Willmar tribune. [volume], October 07, 1908, Image 3

About Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931

Image provided by: Minnesota Historical Society; Saint Paul, MN

                
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"THE PARTY, NOT FORAKER,
IS THE REAL CULPRIT.
Col. Henry Watterson, the Wellknown Editor, Writes in His Char-
At the outset I said that the re
publicans had placed "a man of
straw upon a platform of impos
ture." All that has happened
since, all that is happening now,
veiifies this description. Mr. Taft
was "the man of straw"—the sha
dow— the counterfeit presentment
of Theodore Roosevelt. The "plat
form of imposture'" embraced a
declaration of principles and pur
poses facing two ways the one to
catch the Roosevelt sentiment in
the West, the other to hold the"in
terebts" of the East. Clear proof
of both: the President taking the
center of the stage, the candidate
falling into second place the argu
ment conservative on the Atlantic
side of the Alleghanies, but radical,
and growing mote radical as, upon
the other hide, it travels toward the
Rocky Mountains and the Pacific.
acteristic Manner of Recent Political History.
If anything were wanting to con
\ince thoughtful and patriotic men
of the need for a change of parties
—if only for the sake of change—
it would be found in the present
conditions and aspects of the poli
tical situation. In order fully to
comprehend its meaning ani por
tent, let us go back a little and
consider the lines in which it was
onginally laid. The President,
having designated an Heir Appar
ent, set out deliberately to establish
the rule of Fiaud and Force. The
republican politicians began bela
boring one another Bogus dele
gations were set up by the federal
office holders. Every thought of
decency and fair play, of civil ser
vice reform pledges and honorable
paity fellowship, was thrown to the
wind, while Messrs. Knock Down
and Diag Out blustered and brow
beat the piimanes in every South
ern state.
Even at this late, however, the
steam roller had to be called into
leqmsition at Chicago in order to
complete the slaughter and to force
upon the party the will of the over
loici of the White House.
Finally "the man of straw,"
yoke-mated to a man of money and
iron—one might rather say of blood
money and trust pteel—made the
ticket, and, a program of double
dealing having been agieed upon.
the republican campaign was start
ed very much as a Sunday school
picnic. Pastor Theodore had be
foiehand selected a lovely grove
with a nice cool spring and had ar
ranged all the pretty details.
Pioxy Frank Hitchcock, the ice
cream man, was to drive the lunch
wagon. Big "Bill," the superin
tendent, assisted by Aunt Jemima
Aldrich and Teacher Hughes—each
piovided with pabteboard wings—
wa& to lead the little ones thru
flower-bordered paths to a rustic
bovver, where a puppet show had
been prepated for the amusement of
the assembled childien. The piece
was to be called "Little Red Rid
ing Hood," "Willie" Bryan to be
little Red Riding Hood. "Uncle
Joe" Cannon was to play Grandma.
"Sunny Jim" Sheiman was to play
Wolf. Mark the sequel! The daywas
dawned dark and sultry. Light
ning flashes played fitfully along
the western sky and presently dull
reveiberations of thunder rolled
down fiom the faraway North.
Then the rain began to fall in tor
rentb. Picnic, indeed above the
voice of the elements now rises the
bin ill notes of the pastor, crying
"eveiy man to cover and rats to
your holes."
Presto, change! from atrogance
to realization, from confidence to
panic the sudden swapping of hor
ses in the middle of the stream
the wild unloading of Foraker im
mediately after an ostentatious le
conciliation Heaist again, as in
last year's judicial contests, the
Mde partner of Paisons and Roose
velt, the President, himself, down
in the trenches, mud stained and
powder smirched, swearing like a
trooper, now at republicans and
now at democrats every resource,
every device, every agency of or
ganized money and official influence
strained to their uttermost to com
pel the will of the one man dynasty
and to extend the rule of the one
paity power.
It is amazing. It is humiliat
ing. It should set every honest,
patriotic man in the land to think
ing. We are supposed to live un
der a government of public opin
ion. Modern politics, however,
has created machinery especially
designed for controlling this public
opinion. The machinery so fabri
cated, places all the advantages in
the hands of the leaders of the par
ty in power. The "ins," to begin
on, are as an army fortified. The
"outs" are but a body of raw mi
litia which, however brave, and no
matter how capably led, have yet
to cross many lines of intrench
ment, to storm the cannon-mouthed
redoubt, and to carry the murder
ous barricade. It is yet a question
whether victory against such odds
is possible. The present campaign
is to determine that. It is to de
cide whether the people, unaided,
can successfully go against a party
occupying a fortress—whether the
American voter is or is not an over
match for the union of honest
wealth making common cause with
dishonest wealth, and commanding
the party in power—whether, in a
word, it is possible, short of some
cataclysm, to reach a change of
parties in Washington.
