Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1910-10-05

litical upheavals. He is a balance in
the government. The makers Of the
Constitution thought when they gave
the House members a short term and
made them directly elective, they had
sufficiently Offset the indirect choice Of
senator's. but far-seeing men as they
were, they could not project their vi
sion into the future and see that one
day there would grow up In America
organized aggregations Of capital rep.
resenting protected interests. transport
tation interests. brewing interests.
which would take the shortest cut to
control the Government. These aggro-
cations did arise; they did take the
shortest cut; they went with unerring
wisdom to the control Of the Senate
as the key to the citadel. The people
might illuminate every two years
against 4 recreant House; they might
every four years dethrona a vacillating
President, but so long ~ the interests
could erect Senate wall and man it
with watchmen, whom Senator Bever.
ridge has aptly denominated Deal
Masters" they were SAFE To tear
down that wall; to hurl these Deal
Masters" into the moat. wo must re-
store the rights of the people in the
Senate.
It can be done only by tho direct
election of the Senators. know that
there are objections to this plan. I
know that the people are occasionally
fooled and there are times when pop
ular candidate for senator Is a poor
senator, but all carpings aside, the in.
defeasible right of the people to this
protection from government Of the
interests and by the interests must
not and shall not be denied.
Direct Legislation Endorsed.
Closely connected with this question
Is a similar one-that of direct legis.
lation, known as the initiative and the
referendum and the recall. A few
years ago this was called a chimera.
hose were the days when a senator
OF the United States cynically de.
clared the publication Of our politics
Is an irridescent dream" But our
dreams do sometimes come true. Men
dreamed once that taxation without
representation was tyranny, and woke
to drive it as a fact into every heart
OF Great Britain. Men dreamed again
that the auction block might be de.
stroyed, and woke to find themselves
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 is 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. It has been salutary estop
upon bribery and corruption, which
though often known, in court result
in verdicts of not proven. It has
been tried in states and has worked
exceptionally well. It 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 y i -
= Eleven years ago.. in his mes y
sage to the Legislature, Govern =
or Lind said, "Direct legislation =
involves the introduction of no y
new principles in our govern. =
ment. There are no stronger =
reasons for trusting the people =
y 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 it's exercise,
should be extended to other important
questions. By the provisions Of our
constitution the people now have the
veto power at the polls on any legis-
latton 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 a.
to enable minority in the Legisla-
ture, by appropriate action, to refer
enactments, at least such as extend
to corporate privileges without author
1z1ng 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 sub.
1ect to the conscience and will OF
the people" Under this paragraph, l
believe l have the right to state my
views on the so-called County Option
method of controlling the liquor traf-
TIC. In my opinion County Option
does not mean prohibition, though
all methods of restricting the liquor
trathc have a 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
partial prohibition on the business.
When we say, as we have said in Min