referring to the chairman o.
the Republican committee E. E
Smith of Minneapolis. He has served
in the senate of this state a Ions
time, and is we'll known. AS a sen
ator, he served with the governor
under the governor and over thu
governor, if reports are true. Fo
fear that my personal opinion of Sen
| Smiths political character might b.
deemed prejudiced, I will call a Re
publican witness. Mr. Lynn Haine'
of Minneapolis, whose honesty, sin
cerity and single minded devotion t,
| the public welfare is vouched for b,
some of the best men in the state
has published a little volume on tn
work and political character Of tn
men who composed the last legisla
ture. He says, on page II: "Amonl
! the predatory interests that are merg
| ed for the political control of Mime
sofa are: First, the steel trust
which is practically the same as tn
Standard Oil; second, a number O
transportation systems, known legis
! latively as ''the railroad ring" third
the Minnesota Liquor Dealers Assooi
alton, which includes all the brewer.
and liquor forces in the state; and
fourth, number Of public servic,
corporations like the Twin City Rar
i'd Transit Co.
Each OF these special interest
sends it's quota Of representatives t,
the legislature steel trust q few
! the railroad ring 2 few. the brewer,