The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1924-02-14
SENSIBLE SUGGESTION


the Ramsey County Republican COM
mittee, formerly State Railroad and
Warehouse Commissioners, who re-
signed his position to become the
campaign manager of Judge Oscar
Hallam, candidate for the United
States Senate at the June primaries
last year, gave the Republicans of
Ramsey county some good and whole
some advice in an address at meet
ing of the committee January 30.
Mr.. Sterling's suggestions are so
practical, so necessary and so sensi-
BILE, that the Republican party of
Minnesota could follow them with
profit. However, the members of the
Minnesota Legislature are creatures
of the primary election law and it
is doubtful if the necessary relief can
be obtained until such time as there
is a general awakening to the evils
of Minnesota's primary election law.
A summary of Mr.. Sterling's splendid
address, follows herewith:
"The dominant idea of a political
party should be to enact such legisla-
ton and administer the government
in such a manner as to not only re-
fleet honor and credit upon them
selves, but also to do some real good
for the public in general.
'The party system has been recog-
nized in America since the founding
of the nation; it is a system which
prevails in every self-governing
country of the world, and | venture
a similar political idea will always,
fa af 70
themselves together for the purpose
of putting such ideas into effect as
governmental measures. We are
bound to have political parties, and
my own view is that such being the
case, we should make them RESPONSE
BILE to the people so they can be held
accountable for the acts of their rep
resentatives.
''The principal acts of those who
are elected to offices consist of the
making of laws and the administra-
ton of laws already on the books, or,
in other words, carrying out the leg
islative and executive powers of gov
eminent The judicial branch, of
course, is also of great Importance,
but law never comes to a judge till
after it has been passed by the Legis-
lature, approved by the Executive,
and then attacked in some judicial
proceedings. To my mind, the peo-
pie should be specially interested in
the branch of government which
makes the laws. / believe that every
party should go before the people
with a program, and that if elected
they should carry out their promises,
and put that program into effect, but
in our state the law does not provide
the way for holding party meetings
or adoption of principles upon which
to go before the people. The So
called personal government" which
has been the subject of so much crit
icism lately is the inevitable result
of the laws in force. Let's get back
to common sense. Let's be frank.
Let's be honest with ourselves and
with our people. Why not fight for
the fundamental rights which people
are entitled to exercise? Why not
come out in the open and let people
know what we believe, and what we
don't believe? If we are members of
the great Republican Party, why not
do as our forefathers did before us?
Why not assert our rights and make
a fight to correct things?
"The suggestions | make no doubt
meet with your approval, as | know
you are all members of our Party,
and you have given freely of your
time in support of it's principles, but
I call your attention to the fact that
even though representatives of the
Party muster up courage enough to
get together and adopt a platform
cCiy lou h
noxious laws already on the books,
that they are confronted with a prob
lem soon as the Legislature meets. In
this important branch of the govern
ment, no member, strictly speaking,
belongs to any political party. They
are elected on a non-partlsan ballot,
and its members owe allegiance to no
platform or progress except their
own. 1t has been said that we have
just as many parties in the Minnesota
House of Representatives as there are
members. l call your attention to
the fact that Minnesota is the only
state in the Union which has such
system and / am not bold enough to
say that our is right, and the other AZ
are wrong. On the contrary, l feel
that experience proves ours is wrong,
and the other way is better. The cry
today is against the enactment Of
many laws-and so much expense in
government. No wonder people are
not satisfied. Minnesota has been
worse in these respects than many
other states, and I call your attention
to the fact that most of these things
have all developed since our Legisla-
tive system was changed so radically.
In this connection l believe it proper
to state that know that many who
have been in the Legislature during
recent years, members of different
factions, feel that the interests OF
the people would be better served by
the Party system. I firmly believe
that we should pledge ourselves TO
work for change so that men who
want to make our laws will tell us on