The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1937-01-07

! Oath of Office--Ad-
dressed Legislature
st. Paul, Jan. 4.-Governor FL
mer A. Benson said Monday no
major shakeups in state depart
ments will be made Immediately as
he took theoath of office as Min
nesota's 23rd chief executive.
Chief Justice John p. Devaney
administered the oath of office at
a simple ceremony in the executive
offices at the capitol at 900 a. m.
The audience included newspa-
per men, small group of state Of
ficials, personal friends and men,
bers of Governor Benson's family.
Governor Benson with Mrs. Ben
son and their two children. Lois,
IL, and Tommy, years old, posed
for photographers after the oath
was administered. The only other
member of the family present was
brother, Louis Benson, of Moor
head.
The retiring governor, Hjalmar
Petersen, took the oath Of office
today as a member of the state
railroad and warehouse commits
sion. The oath was administered by
Associate Justice Harry H. Peter
son, who was appointed by the out
going governor to the state supreme
court bench to succeed I. M. Olsen,
who retired because of i'll health.
Reports current at the capitol to-
day were that Commissioner Peter
sen will be elected chairman of the
railroad and warehouse commission
succeeding Frank w. Matson, re-
publican nominee whom he defeat
ed at the November general cleo
| ton.
Inaugural Message of Governor
Elmer A. Benson delivered to the
Legislature of Minnesota on Jan
uary 5, 1887:
! If ever a law-making body re-
| ceived clear mandate from the
people, it is Minnesota's fiftieth
| Legislature.
On November the overwhelm-
ing majority of our citizens said
that they will no longer be content
to suffer at the hands of a system
| which, during periods Of so-called
prosperity, gives them nothing
more than a mere existence, and,
during periods Of depression, in
flicts upon them misery, hunger
and want.
There was a time when most peo-
pie believed that those in economic
distress were delinquents and mis-
fits. We know better now. We know
that no shortcomings on the part
of the masses were responsible for
the condition which threw millions
upon millions Of our wealth pro-
ducers onto the breadlines.
Private industry has given ample
proof of its inability to supply even
our most elemental social and
economic needs.
The people were rather slow in
discovering how utterly incapable
private industry is to guarantee Sc
curity for anybody-even for it.
self. The big industrialists were the
first to run to the government for
assistance-the very government
they despised and ridiculed and said
should keep hands off business.
The railroad owners, virtually on
Bonded knees, asked the govern
ment to save them from bankrupt
cy-and the government did. The
big financiers, with tears in their
eyes, pleaded with the government
to rescue them when they were in
dire financial need-and the gov
eminent did. Our public utilities
petitioned the government to guar
antee to them handsome profits on
their investments, even profits on
watered stock-and the government
did. But when our farmers asked
the government to guarantee to
them cost of production-this was
sacrilege.
We have undergone great trans
/ formation in our attitude towards
government, and the things we ex-
pext government to do for us. Gov
/ eminent is no longer mere huge
policeman, protector of the rights
of private property; it is now the
great guarantor of social and econ
omic justice and security for all
the people.
There also has been a change in
our political concepts. Conservative
| spokesman have discarded the term
conservative" and have adopted
the term liberal" They have pro-
nounced themselves in favor of the
principles Of social security, collec-
tive bargaining, equal educational
opportunities for all children, and
the like. Therefore, when the con-
servatives Of this Legislature join
with the liberals in enacting a
truly liberal program, they will in
feet not only be carrying out the
mandate Of the people, but they
will also be carrying out their own
campaign pledges and promises.
We can thus join in a common
effort to do a real job for our peo-
| pie. Let us do II in a genuine and
constructive way. sincerely hope
that this session will be free from
petty politics, petty chickering's, pet
ty maneuverings for political ad-
vantage. Let us display a common
devotion to a common task.
In carrying out that task our
guide must be the peoples will. The
people have a right to say under
what kind Of government and UNI
der what kind Of laws they shall
live. That Is the essence Of true
democracy. We, as elected officials,