The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1910-10-06
Insists Standpatters Must be Driven
from State House as Well
as from Congress.
DECLARES THAT THE TARIFF
COMMISSION is A BUNCO GAME
Says Brewers Not Only Brew Beer, but that They
Brew Politics, Laws and Statesmen-Wants
an Honest Re-Apportionment
Based on Population.

in front of Appomattox. Men dream
ed again that their government might
be made responsive to justice and
truth, and woke to find themselves
clasping hands with Roosevelt. Dreams
do sometimes come true.
The initiative and referendum liz al
ready applied in our best city char.
tiers. Councils are not permitted to
grant franchises without a vote OF
the people. Mayors and Councilmen In
many cities are subject to the recall.
In every case where it has been In.
voked. it has worked for good govern.
ment. 1t has been salutary estop
upon bribery and corruption, which
though often known, in court result
in verdicts of not proven. 1t has
been tried in states and has worked
exceptionally we'll. 1t is correlated
with the popular primary and belongs
to that class of legislation which
should be advanced cautiously but
firmly. 1t belongs to the revolution
which cannot go backward.
John Lind Sounded the Keynote.
4 i = &
Eleven years ago, in his mes =
y sage to the Legislature, Govern *
4 or Lind said, "Direct legislation
+ involves the introduction of no 6
= new principles in our govern
+ ment. There are no stronger
reasons for trusting the people
+ to pass upon men than upon
measures"
+ = =
The people now have the power to
initiate reforms and legislation in the
matter of locating county seats and
in some municipal undertakings. This
power, with proper restrictions as to
time and frequency as to its exercise,
should be extended to other important
questions. By the provisions of our
veto power at the polls on any legis-
lation by which it is proposed to
change our present laws governing
railroad taxation. We, therefore, are
already committed to the principle
involved in the second branch of the
question. The Constitution, in my
judgment, should be so amended as
ture, by appropriate action, to refer
enactments, at least such as extend
to corporate privileges without author
izing the granting of franchises to a
vote of the people before becoming
operative.
Declares for County Option.
The Democratic platform says:
That all questions affecting the NOR
al, political and economical welfare
of the people should be directly SUBJ
ject to the conscience and will of
the people" Under this paragraph, I
believe l have the right to state my
views on the so-called County Option
method of controlling the liquor traf-
fic. In my opinion County Option
does not mean prohibition, though
all methods of restricting the liquor
traffic have prohibitive quality.
When we say what license shall be
charged, we put prohibition upon
the man who cannot pay the amount.
When we say in what hours and on
what days liquor may be sold we put
a partial prohibition on the business.
When we say, as we have said in Min
neapolis, that five-sixths of the city
shall not have saloons, we put a par
tial prohibition on the traffic. We cali
it by its right name-regulation.
= &