davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Morris tribune., 1910-03-25
LINCOLN'S ATTITUDE.

"Our much beloved martyred presi-
dent, Abraham Lincoln, said shortly
before that fatal hour when he was
taken away from us by an assassin's
hand, After reconstruction, the next
great problem for the American peo-
pie to solve will be the liquor prob
lem The prophecy has come true.
The problem is before us. It is rath-
er strange that while the people of
the North Star state were among the
first to respond to President Lincoln's
call for volunteers to fight for the
preservation of the Union and the
emancipation of the slave that they
should be among the last to emanci-
pate themselves from the saloon
power Nine states. namely. Maine,
North Dakota. Kansas, Oklahoma,
Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, North,
Carolina and Tennessee, have already,
Morris tribune., 1910-03-25
GREAT SPECIAL OFFER.

We desire at once 10000 new sub
scriptions of the Minnesota Issue and
we propose to offer an unusually attrac-
tive inducement to get them. The sub
,scription price of the Minnesota Issue is
$50 per year and it will be sent to the
subscribers, beginning with March /,
more than twice as often as ever in
the past. The year book of the Ameri-
can Anti-Saloon League is just off the
press filled with information and in
spiration at the price of SIS post paid.
The Haines history of the 1909 legisla-
ture, the most sensational political docu-
ment of the year, sells post paid at $50,
making a total of $1.45. From now
until May |, we will receive orders for
all 8 at $100 Send in your orders at
once TO Minnesota Issue, II Franklin
Bldg, Minneapolis.
Morris tribune., 1910-03-25
PURPOSE OF THE CONVEN.
TON.
Ex-Representative Elias Rachie in
Stirring Speech Outlines Aims
of Gathering.

Fellow Citizens of the Common
wealth of Minnesota: This is indeed
an unusual gathering. You have been
called together for a great purpose.
The meeting is designated as a Coun-
ty Option convention. We might as
we'll have termed it a conservation
congress. 1t is true. we have not
met for. the purpose of discussing the
conservation of Our natural resources.
although, being free from corporate
control, we are, consequently, also
enthusiastic supporters of the Roose-
veltian movement for the conserva-
tion of Our states and Our nations
natural resources; but we have as
sembled for far nobler purpose than
that, namely, the launching of cam
paign for the conservation of the
manhood and the womanhood of Min
nesota. The true greatness of state
or a nation does not depend upon
the products of her farms, her forests,
her mines and her factories, but upon
the intelligence and the morality of
her people.
"There are two institutions in Our
state that we have special reason to
feel proud of. and they are our
schools and our churches. The high
standard of intelligence and morality
that the people of our state have at
tanned is principally due to these two
institutions, and the citizens of Min
nesota have been most liberal in their
support of them. The pioneer set
tiers did not wait until they might
become rich before they provided
their children with secular as we'll as
religious instruction. They frequent
ly deprived themselves of the ordi-
nary comforts of life that their sons
and daughters might enjoy those
blessings that mean so much in a
country of liberty and freedom. We
of later generation emulate them
and honor them for their self-sacrihce
and their patriotism Nevertheless,
while we have built schools and
churches and have been liberal in our
support of them, we have permitted
another institution to flourish in our
midst which cannot prosper except
at the expense of the influences for
good which our schools and our
churches exert on Our people-that
institution is. the American saloon
Can any one here name single bless
ing that it brings? None, none. You
who have sacrificed so much for
schools and churches, are you willing
to have their influences for good
counteracted by the saloon which
brings nothing but poverty, misery
and despair?
Morris tribune., 1910-03-25
OFFICIALS AFRAID.

"Some of our public officials are
talking a great deal about the con-
servation of Our natural resources.
prevention of disease, reduction of
public expenditure and the like This
is all very we'll; but, fellow citizens,
why not go to the root of the evil.
Are our public officials so far within
the grip of the liquor interests that
they dare not tell the truth? Are
they afraid that the political power
of the liquor interests in this state
is so great that they dare not breathe
one word that could be construed to
hurtthe saloon business-for fear that
their political ambitions might there
by be defeated? Gentlemen. elect a
county option legislature, and I will
assure you that there will be no diff
fcu1ty in. securing from the hands of
such legislature all reasonable legis-
Morris tribune., 1910-03-25
BE PERIODICALLY NON-PAR-
TISAN.

