The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1914-04-10
Opening OF Campaign
Livens Up Owatonna
Continued from PAGE One.


Nero. and :s a result the taxpayers or
Minnesota are crying out for busi-
ness administration.
Machine Has One Issue.
"The one great issue OF this cam
paign is to find out whether or not We
have a government we can control. and
| through which we can act. The ma
chine has but one issue-control OF the
government. When we have wrested
the control of the government from
the bosses and greed we can move for
ward. Until then we are impotent. II
is the people against the machine.
Naturally comes the query-what
constitutes the machine?
let me tell you. First, there are
the large brewery and allied interests.
Then. there are some corporations
whose owners desire to get more out
of the public than they are entitled TO
| for the service they render. Then,
there are the multitude OF Office hold
ers, mostly appointiye officers, scat
tered all over the state, and then there
Is the boss
Machine Leader Condemned.
Like a spider I'm the center OF his
web. feeding upon the degradation OF
mankind. plotting enticements and al
lurements for innocence, and sucking
the life blood of industry. sits the as
tute and cunning manipulation of our
destInics. Under the pseudonym of an
attorney at law. he collects tribute.
exhales the poisonous breath of in,
nuendo. and dictates appointments and
policies.
Each Of these constituent parts has
its share to contribute, and each re-
ceiyes recognition and compensation
for the services rendered. The brew
ers contribute to the campaign fund
and violations OF the law are winked
at.
THE office holders are the moulders
OF public opinion, the managers OF To-
cal campaigns, the chore boys who do
the running about for the boss. They
ere scattered all over Minnesota, and
II you examine them closely, you viii
find that each one has n string tied TO
him. When the boss pulls the string
he dances. Oil inspeCtorships have
been doled out to certain country
newspapers as cheap method of brib-
ing them to support the administra-
| ton.
"If we are TO reform the state gov
eminent the first thing is to get rid Of
the man at the top.
Discusses Noien Bill.
an his veto Of the Nolen Bill, the
purpose of which was to permit the
city of Minneapolis to manage its own
local public utilities, the governor as
serted the people were not competent
| to manage their own affairs; the mu-
nicipal officials incompetent and dis
| honest, and he declared that their OPP
position TO q state commission rested
on their desire to hold on to these
sources of corruption. | need not re-
mind you that state ~utility commits
sion was not heard of in Minnesota I'M
| III the utility companies found that
: these officials were not only honest,
but CAPABLE of looking after the peo-
pies interests. The people are paying
| the penalty of his vetoes, through ex-
cess charges and inconvenience. After
campaign OF several months, the gov
ernor found public sentiment so
strongly adverse to his utility bill that
he abandoned IL. ! am unalterably OPP
posed to such a commission for such q
purpose.
Believes In Home Rule.
81 am unalterably opposed to such
commission for such a purpose. |
believe that in the matter of public
Utilities the principle of home rule and
local control should govern and If
elected shall exert my influence for
the creation. development and perfec-
ton of a system of utility, supervision
and control that will recognize as para
mount the rights and powers OF local
government.
'In the last analysis, government Is
| simply a matter OF carrying on the
peoples business. and It requires the
same kind of talent, ability and hon.
esty of purpose that successful private
| business must have.
THE need of our state government
today is an energetic and competent
| business direction. II is a business
| mans lob. / am q business man, and
| II elected I shall consider that the
people have employed me to see that
| their business Is conducted promptly
| efficiently and economically.
"All matters of legislation are mat
tiers of political policy, to be deter
mined by the majority of the people
as their sense of the public welfare
| dictates.
Civil Service Reform.
"T believe we should have an effect
i've civil service law, thus providing
an efficient corps of workers to do the
states business. Real civil service re
fornf would be impossible IL the people
did not prefer political purity. The
people of this state demand clean poll
tics and honest government, and upon
/ this desire to stand or fall"
Mr.. Lee then discussed what he
termed the antiquated and compli
Gated governmental organism, and tho
imperative need for complete over
hauling and reorganization OF the ad
ministrative machinery of the state
government, citing the fact that he
called public attention TO such need
| dusing the campaign of two years ago
Referring to the tardy selection OF
thirty men to form an efficiency com