The Bemidji daily pioneer., 1912-04-24
Figures Show That They Have Sixty
Per Cent of All Places Hand
ling Liquor.
TAKES PROGRESSIVE STAND
Pledges for a Law, By Which People
Can Vote on Any Measure Which
Concerns Them.
The Peoples Remedies.

/. Extend the primary election
system to national and state officers.
2. Pass a corrupt practices act
which will extend to all contributors
of campaign expenses, which will
really limit the amount which can be
spent by any one candidate, and
which will compel fling and publish
ing of expense statements.
3. A civil service law which will
require all appointees to pass an ex=
animation thus taking the smaller
state offices out of politics as appoint
ments wonld be during good behav-
ior.
4. The initiative, referendum and
recall which will let the people ini-
tiate legislation, have the right to be
referred to in the passage of laws,
and have the power to recall officials
derelict in their duty.
The above measures are advocated
by William E. Lee as the remedies
through which the people may over
throw the organization of the inter-
ests said to dominate the state of
Minnesota and put majority rule in
power. Mr.. Lee addressed a meeting
Of voters in the city hall last evening
talking for nearly an hour on state
matters and presenting in clear and
concise manner, the difficulties of the
voters
Mr.. Lee and C. A. Russell, of Brain
erd, each made addresses, explaining
the principles of progressive Republi-
canism and showing how the inter-
ests which have the state by the
throat may be overthrown and the
people put in power. In defining
progressive, Mr. Russell said: "a
standpatter is one who has stopped
and cannot start; progressive is
one who has started and cannot
STOP"
Mr.. Lee made the direct charge
that foreign owned breweries are con-
trolling the legislation of the state
of Minnesota through their local
depots and alliances with the few
Minnesota breweries, the railroad in
terests and the steel trust men. He
said that the breweries have gone in
to the business of retailing and now
control sixty per cent of the retail
establishments thus deprivins the
rightful liquor dealers of their
chance to do business. Thirty per
cent of the members of the last leg
islature are charged with having
been brewery controlled. +, Pa.
Results of Minority Rule.
"As result of minority rule" said
Mr.. Lee, "northern Minnesota has
lost it's great stands of magnificent
timber, most of which has simply
been stolen. True enough, by meth
DDS more or less legal, but it would
have been impossible under majority
rule. 1t is disgrace. Most of this
land originally belonged to the state
and should have been shared with fu-
ture generations. The iron ore IS go
ing the same way but leaves a sad
der situation. After the timber, come
farms; but after the mines, nothing
but great holes and desolation.
"Minority rule has allowed the
railroads to dominate the develop
ment of the state by discriminatory
freight rates. Without fair rates the
country cannot develop evenly and
to date the railroads have not given
the people this justice. If we had a
physical valuation of the railroads, it
would be an easy matter to force
them to charge equitable rates, but
the valuation must be the first step.
For instance, the freight rate on
lumber from Deer River to Long
Prairie is six cents hundred more
than from Deer River to Minneapolis
although the latter haul lis 12l miles
(Continued on last page.l