"As legislative superintendent of
Minnesota Anti-Saloon League, ap-
peal to all of you who stand for clean
citizenship and honest government
whether you are Republicans, Demo
Icrats or Prohibitionists-to unite in
the selection of a county option leg
Iislature. Get together in conferences
IN the various legislative districts
If the majority of you find it most
advisable to elect a Republican, elect
la Republican. If good Democrat
can the most easily be elected, Sc
|lect Democrat If the county op-
|tlon forces can the most easily be
united to the support of a Prohibi-
Zionist, why, rally around Prohibi-
Zionist. Do you suppose that the
brewery interests care much as to
what party candidate belongs to, as
long as he is willing to stand by
them? Should we who believe in
county option be so partisan as to
sacrifice principle to party expedi-
ency? In this big battle, we can i'll
afford to have dissension and strife
among ourselves; but we must stand
together until victory has been
achieved.
County Option Republicans and
Democrats, wake up! Make your in
fuences felt for what is highest and
best in your party. Exercise your
rights of citizenship from now on
until the nominations are made as
we'll as afterwards Shall we stand
idly by and let the liquor interests
dictate the candidates and then be
driven by the party whip to shout
and vote for Our party's nominee, if
of merit? If you are pa
:riots-and I know you are, as soon
as you realize what we are drifting
5o-you will do your utmost in bring |
ing about the nomination of such can
didates that need no apology and |
who will, if elected, serve the peo-
pie without fear or favor, according
% the best of their ability. Let the |
people of the state of Minnesota nom
nate their own candidates for the |
of 1910, for it is not safe
% leave the nominations to the brew
ers and their allies.
Morris tribune., 1910-03-25
ELECT A LIEUT.. GOVERNOR.
Senator Ole o. Sageng Emphasizes
Importance of this Position.

''I just want to impress upon you
one fact" said Senator Sageng, "and
it is this: In the next campaign you
want to make sure that you elect the
right kind of man for presiding officer
of the Senate. Indeed, am here to
say that in my judgment just as much
will depend on the character of the
presiding officer of the Senate as will
depend upon the character of the man
who will occupy the position of chief
executive.
Don't you for minute forget that
that position is important and very
important I want to say to you, and
I say it regretfully, that things
haven't been what they should have
been in the past in that respect. They
haven't been what they should have
been during the last two sessions of
the legislature in that respect.
"It would have been far better not to
have had any temperance committees
than to have the kind of committees
we have had in the past, because they
have simply been cemeteries for tenn
perance legislation.
Morris tribune., 1910-03-25

"This convention was called to-
gether primarily for the purpose of
giving the county option sentiment
strength. This splendid gathering of
delegates from all portions of the
state. constituting the biggest state
convention of any kind that has ever
been held in the state of Minnesota,
proves beyond a doubt that county
|option is considered the leading polit-
ica1 issue among the people. The Of
Ulcers of the Anti-Saloon League will
mot attempt to dictate as to what
should be done by this convention.
The meeting is in the hands of the
delegates to the convention. We sim
|cerely expect, however, that, before
you adjourn, you will pledge your
selves to work and to vote for only
such candidates for. office who will
take definite stand in favor of coun-
ty option, that you will pledge your
SELVES to continue to work for courl-
|ty option Immediately after you get
home, attend the caucuses of your
respective political parties, see to it
THAT county option delegates are
GlGCt6u 10 the COully SOIlNCllIlOIS anu
to the state convention, in order that
your party may take right stand on
this all important issue and nominate
noble and courageous candidates to
fit the issue; and that you will pledge
yourselves to do your utmost from
now on until the polls are closed next
November to secure county option
for Minnesota in 1911. We further
trust that whatever you do will be
done judiciously; that nothing will
be done for the mere purpose of fur
thering the political ambitions of
some candidate or candidates for Of
fee. or for the mere special benefit of
some political party; but that every
thing, irrespective of what effect it
may have on candidates and parties,
will be done for the furtherance OF
our great and noble cause"
"Fe1low citizens, you have been
called together for a no less purpose
than to start movement for the
crystal1ization of the county option
sentiment in this state to such an
extent that political conventions dare
mot ignore it and candidates for the
Legislature tainted with brewery in
Iterests' support will be relegated te
Morris tribune., 1910-03-25

