The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1912-09-05

1905, when the Legislature calmly
kicked out a governor elected by d
majority OF fourteen thousand and
appointed a man more TO the corpora
ton liking. But now, as if TO prove
its contempt for Lindsey, his reyela-
tons and the people, the Beast went
farther.
Judge Lindsey in the fall of 1911
headed a commission government
movement, and under specific pro-
visions OF the charter. filed a petit
ton for a special election signed b.
twenty thousand voters. The council
at the Beasts command, threw this
petition into the waste basket and
was sustained by a 3 TO 3 vote il the
supreme court.
An honest assessor, Henry j. Ar
mold, who had dared to assess the
public utility corporations fairly,
making them share the burden borne
by small house owners, was assaulted
in his office by tbs Beasts gunner.
and thrown out into the street. Thir-
ty thousand people, packing the state
house grounds on a snowy Sunday
afternoon, protested, and appealed
for redress TO the high custodians
OF justice"-and We're Knocked.
May 21-the municipal election
vas the first official test of public
sentiment-the first downright crap
pie between the people and special
privilege after the Lindsey serial. Ar
mold, the honest assessor, was named
for mayor at the head of a Citizens
ticket, and Ben b. Lindsey was re-
nominated for Juvenile judge. A ire
mendously dramatic campaign fol-
lowed, the Beast fighting hard with
its familiar weapons. But the people
spoke, and out of their mouths is
sued a flame that burned the jungle
and consumed the Beast.
In the days thai followed, Judge
Lindsey spoke as an honored guest
before the great civic organizations
that had once denounced him-for
from these men d fear had lifted.
They now welcome him as the cham
pion OF the people of Denver.
Commission Form Next.
The fight has been won-the most
complete victory over bossism ever
won in an American city. But victory
means only thai the ground has been
cleared for the good sowing. Denver's
next stop viii be commission govern
ment. to which every official on the
Citizens ticket is pledged. Colorado's
next step viii be the adoption OF ten
radical measures, which will be sub
mitted, through the initiative, to the
voters at the November election
measures that have been demanded
for years, and have been refused by
the Beasts legislators.
~ ,I,,, o,1 ,1z ,o.o11 |r,,, 81
elective officials, with emphasis on
the judiciary; the recall of decisions,
which takes way the power to de-
clare laws unconstitutional from all
courts except the supreme court, and
gives the people the right to approve
the ruling; a public utilities com
mission; an S-hour law for women
"a mothers compensation act; a
school amendment that gives cities
direct control of their public schools
and an amendment that will give
jury trial to those charged with con
tempt of court.
These reforms are looked upon as
little more than the first possibilities
of freedom. Forms OF government
will be changed to obtain greater
! fairness and absolute simplicity will
De 10 tle peOple--HOl lHd,
representative government may be
done away with, but hat it may be
rade truly representative. If the
machinery of the old parties is found
to be useless for the purposes of de-
mocracy, the citizens movement will
be carried into the state.
Increasingly and fearlessly, en-
phasis will be laid upon the truth
that makes mel free. Palliatives
must give way to p~reventives. The
Ten Commandments will be inter
preted in the light of twenty centur-
les progress. No lie will be endured
merely because it is old. Murder by
unsafe machinery and cruel indus
trial conditions will be made no less
abhorrent than murder by thugs
Those who steal the peoples streets
and rights will take their place in
the dock along with those who steal
pocketbooks. And the prostitutions
of preachers, editors, lawyers and
business men, who lend their talents
to the service OF the privileged class,
will be as much condemned as the
p%rostitutions coerced by industrial
and economic conditions.