The old, historic democratic par
ty had sixty years of power, to
make its exit the signal for a~ sec
tional war. Even then the opposi
tion only crept in thru a breach.
The republicans have been in now
nearly fifty years. If we cannot
peacefully remove them, what may
we not look for when their time of
exit comes? Maybe a civil war.
But should not the people take time
by the forelock—should not public
opinion rear back on its hind legs
—should not the average citizen go
to the polls to exercise his intelli
gence and his volition before it is
too late?
The Hearst-Foraker-Archbold in
cident is an object lesson of tre
mendous reach. From start to fin
ish it is thoroly bad. One is at a
loss just where to place the burden
of blame. The purchase of stolen
letters, the shameless use of these,
their damaging disclosures—quite
ruinous in the light they throw up
on the character of certain public
men, as upon the prevailing meth
ods of transacting the business of
the time, official and otherwise—
make a darksome picture, and yet.
on the other hand, this picture is
hardly more depressing and dis
couraging than the exhibition of
lank hypocrisy and cant which the
revelations have occasioned in that
holy-of-holies, the armed camp of
Roosevelt, Taft and Hughes, virtue
mongers in ordinary and manufac
turers of tin plate god and moral
ity.
We have all known for years that
such things were doing. The
trouble has been that we could
catch no one with the goods upon
them, the work of corruption was
done so cleverly. Foraker seems
but the victim of circumstances.
The republican woods are still left
full of Ltandard Oil "attorneys,"
both in and out of Congress, of
Sugar Ring "attorneys," of Steel
Trust "attorneys," posing as states
men. What is Can but a trust
"attorney?" What else is Aldrich?
They have syndicated the govern
ment. Why balk at Foraker
The Ohio Senator admits that he
did act for a time as an attorney
for the Standard Oil Company that
this was not in contravention of his
duties as Senator that his service
antedates the move of the govern
ment against Standard Oil that he
was well paid for his professional
skill, was proud as well as glad to
have had such a client, and, being
a practising lawyer, he did only
what any and every other lawyer
would have done, seeing no manner
of wrong in the transaction. This
is in all likelihood the exact and
literal truth.
It seems that the thief who had
stolen the incriminating letters and
sold them to Hearst knew what he
about, and that Hearst, like an
expert sensationalist, held out one
of them for an after shot. This in
closed no less a sum than $50,000 in
the form of a Standard Oil draft
sent by Archbold to Foraker, and
straightway the Senator explains
that it related to a newspaper deal
which foil thru. Mr. Foraker ap
pears to think that there was noth
ing amiss in such a matter, tho in
volving the secret sale of an influ
ential public journal and its cor
rupt conversion from one side to
another all of which makes un
savory reading.
Yet the Senator's environment
seems more at fault than his char
acter. Personally an upright and
a clean man, a brave young soldier
in time of war—in time of peace
rather too free with fire alarms,
yet, withal, a good neighbor and a
good citizen and a good friend—it
is not wise public policy to have
him ruthlessly slaughtered upon the
altars of party necessity, leaving
leaders ten times guiltier—if he be
guilty at all—to rattle around in
gutta percha wings and 'robes of
painted ermine. The republican
party is the real cu«prit. Thru
forty years that party has been the
"attorney" of every scheme which
has appeared at Washington having
a graft big enough to tempt the
Steering Committee of the Senate
and the Rules Committee of the
House from high tariff, always at
the front, to high finance, seeking
monopoly in every known commo
dity—sugar, steel, iron—enriching
republican statesmen and making a
mockery of popular interests.
The Senate is crowded with trust
attorneys. Hence the universal de
mand for the election of Senators
by the people instead of by the cor
poration owned Legislatures. It
long ego became a scandal that
most republican leaders who went
to Congress poor men after a few
years came away bondholders, Alli
son of Iowa being the one excep
tion. It is too late for the repub
licans to make a scapegoat of For
aker.
When Judge Taft delivered his
now famous Akron speech, which
i^^^^^f^^fC^ii$%f^^^^
three years ago, he was unsparing
of the Cincinnati machine. His
horrid example was "Boss" Cox.