in that state largely because of the
fact that that citizenship has not been
contaminated by the debasing and de-
moralizing influence of the saloon.
and, when I lived in Kansas I was
GLAD and proud to say that Kansas
IS one of the best states in the Union,
and | felt that l could say that be-
cause of the fact that we didn't have
any saloon. When I came up here
to Minnesota among the first scenes
that met my gaze was the saloon, and
I feel that cannot say of Minnesota
as | did of Kansas. that Minnesota
is one of the best states in the Union.
Because, gentlemen of this conven-
ton. no state is as good as it ought
to be as long as it allows within its
borders the existence of the sa1oon." "
Morris tribune., 1910-03-25

the rear in the great majority of the
legislative districts at the coming
election.
,'As we enter upon this campaign.
let our prayer be that of the poet
when he says:
"'God, give US men. A time like this
demands
Strong minds, great hearts, true faith
and ready hands.
Men whom the lust of Office does not
kill;
Men whom the spoils of Office can
not buy;
Men who possess opinions and will;
Men who have honor; men who will
not lie;
Men who can stand before dena-
gogue
And damn his treacherous batteries
without winking;
Tall men, sun-crowned, who live
above the fog
In public duty and in private think
ing"
Morris tribune., 1910-03-25
2 5 90 Delegates Adopt Ringing
Resolutions and Start State Cam
paiun for County Option.
THE SPEECHES AND PLANS OF ACTION

were at times almost wildly enthus-
iastic, yet all their actions were
marked by a deliberation and sanity
that predicted success for the issue.
A notable feature Of the convention
was Governor Eberhart's appearance
and attempt to meet the demand for
an expression from him as to his at
titude on county option. AS chief ex-
ecutive of the state, he was received
cordially; as a candidate for the Re-
publican nomination for governor, his
refusal to commit himself, did not
seem fair or manly to the conven-
tion, and his statement failed to salts
fy 1t is published elsewhere in this
supplement.
Morris tribune., 1910-03-25
sTRADDL1NG IS UNPLEASANT.
Prof. P. M. Magnuson Makes Telling
Points Against the Governor.

"I am a democrat, but I do not
have to wait for the next democratic
convention to find out where stand
on county option" was the opening
shot of Prof. P. M. Magnuson. The
applause was deafening and plainly
indicated that the convention agreed
with that position, rather than Gov
ernor Eberhart's contention that he
should not decide until after the re-
publicans had adopted platform,
A moment later Prof. Magnuson
again aroused the enthusiasm of the
delegates by asserting that "since
fences were now made of barbed wire
it is no longer comfortable to straddle
the fence" on any issue.
Morris tribune., 1910-03-25
NELSON TALKS OF KANSAS.
Saloonless Kansas Held Up AS Ex-
ample for this State to Follow.

Prof. Frank Nelson told OF his ex-
perience in Kansas where there have
been no legalized saloons for thirty
years. He said:
During these thirty years there
has grown UP in that splendid state
a generation of men and women who
have not seen either the outside or
the inside of the saloon, save and
except as perhaps some of them have
strol1ed across the line into Missouri.
They have a citizenship there that is
responsive to the highest and to the
cleanest, and to the best things with
Morris tribune., 1910-03-25

|lation for the conservation of our ma
ltional resources as we'll as the pro-
lection of the health of our people
yes. there will be less graft and
less waste in public expenditures as
we'll
Morris tribune., 1910-03-25
LIQUOR INTERESTS CONTROL
+k*kkk*kk*k***kJ

