Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1916-02-25
dIsRiEpREsEN'TlIIsa THE EDITORS

(Which might probably be echoed by
some country newspapers which de-
pend upon them for inspiration), that
the Minnesota editors in cow ention
assembled declared against the !. pri-
mary law. That report is absolutely
false, not a vestige Of truth being
found to sustain it. The primary law
was not even mentioned at, a session
Of the convention, much less discuss
Saturdays Minneapolis Journal
came out with big headlines, !" Edi-
tors Vote for Drastic Changes in Pri-
mary Laws" and the MINNEAPOLIS
Tribune announced in black letters
Editors Knock Primary Law as Fad
dish Freak All this because the
following cunningly worded resolution
had been sandwiched in among other
"1resolves'' by the resolutions com
mittee and was allowed to mass with
out comment because it was consider
ed innocuous:
"This association views with alarm
the rapidly increasing cost OF govern
ment both in state and nation, and be-
lieves that this increasing cost can be
traced directly to an unnecessary du-
plication of the functions and instru-
mentalities Of government, created by
placing personal ambition above the
public good. We believe it is time to
call halt and return to the saner and
more economical days Of our fathers.
In recommending retrenchment. in pub
lie expenditures, we are not unmind
full of the fact that the AK can be APP
piled only to cut away the useless ex-
crescences which have fastened them
selves up the body polite. We be-
lieve that the election laws Of the
state should be so amended as to at
tract to the service of the common
wealth men Of the highest ability,
honor and integrity, and that public
office be always looked upon as pub
lie trust.''
Now what is there in the above res
olution to warrant such headlines?
There is nothing contained in the same
that the most ardent champion of the
direct primary cannot subscribe to
with Joy. 1t would be all right, but
for the serious attempt made to mis- /
the editors and create a
false impression as to their attitude in
the matter.
patti members of the committee were
real enough to present "a resolution
that would condemn the primary law.
+ Hon. Theodore Christensen
Of Dawson, who was on the committee,
refused to accept the resolution as
drawn and threatened fight on the |
floor of the convention if direct at
tack on the primary was reported. To
avoid this the Objectionable portions
were stricken out. The daily newspa-
pers, however, saw fit to 60 ahead and |
read meaning into the resolution !
which it does not contain, and en-
phasize their view with misleading
headlines. Not only this but Mon
days Minneapolis Journal publishes |
an editorial, which quotes the last
sentence of the above resolution and !
goes on to comment upon it in the |
most unwarranted manner. Witness |
this:
"In this simple statement the edi- |
tors Of Minnesota practically ADMIT |
the failure of the direct primary laws |
to bring about the :. political millen-
mum, and plead for such amendment I
as shall restore to the state the bet |
ter features Of our political life, as
it existed before the direct primary
killed party spirit, drove the best men
from public life, and encouraged the |
self-seeker and the demagogue. The
bv the adoption of this
has taken courageous
steps,
It will be news to the country news |!
papers to know that those who have
fed from the public life in this state |
are the best men, and that the self
seeker and demagogue has been en-
Which men elected at our |
last state election will the Journal put |
into the latter category? And cannot
the people be trusted to swat the self
seeker and demagogue in the future |
as we'll as the past, especially when |
they have the benefit Of the editorial
columns Of these precious wise acres
to give them information?
This was one regrettable incident at
an otherwise pleasant and profitable |
where the editors enjoy |
ed an unbounded hospitality of the
citizens Of the metropolis.
Another unfortunate impression
made by the twin city newspapers was I,
that the petition to Frank II. Kellogg (
to become candidate for U. S. sena-
tor against Moses E. Clapp represent !
ed the sentiment Of the convention. It !
did not. The fifty signatures Of pres |
ent and past editors attached to the
petition represented only one-sixth Of )
the membership of the association, and
as politics is tabooed in the affairs Of !,
the association Of course not a word !
was said of the matter in the conven-
ton.
In contrast to the above perverted
comments by the political editors read
the following comment On the conven-
ton by the editor Of the st. Paul Dis;
patch: |
"Nothing could have demonstrated
more clearly than the meeting OF the
Editorial association last
week, the change that has come to
pass in the methods of the average
state newspaper. .M
fsThe association discussed costs, edi-
torial policies and new features, re-
ported on experiments and their re-
suits. It arranged for a survey Of the
business, and asked the
COMMUNICATION of tho University in "a.