The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1926-12-30

6uOuyn W use d SIcdI uCdl VI
power of any length of time bene-
ficially for the rest of the people.
"Some one has said that He
who through the channel of the law
carries out the will of the people,
is great. In a democracy or re-
public, in my opinion, that is the
only way man can be of service.
81 have no sympathy with the
saying. THE times need strong
man. That implies a dictator, a
superman. / have no sympathy
with the idea of dedication of the
judiciary and executive and the
concentration of power in their
hands, with attacks on the legisla-
tive. That is the forerunner of
dictator, the course invariably pur-
sued in Europe in advance of his
arrival"
With this general category of
antipathies outlined, Mr.. Shipstead
turned to discussion of his ideal.
81 have been very much i'm
pressed with the various biogra.
phies of Lincoln" continued the
Minnesota Senator, very gravely,
and deliberately. Lincoln did
not seem to be impressed with the
idea he was a superman. For in
stance, he kept in his cabinet and
as his advisers a great many egot-
lists who made his life very miser-
able through their criticism and
personal treatment of him. But
he kept them because they had GER
tain qualities, were able in certain
directions, and valuable in his work
of running the Government, show
ing he was great enough not to
permit his personal comfort or his
own vanity to overshadow what he
considered his duty to the Nation.
eff Lincoln had been a small
man he would not have tolerated
criticism by his associates. He
would not have surrounded him
self with advisers who did not hes
itate to be offensive to him. He was
in a position where he could have
simply issued orders to men who
would have followed and been sub
servient to him, who would have
been efficient and agreeable bell
boys. Lincoln evidently believed
you couldn't run the business of a
great nation with bellboys, and in
this I thoroughly agree with him."
A brief bordering in the glow
of the Lincoln vision conjured up,
and then a turning to a considera-
ton of opposittes, whether individ-
uals or groups.
"The man who concentrates
everything in himself is not a
great man." continued Shipstead.
"He cannot be. In the old days
when we had kings it was held
for time that he was infallible.
His will was law and everyone
must obey. Finally it was discov-
cred, through bitter experience,
that the king did not have an in
fallible conscience, so the people
got rid of him.
"But, having a fixed idea of
bowling down to some one, and as
it was easier to do that, we sub
stituted for a king with an infalli-
BILE conscience that can do no
wrong, a party with an infallible
conscious that he can do no wrong.
And so we continue to bow and
to obey. / think one of the most
dangerous six points of view or
states of mind that can be held
by a people is the idea that they
should send representatives to
Washington who will give implicit
obedience to partisan interests or
demands. 1t means subservience ,"
Such is the declaration of faith
by Henrik Shipstead, who, accord
ing to the picture daily drawn,
caucuses by himself, and will hold
the balance Of power in the Sen
ate as constituted next December,
or even earlier if an extra session
should be called.
Yet there are those who feel he
will affiliate" with the Republican
party more often than with the
Democratic, Mr.. Shipstead doesn't
like the word "belong," even as
applied to his earlier connections
with the Republican party. He al
so realizes as the veriest hokum
the impression sedulously spread
abroad that he is the Senator who
can tilt the scales il any direction
on legislation, as also that the one
unique position held is on the ques-
ton of organizing the Senate when
it convenes; and, even there, as
already said, Vice President Dawes
would be the real Daniel came to
Judgment if the present election
results are certified in full by the
Senate and if Shipstead were to
join the Democrats in a united eff
fort to prevent organization. Yet
there are times when he may
have to take the position of UNI
pire. This he also clearly recog-
nizes, and for this his preference
is all the more in favor of "af-
fiiliate" as against "belong."
Born in Minnesota nearly forty
six years ago. Shipstead grew up
in an atmosphere of political re-
volt. Minnesota used to be one of
the strongest Republican States in
the Union, but since the shaking
off of strict party control in 1898
it has elected Democratic Cover
nors three times for two terms
each, with other State offices filled
by Republicans.
Graduating in dentistry, Ship
stead with that of politics, first as