X CAS- far as temperance legis-
X lation is concerned, county op-
ton is the issue for the pres r
ent. County option will not
K only be an improved method
X of closing out saloons and of
X inestimable value in the pro-
X motion of law enforcement;
X but, under present conditions
X in our state, it will furnish
X the easiest and most effec-
X tive way of ridding our
K legislative halls of corpor-
k ate control. The majority
K of the people in our state
demand it. The only reason
K. why our people have not Sc
K cured it is because the poll
K tics of our state has been con-
I tro11ed by the liquor interests
Tens of thousands, yes, hum
dreds of thousands of dollars
+ have been spent in our state
( to defeat county option. The
r enactment of a county option
r law would mean. loss of mil
Z lions of dollars to the brewers
( and distillers; hence, it is a
r paying investment for them
7 even if they have to pay big
r price for the control of politi-
, cal conventions and the 1egis-
, lature.
Morris tribune., 1910-03-25

"Let us not be satisfied with
a candidate for governor who
merely pledges himself to sign
county option bill. if
passed by the legislature.
County option being the lead
ing issue. Our candidate ought
to be heart and soul in favor
of it and be willing to fight
for it. We cannot afford to
nominate and elect man who
will do all in his power to pre-
vent a county option bill from
reaching the governors office,
VI in order that there may be no ..
call for his signature. Our
standard bearer must be a man .
of high principles and of un- "
daunted courage-a man who
dares to take noble stand in
the coming fight for the puri-
fcation of our politics and the
conservation of the bodies and
souls of Our people-such a
man. and only such a man, can
be relied upon to lead the
county option forces on to
victory.
Morris tribune., 1910-03-25
THZ CONVENTION AND THE
GOVERNOR.

From start to finish there was not
dull moment. The program was
admirably arranged and the speeches
of extraordinary strength and inter-
est.
The convention was called to order
at 10 o'clock in the morning and con-
tinued with only short intermissions
for lunch and dinner. until nearly
midnight. The delegates and visitors
Morris tribune., 1910-03-25
GREATEST POLITICAL EVENT IN HISTORY OF THE STATE

state would Danish the saloon at the
very first opportunity. The law would
also be reasonably well enforced. as
the majority of the people in almost
every county in the state stand for
the strict enforcement of our liquor
laws. For proof. look at Indiana and
Ohio where most of the counties have
already been voted dry
Morris tribune., 1910-03-25
Monster Demonstration in the Evening
Making tho Worlds Largest
Temperance Meeting
GOVERNOR EDERRART'S STAND.

County option is the paramount is
sue in Minnesota. In every section
of the state the people are protest
ing against the domination Of the
liquor interests in politics; and they
are ready to back their opposition to
the saloon, socially and politically, by
whatever sacrifices are necessary to
win. Lis r..
All this and more was proved at
St. Paul, March I'd, when $500 dele
gates voluntarily gathered in the Au-
County Option. This was by far
the largest and most unusual politi-
cal convention ever held in the state.
And the evening demonstration. fill
ing that mammoth building from pit
to highest gallery. constituted the
largest temperance meeting ever held
anywhere in the whole world.
Morris tribune., 1910-03-25
County Option Convention in St. Paul
attended by Thousands.
REPRESENTING STATE WIDE SENTIMENT.

secured statewide prohibition, while
dozen or more other states have
closed up thousands of saloons by
means of county option, and we, of
Minnesota. have, as yet, only a linn
tied local option law that does not
even include cities. Does Minnesota
no longer stand for patriotism? Is
it possible that we have become so
busy in our pursuit of wealth, pleas
ure or fame that we have forgotten
our civic responsibilities?
65 COUNTIES WOULD GO DRY.
There is no valid reason why the
right to vote on the saloon question
should be limited to the people living
within the confines of a town or viii
lage, or even city. The saloon is
just as much of a temptation to the
farmers boy living outside of the
village boundary as it is to the boy
in town. The saloon is just as much
of curse to the farmer as it is to
the man in the village or city. The
farmer has also to bear his proper
tionate share of the public burdens
created by crimes and poverty result
ing from drink; but, as it is, he has
no voice in the matter. AS matter
of fact, most of our saloons with
their accompanying evils are forced
onto communities that do not want
them. For these and other reasons
the farming population of our state
ask for county option-which will
give the right to every voter in the
county to say whether there shall
be saloons in the county or not. The
people in the villages and in the
cities who stand for sobriety, law and
order also demand county option.
They say, eve want the people of
the country to stand by us in this
fight against the saloon and in the
interests of clean citizenship and
honest government" From expert
ences in other states we have all rea-
son to suppose that saloons voted out
under county option would almost
without exception stay out for good.
More attention could, consequently,
be given to law enforcement. am
that under county option
law over 65 of the IS counties in the
Morris tribune., 1910-03-25
$500 DELEGATES.

