The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1915-08-12
SEVERE BLOW TO
FREAK VOTING
Continued from first page

4 We'll 1L1Sn O1S1upISu Tic 1SCpuUilC1ll
party in Minnesota. John A. john
son, a Democrat practically unknown,
rode into victory on its sores. Plans
for an extension of the Democratic
regime We're drawn and with it came
a demand for the extension of the
primary to the state officers. Democ-
racy, as the minority party, naturally
favored it and eventually as result
of the agitation the passing of the
convention was recorded. Then the
outs clamored for more reforms and
in order came the nonpartisan pri-
mary, the right of municipalities to
take on the commission form of gov
eminent, the presidential preference
primaries and other ballot novelties.
purify the ballot" was the cry and
the lawmakers fell over themselves
in giving answer. How easy it was
done astonished even the gang, and
for your benefit dear reader, the gang
put every one of these novelties on
the statute books, that is, with your
aid. They simply stole your thunder
and added their own experience, and
the only benefit you have had has
been the few mistakes the gang made
in not cinching things tighter. Gov
ernor Eberhart was a minority candi-
date in two campaigns, yet he pre-
vailed. The brewery crowd put over
the nonpatrisan idea in the matter of
the legislature, yet the most progress
sive body of lawmakers that ever as
sembled in the capitol made it law.
The presidential preference primary
was another game of the higher ups
and progressive legislator was spon-
sor. When the law allowing cities to
take on commission form of gov
eminent was up for construction a
Democratic state senator sought out
R. T. O'Connor, the Democratic boss
of st. Paul, and asked his advice. He
explained that it did away with alder
men and supplied a limited number
of commissioners instead. He further
explained that it did away with local
and ward control. The Cardinal
thought a moment and then asked:
"Do they elect them?" They do"
answered the Democratic senator.
"Go to it, was the curt command. A
year later St. Paul took over the new
idea, and now the town is wishing
it had never seen the latest in muniei-
pal government. Taxes are soaring
and scandals are more abundant than
ever. Duluth also is fretteing under
ST PAUL LETTER-Galley2 qsU
the new idea and so are a dozen
other municipalities throughout the
state. Every new scheme offered so
far and adopted has had tendency
to disfranchise some one person or
crowd and the supreme court only
sounded a warning when it made plain
the constitutional requirement, and
that is no mans vote shall have an
advantage over another's. n
Minnesota has been given an oppor-
tunity to see one piece of Republican
presidential timber. I refer to former
Senator Theodore E. Burton of Ohio,
who made brief talks in St. Paul and
Minneapolis and was well received.
That political significance might be
attached to this trip the senator adj
mitted, but he refused to discuss the
possibility of his entering the presi-
Dental game. He regarded any ex-
preston made now as indiscreet. At
the state capitol sentiment runs to
Hughes of New York, but it has not
crystallized sufficiently to say that his
candidacy has the best wishes of the
Minnesota leaders. The general de-
sire here is to keep hands off for the
present, and this will undoubtedly
prevail for this year at least.
st. Paul newspapers are throwing a
| fit because of the many delinquents
on the city's tax rolls and the fact
that a large number of them are rep
resented by the towns best families.
AS to who is responsible for this state
of affairs the various officials entrust-
ed with the collection of the taxes
refuse to admit, and the papers in
i 4ucSt1Uil dIC udNuiS q Ac1u t1lIlC AlllO-
ing goat. Unfortunately st. Paul is
not the only municipality in the state
with tax dodgers. There are thous-
ands of them scattered all over the
state and the tax collection officials
know their power. The official oath
required of those in charge is all
right, and so is living up to it equally
so, but there is longer tenure OF
office for those who close oye and
wink the other. Funny, isn't it?
| Senator A. ]. Rockne of Zumbrota
will try to pilot the new efficiency and
economy commission to safe port
4 He was named chairman of the com.
mittee at its first meeting. 1t was
planned to have continuous meetings
this coming winter and instead Of
trying to reorganize the entire state
government to correct some of the
fills which have crent in of recent