New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1914-10-07
Reduction of Taxes, Efficiency and
Economy, Simpler Election Laws,
Urged by Candidate.
OPPOSED TO THE USE OF VETO
Discusses County Option Saying Governor and Legislature
Should Heed Voice of People-Says Opponent
Made Serious Charge Againt Own Party
is for Forest Conservation.

Red Wing, Mimi, Sept. 2S.-Win-
field Scott Hammond, Democratic can
didate for governor of Minnesota, de-
livered his keynote speech before an
audience which packed the Red Wing
opera house tonight. Mr.. Hammond
said:
The Minnesota Legislature last in
session placed the State in unique
position in the matter Of the election
of certain executive and all legisla-
tive officers
There is very general sentiment
throughout the State favoring the Sc
lection of judicial officers on account
of their qualifications for the impor-
tant duties they perform and without
respect to their political affiliations.
So satisfactory was the legislation re-
curing judges to be elected as non
partisans that many believed all coun-
ty officers should be so selected.
That the Legislature would look with
favor upon that proposition was ex-
! pected by many, but there were few
who thought it would go as far as it
! did in the direction Of nonpartisan-
ship. 1t directed that all county Off
| GERS and the members of both houses
of the Legislature should be chosen on
nonpartisan ballots. This year our
! judicial officers, our county officers,
our State representatives and our
State senators will be elected without
reference to the political party to
which they belong, and the only can
! didates of political parties are the can
didates for Governor and the Offices
I making up the so-called State ticket"
hat >ff@ w.t. @1, H..
upon political organizations in the
! State time alone will disclose, but we
are warranted in believing that such
/ organizations will be far less powerful
and much more difficult to maintain
] than heretofore.
] For Nonpartisan Plan.
! The step has been taken and there
/ is little likelihood of any going back
ward until a fair trial is given the
plan.
1 If our judges, our county and our
] legislative officers are to be so elected,
4 there is no reason why the Governor
of the State and the other State Off
! GERS should not be elected in the same
manner. There is little need of party
organizations so far as State affairs
! are concerned, and, in my Judgment,
& it Is better to have ITO intrastate party
organizations at all than feeble, non.
4 effective ones centered about few
candidates for State Offices.
Heretofore each political party has
I promulgated its platform in which
were stated the things which the party
favored and the things which it op-
aposed; the candidate of the party &C
1cepted the platform, and by an I'M
written law obligated himself to sup
port it, even though his own Judgment
differed from the opinion of the ma
jority of his party associates. In or
; der that party measures and party
policies might be effected he was
Obliged to yield, to some extent, his
own belief and conform to the views
of the majority of his party. When
there are great and clear-cut issues sub
mitted to the people and about those
issues political parties are formed, it
lis necessary that there be united ac-
tion on the part of all those who agree
upon fundamentals. Otherwise, there
would be so much dispute and con.
ltention over details that nothing would
ye accomplished. Hence the neces-
sity of the individual yielding to the
judgment of the whole party in order
that it may achieve the end for which
it is striving. 1t must be admitted,
however, that when there are no great
issues dividing political parties, they
are of little use, and many hold to
them simply for the sake of the Offices
or patronage they control.
No Sinking Responsibility.
I do not say there are no great is
sues in the State of Minnesota today,
but one may affirm with perfect safety
that there are now, and have been for
the last quarter of century, no great
issues dividing the two leading politi-
cal parties in the State. Each in it's
platform has condemned the manner
in which, the other conducted public
business, each has announced itself
for economy in State disbursements.
for progress in State DEVELOPMENT, and
for good and stable government.
Heretofore, public servants might
say to the people who elected them as
partisans, that they were bound to act
in accord with those who belonged to
their political partysend to Cooperate
with them in all matters of State con.
Germ. When criticised for thus acting
they might evade the criticism by say.
g, 1T was not my own best judg.
ment, but as a partisan I felt bound
to stand by my party and support the
party policy" Now, one effect of the
recent legislation is to compel each
official, especially member of the