Those $500 delegates came from
every nook and corner of Mime
sofa; they represented a statewide
sentiment. Except for few districts
sending large delegations, the attend
ance was evenly divided, every coun-
ty being represented except one. 1t
is also significant that these farmers
and merchants and professional men
paid all their own expenses. They
further indicated their self-sacrifc-
ing interest in the cause of county
option by raising fund of $500 for
the Anti-Saloon League to help carry
on the fight against the brewers COM
bine.
Morris tribune., 1910-03-25
kkkkk X X X X X X X X X

"There is only one thing, and that
is that we will have to steal the
method and work of Our opponents.
For long time we have been max
ing this fight and going through these
battles with very little avail because
Our opponents, Our enemies, were
wiser than we were in the way in
which they were working. Their plat
form has been: Remember your
friends, and do not forget your enc
mics That is the platform of the
liquor interests. ..
1--WE can win just as soon as we
can forget trifes and remembers our
friends, and don't forget our enc
mics, and above everything else not
tolerate anything that is simply
astraddle of this great vital question
about which every man ought to
have some conviction of some kind.
Let us go forth from this splendid
convention with the determination to
win this battle"
Morris tribune., 1910-03-25
The Figures 8 to l.

81 haven't much courage
and nerve, but I say to you
that had l been in the Govern
or's position this morning
when he stood before this
audience and spoke of his in
terest in temperance 1egisla-
ton, I should have been in
death1y terror that some un-
seen hand had written upon
the walls of the Auditorium
the figures g to l.. They are
not written here, but I'll tell
you my friends that those
"It would have been far better
the minds of tens of thousands
of voters in this state, and
they will tell some day in No
vember next.
Morris tribune., 1910-03-25
]. N. JOHNSON, CHAIRMAN.

The convention was organized by
the selection of Representative J n.
Johnson of Candy, Mimi, one of the
strong insurgent leaders of the last
legislature, as chairman. and E. l..
Quist, of Red Lake county, as secre-
tary.
The committee on credentials was
composed of o. M. Levang of
Lanesboro, Peter Bonde of Willmar.
and Representative H. A. Putnam of
Battle Lake.
RINGING RESOLUTIONS.
The committee appointed by
Chairman Johnson to report resolu-
tions consisted of one from each
congressional district, as follows:
Representative Kerry E. Conley of
Rochester; A. c. French of Hills;
Osmond King, of Kenyon; ex-Attor-
ney General E. T. Young, of St. Paul;
D. F. Swenson, of Minneapolis; Rep
resentative C. ]. Carlson of Cokato;
Hon. 7. F. jacobson of Madison; L.
A. Marvin of Duluth, and Repre-
sentative John Saugstad of Climax
The resolutions unanimously adopted
are printed in full in another column
YOUNG AND JACOBSON.
Ex-Attorney General E. T. Young
and Hon. ]. F. jacobson, Republican
party leaders, were among those who
took an unequivocal stand for coun-
ty option. Other speakers were
Hon. Elias Rachie, Dr. Andrew
Gillies, Prof. P. NJ. Magnuson, Sen
ator Ole o. Sageng, Representative
E. E. Lobeck, Representative G. H.
Mattson, Prof. Frank Nelson, Prof.
A. J. MCGUIRE, Hon. F. N. Stacy,
League Supt. P. J. Youngdahl, Rev.
Father James Reardon and Hon.
Seaburn Wright of Georgia. We re-
gret that only extracts from these
stirring speeches can be published.
Morris tribune., 1910-03-25
The Leading Issue.

X X *kk 4