Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1922-09-15


IllDR EHUS DEL ERS
KE / ] Y|]N'OI'E SPEECH
Continued from page y .'
appointed by Governor Burnquist to
I'LL . vacancy, had just been elected.
Another member, q young man with
out any experience or knowledge Of
state affairs, had just been appointed
by Governor Preus to fill a vacancy.
Immediately after the close of the
legislative session the street railway
companies of Minneapolis and st. Paul
appeared before the: Railroad and Ware
house commission and asked for an in
crease in street car fares from six to
seven cents. Mr.. Bowen, appointed to
the commission by Mr.. Preus, and Mr..
Putnam, originally appointed by Gov!
ernor Burnquist voted for the increase
in spite of the fact that the attorneys
acting> for the people Of Minneapolis
aud St.. Paul showed that the Mime
apolis company earned enough to pay
the interest on it's bond, and more than
10 per cent on its stock. The ruling
Of the commission was appealed to the
courts, but it was knocked out pending
an investigation Of the physical valu"
alton of the street railway system.
The two above named members of
the commission recently handed down
a similar ruling in the case of the
Duluth Street Railway company, but
their action was promptly -disallowed
by the courts. "'.~
Recent developments brought out by
the city attorney of Minneapolis and
a valuation expert regarding the ex-
Penditure by the Street Railway COM
pany Of a two million dollar slush
fund, including the paying Of large
sums to politicians with the refusal
of the Street Railway company Off
Gals to comply with court orders as to
the detailed disbursements of over
two hundred thousand dollars in con-
nection with politics, have so dis
gusted the people of Minnesota, fur
nishing proof for the suspicion and
lack of confidence, as to weaken the
respect for constituted authority. =
If time permitted, I could 60 down
the line and prove to you further that
this state is now in the hands of the
worst political ring in its history. Our
governor is now dvocating the es-
tabishment of state constabulary-a
system of military pot:ce-to stop the
present crime wave. In some states
they already have such organizations,
statistics prove that crime prevails
in spite of them, and to a greater ex-
tent than in our own state.
People are taxed to death as it is,
and with the addition of few hundred
thousand what would be the result. The
proposed system would centraize the
entire police power of the state in the
hands of the governor-it would be a
violation Of our traditions. Where the
system has been tried out is hiss de-
veloped into political machines, operat.
ed for the political promotion of crafty
individuals and as club held over the
heads Of labor by autocratic and des:
potic employeds. :
IF the sheriffs Of the various counties
are now lacking power in some re-
spects, let the Legislature provide the
remedy. # the cities are lacking suf-
ticient police protection, let them pro-
vide for more police. If central
Identification bureau would add to the
efficiency in suppresaing crime, let us
have it-but past experience should
make us 20 slawly in lodging more
power in the hands: Of the executive,
when we know that It. is primarily in.
tended for partisan political control.
The calling out by Governor Preus
Of the state militia in the case of the
strike at: South st. Paul last winter
proves him to be in blind sympathy
with capital. Had he called to his Of.
fee the Officials Of the packing COM
pany and the strike leaders, and re-
NAMED .:bctween the two forces "un.
biased, eighty thousand dollars of the
taxpayers money might have been
saved and the bad effect his action
had upon the public might have been
avoided. The governor should re.
member that the rights of humanity
are superior to those of capital: Our par.
ticipation in the World War proved
that we could issue Liberty bonds to
finance it. Capital was not drafted
but for the blood and flesh of our citi-
zenship we could find no substitution,
for they had to face the cannon =
mouth-and this is a compelling mes.
sage that justly Is called to our atten.
ton, increasing with every new day.
The battle for democracy is an eternal
struggle. The people are about to
rally around new political and spirit
ual leadership.
While our graded school is the cor
nerstone Of our educational system, and
as rule is well administered, there is
much room for Improvement, both in
the grades and in the high schools.
Such improvements will never be per:
manent until teaching is made pro.
fession and stabilized.
The university of the State of Min.
nesota should be the pride of every
Minnesotan. It is the one institution
that reflects the best that the state
should have to offer. It should teach
nothing but una ulterated truth, and
to that end favor academic freedom
at the university. The present method
of compelling the board Of regents
and departmental officials to lobby be-
fore every legislature for appropria-
tions is a disgrace, and I favor q law
which will give fixed and dependable
income from year to year predicated
upon the assessed valuation Of the
state. The majority Of tho board Of
regents are splendid men, personally,