The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1914-10-15
RURAL VOTE TO
ELECT WAf T. LEE
Responsibility of Republican Success
In Minnesota Rests on Shoulders
of Country Voter.

Minneapolis, Mimi, Oct. 12.-It ID
the country. vote of Minnesota that de-
cides state elections, but IL the .coun.
try vote does not turn out, the cities
exercise more than their proper share
of influence. The democrats and their
allies, the state brewery machine, are
centering tremendous efforts in the
three large cities of the state. The
vote is sure to come out in the cities
and if the cities should control the
coming election, William E. Lee might
be defeated. If the farmers and the
jewellers in small cities and villages
turn out well on Nov. 3, there will be
nothing to it." With this I'M mind
the republican state committee is max
ing every effort bend now toward get
ting the vote out They have nothing
to fear from full and free expression
Of the choice of Minnesota voters.
William E. Lee is strong with the
farmers and rural jewellers of Mime
sofa. In the primaries he carried. the
state outside of Hennepin, Ramsey
and st. Louis counties by 100000 He
lost those three counties by nearly
1000. He carried Hennepin by $3.50
votes, but lost st. Louis by 2,440,
which nearly offset Hennepin, and he
lost Ramsey by 1891 votes. Outside
the three counties the vote stood:
Eberhart, 1874; Lee, 76,172.
The three large counties in the gen.
eral election of 1912 cast 81 per cent
of the total vote. Demo Gratis are
stronger in the cities than they are
in the country. In the primary Of
June 16 there were 1875, 222 republican
votes east for governor, and of these
1858, or 80 per cent, were in the
three large counties. These counties
cast 1922 Of the total democratic
vote of 42,775, or So rer cent. It is
also worth noting that of the 2,874
progressive party votes cast in the
primary, 1928 or As per cent were cast
in the three large counties.
It is evident that Lees greatest
strength, and the republican party
strength In general, lies in the country,
and it behooves Mr.. Lees friends in
the country districts Of the state to-
get their neighbors out to vote. Lee
10 pretty sure to carry Hennepin
county again, but the democrats are
fighting hard for it, and Ramsey is.
likely to go for Hammond by q good
margin.
Mr.. Lee has developed splendidly In.
the qualities of an aggressive CAM
paigner. He is inspired by the JUS.
tice Of his cause and has warmed to
his task splendidly. He came back
with sumner Of reply to Mr.. Ham
monds Red Wing speech. Mr.. Lees
speech at Buffalo put Mr. Hammond
right where he belongs, in the lime
light as the brewers apologist and az
their candidate. He will be kept right
there till the close Of the campaign.
The issue is very clearly presented
now to the voters. Nobody will have
any excuse for misunderstanding 1t.
Mr.. Lee, at Buffalo, showed clearly
that democrats were the political back
bone of the brewery political machine,
but he did not deny that republicans
have had hand in it, too. Some. OF
the >brewery-retained men in the re-
publican party are known to be work
ing their heads off now to elect Mr..
Hammond. They are doing it secretly,
of course, but they are lining up strik-
ers and hangers-on, distributing brew
cry money to them and teaching them
stories to be repeated by word of
mouth, stirring up prejudice against
Lee in every conceivable way.