Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1914-04-22

The last legislature recognized it's re-
sponsibilities in marked degree. The
right kind of legislature and governor
working in harmony can regenerate
the political conditions of the state.
urge you to give thoughtful consid-
GRAFTON to your representation in the
legislature.
Nearly all of the matters so far
discussed were embodied in my plat
form in the last campaign. My posi-
ton upon them is we'll known. Linn
tied time forbids detailed discussion
on this occasion. l shall enlarge upon
them in my several addresses between
now and primary election day.
The machine has but one issue
control of the government. Recent
events show that the good people of
Minnesota have come to realize that
the great big issue of this campaign
is to find out whether or not we have
government we can control and
through which we can act When we
have wrested the control of govern
ment from bossism and greed we can
move forward. Until then we are
impotent. The instruments of good
have been turned to evil; the govern
ment Of the people has become a gov
eminent by bosses for the few who
spoliate the state and charge the
cost thereof back to the people.
The issue then is: The people
against the machine What consti.
tutes the machine?
First, there are the large brewery
and allied interests. Then there are
some corporations whose owners de-
sire to get more out of the public
than they are entitled to for the serv-
ice they render. Then there is the
multitude of oficeholders, mostly ap.
pointive officers, scattered all over the
state, and then there is the "boss."
Political Boss Spider.
Like spider in 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
astute and cunning manipulation of our
destinies. Under the pseudonym of
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 receives recognition and COM
pensation for the services rendered.
The brewers contribute to the cam
| paign fund and violations of the law
are winRed at in return. The priv
lege-seeking corporations contribute
literally and as compensation are per-
mitted to extort literally from the
people.
The officeholders are the molders of
public opinion, the managers of local
campaigns, the chore boys who do the
running about for the boss" They
are scattered all over Minnesota and
if you examine them closely you will
find that each one has a string tied
to him. When the "boss" pulls the
string he dances.
Attacks System of Inspection.
A political machine could not exist
if it did not have public patronage to
feed upon and it gets this only
through the executive department of
| the state government. I have never
been able to find out, and I doubt if
anybody except the political ''boss' or
the state officers who pay the salaries
know, how many officers, examiners
and inspectors there really are scat.
tered over Minnesota. These inspec-
tors and examiners are appointed up
on the theory that they are necessary
for the protection Of life and prop
erty.
We have boiler inspectors who do
not know steam boiler from "the
kettle on the hob" and who go about
the state issuing certificates of inspec-
ton upon payment of the fees re-
quired. Oil inspectorships have been
doled out to certain country newspa-
pers as a cheap method of bribing
them to support the administration or
at least to sing fulsome praise of
Adolph. If we are to reform the state
government, the first thing to do is
to get rid Of the man at the top.
No Quarrel With Big Business.
Now, l have nothing against big
business. l have no quarrel with cor
porations, large or small am a
business man myself and believe that
was one reason why I was selected az
the anti-machine candidate for gov
ernor. It is the corporation that main
tains political department and keeps
yellow dog expense account" that
I feel needs the attention OF the good
citizens of Minnesota.
Good government performs it's du-
ties in the most efficient manner and
at the least cost to the taxpayers.
Poor government is lax administration
of the law at the greatest cost to the
people, and bad government consists
in surrendering the power of the gov
eminent to special privilege-seeking
interests to be used for exploiting the
natural resources of the country and
| burdening the people with excessive
| charges for services rendered.
Says Machine Is Doomed.
l stand for good government. I
! know you stand for good government.
All nj ~ m .