Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1913-09-03


way and warehouse commissions where
tiles, but our opposition goes to the
control of those public utilities that are
within the limits of our cities and will
ages. AS against the proposed legisla-
ture we stand for home rule in our cit
les and villages. We believe that ev-
cry municipality in the state should
have the: right and power Of controll-
ing its own light, water, transporta-
ton, heat and communication of every
kind.
It is proposed under the Wisconsin
system, to take away from the cities
the right to make any contract with
any public utilities company. to in any
way regulate the charges for service or
to prescribe the manner and method OF
rendering such service Home rule is
the corner stone Of democracy. You
must get people interested first in their
own home affairs before you can inter
est them in larger matters of govern
ment People are more interested In
what concerns them and their imme-
date neighbors than they are in what
concerns the state as a whole. The
state as a whole can never become as
much interested in the water supply
for the city Of Minneapolis as the peo-
pie that live in that city. It goes with
out argument that the people Of the
state as a whole will never become SO
much interested in the kind Of street
car service we shall have in Minneap-
oils and the amount Of compensation to
be paid the company for such services
as the people who live in Minneapolis
and who must use the street cars every
day. Those principles are automatic
and we do not believe that they can be
successfully contradicted. Why should
commissioner from Lac qui Parle
county be better man to regulate and
control your city water supply than ar
alderman who is drinking that water
every day.? Why should a man from
! the Red River Valley be more compe:
tent. to determine what extensions shall
| be added to the street car system OF
this city than an alderman who lives
here and who is elected by and Is res
| ponsible to the people of this town
Oh, but we are told that the aldermen
in Minneapolis are ward politicians
that they are nothing but heelers ant
| grafters. Leaving the character Of oul
faldermen out Of consideration for few
moments, let us consider the personne
If you prefer, of the appointees Of thu
governor Of Minnesota s.z
| You have heard about the boiler In
| spectors, the oil inspectors, the game
wardens. You know what they are.
it is not necessary for me to tell 70,
that their appointment does not de
pend upon the amount Of knowledg,
they possess Of oil, or boilers, or tn
j preservation Of game. You know tina
the only thing that determines their At
ness, is the number Of votes they cal
4 add to the political machine of the stat
i administration.
Experience has shown that whereve
the government is direct, wherever tn
] voters select the officials, the will Q
y the people is carried out much more eff
i fectively and speedily. For q quartz
Il of century in the United States tn
progressive and patriotic element ha
been fighting for direct primaries. Til
; old convention system was objected t
because the people did not directl
name their own candidates. The CONVEX
Il ton system has been wiped out in Mir
Il nesota for no other reason than that TIL
Il people should have a more direct wa
81 Of reaching their officials. Tor Ii
!. last half century the people Of the VI