The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1914-10-31
OLE SAGENG TELLS
WHY III Is FOR LEE
Otter Tail Senator Certain Election of
Candidate viii Bring Better Gov
eminent to Minnesota.

and what his convictions, If any
really are.
Hammond's Neutrality Declaration.
If Mr.. Hammond's declaration to hs
chairman means anything, ! assume
it should be construed as declara
ton of neutrality, together with a
vague promise to sign a county op
ton bill if one should be passed.
One Of Mr.. Hammond's first =
duties as governor would be to
advise the legislature by mes Z
sage. What is he going to say I
about county option? He can 4
not ignore it. He admits that 4
1t is one Of the absorbing issues 1
Of the campaign.
1 appeal to every sincere friend O.
county option in the Democratic party
not to be deceived by the idle prom
Use, such as it Is, to sign a county CD
| ton bill.
John Lind on County Option.
am quoting now, as reported in tn.
Minneapolis Journal. from a speech b.
the Hon. John Lind, delivered in tn.
city Of Albert Lea, October II, 1910
Mr.. Lind said:
Il would not feel that had done
this occasion Justice without dis
cussing the most important ques-
ton agitating the public mind
more fully. ! refer to the ques-
ton Of county option. County
option does not mean county pro-
hibitiOn; nor does 1t, of itself,
make any county wet or dry 1t
simply means that the legislature
shall pass a law authorizing the
people OF the county to determine
by vote for themselves whether
saloons shall be allowed In the
county or not. For the life of me
l cannot see anything startling in
this proposition. The startling
thing to my mind is that 1t is not
the law today"
"The Saloon Wants Boys"
II was out at Portland and
took a street car into the sub
urbs Of that city. I happened
to pass little Methodist church
and a notice nailed on the side
Of it attracted my attention.
l read these four words, In
crude, large letters: The sa-
loon wants boys My attention
was riveted on that notice as
1t never had been before by any
other notice. l thought Of my
boys. Almost unconsciously I
began to scrutiuize it. Who did
the lettering? Who put it there, 4
and why? Was it a widows
desperation, or was it a brok- =
en-hearted mothers revenge"
What the brewery interests are
bending every effort to accomplish in
this campaign is the election of Mr.
Hammond and tractable legislature
The only candidate who stands In
their way as far as the success Of
our part Of their program Is concerned
is William e. Lee. Shall the forces
Of temperance deliberately play into
the hands Of the enemy by scatter
ing their votes among two or three
candidates?
We have a situation In Min
nesota today similar to that =
which confronted the best ele- =
ment in the Democratic party in =
Nebraska four years ago, and
we have not forgotten that tho =
greatest Democrat In the ma
ton, MIR. Bryan, did not hesitate
under those conditions to repu-
diate the candidate Of his own
party.
-
What contrast to Mr. Lees =
frank and candid position on
these questions we find when =
we examine the attitude Of the =
Democratic candidate. On the =
question of county option he =
starts out with declaration Of =
neutrality. Then he shoots his =
neutrality declaration full OF =
holes by making an extended =
argument against such q law.
=
All the time, however, he holds out
a vague promise to sign bill If one
is passed. Is it not remarkable that
this man of great attachments could
not find words in the English Ian,
guage to say even that much briefly
and plainly?
If Mr.. Hammond were to shut his
eyes and in broad daylight walk into
a crowded street trying to make the
people believe that darkness covered
the earth he would be just as con-
vincing as he is in his present effort
What will the people Of Minnesota
do? The choice is between a candl-
date who takes the people into his
,onEd>nea ,ubo noAe&o $bA m