His victim in reserve was Joseph
Benton Foraker. Yet, at Toledo
the other day, we beheld him, Cox
at one side, Foraker on the other,
"thick as thieves/' exclaiming to
the multitude: "How we apples
swim!" Now that the Senator has
come to grief, we are told that Taft
will recur to his original base of
attack upon Foraker and Cox andtime.
repudiate their support indeed,
the President has already done this
he, in truth, could do no less to
maintain his own character and
that of his dear friend Hughes, not
to mention other self-appointed un
derstudies of the almighty! Yet
both the President and Judge Taft
knew as much of Foraker ten day*,
ago as they know now. It is mere
ly that, the screen having fallen on
Foraker, the rule of "addition, di
vision and silence" will no longer
work for the Church of the Sacred
Zebra, of which the President, the
Governor and the late Secretary of
War compose the trinity.
The Foraker business is but an
incident. The repudiation ot a
single Senator will nowise make
good. It is the republican party
which is in the dock. It is the re
publican party which these revela
tions expose. It is the republican
party, tried in the balance and
found wanting, which Judge Taft
ad Mr. Roosevelt—the people's best
witnnesse» to jts bad character—
are trying to save. But the sacri
fice of Foraker will not suffice. To
prove themselves entirely honest,
they must throw Aldrich and Can
non and "Sunny Jim" Sherman
overboard.
No chapter of history, ancient
or modern, can be recalled to illus
trate so vividly the present situa
tion of the party led by Theodore
Roosevelt, usurping all leadership,
as that which relates the plight in
which the French found themselves
after Gravelotte. "On to Berlin"
had been the cry—never a thought
to the contrary. Of a sudden, con
fusion, disaster, defeat, with Sedan
ahead. So the republican party
at this moment. It never yet had
to face such conditions as meet it
whichever way it turns. Most
thoughtful onlookers concede that
New York is lost to it. The nom
ination of Lilley makes Connecticut
a doubtful state. Rhode Island and
New Jersey hang in the balance.
There is chaos in Ohio. Indiana,
faction torn, is gone past redemp
tion. The prairie fires of an awak
ened public conscience sweep over
Illinois, threatening to leap the
Missisisppi river into Iowa, to cross
the Missouri river into Kansas and
Nebraska, and, impeded only by
the tenantlegs walls of the Rocky
Mountains, to issue thence again
and to swoop down to the shores of
the Pacific.
Well may the republican leaders,
intolerant and arrogant, used by
money and machinery to carry all
before them, whiten with dismay.
Wei) may they in their rage bite
one another like frightened beasts.
Their sins have found them out at
last! Scandals to right of them
scandals to left of them defeat in
front of them—only the Taft-Sin
ton millions between —Cannon
clinging to "Sunny Jim"—Aldrich
falling upon the neck of Son-in
Law Rockefeller—the thieving tar
iff exuding fat no longer, but mak
ing quagmires for the robber trusts
—the people disgusted on the one
hand, or indignant on the other—
the grand old party of graft and
fraud is in truth a sight to see!
Yet a little longer, and then the
boneyard, leaving only a stench be
hind and this inscription:—
"Whilst it lived it »ived in clover
When it died it died all over."
ROSE-LAND
REPORTS
Roseland, Oct. 5.—Plowing is
nearly finished and now most of the
farmers are digging their potatoes,
which crop is not as good as last
year.
It is reported that Mrs. John
Morolag, who was taken to the Fer
gus Fall3 hospital last spring, is
improving and may be able to be
taken home in the near futuie.
Mr. and Mrs. Mink of Brown
county are spending a few days
with their sister, Mrs. Rynhard
Kohls.
Chairman T. Stob and Wm. Lind
quist looked over the roads last
Thursday. They have a few dumps
to let out on contract, and anyone
wanting a job in that line should
call on the chairman and put in his
bid.
Lambert Dykema, who some time
ago bought the John Bu farm, ar
rived here last Wednesday and his
household goods arrived here Satur
day. All the neighbors pitched in
today and hauled it for him from
Danube.
Nearly everybody has been on the
sick list lately. The change in the
weather was too much, we suppose.
John Moorlag lost one of his
horses last Thursday.
Rev. and Mrs. Dragt, who are
spending their vacation in Nebraska
and Kansas, are expected home the
latter part of this week.
Mrs. Echbert Dragt of Kansas
has rented the John Bosch farm,
formerly owned by C. Christianson,
and will move out here some time
this fall.
cost the republicans the loss of Ohio' the bonded abstracter.
Abstracts of title to Kandiyohi
county lands and city property
promptly furnished by J. T. Otos,
Prinsburg, Oct. 5. John and
Martin Stob, of Chicago, who visit
ed here with their mother and other
relatives the past two weeks, re
turned to their homes last Thurs
day. With them went their niece.
Miss Gertrude C. Stob, who intends
to remain in Chicago for some
Ben Wibbles has bought the farm
which belonged to his father, and
where K. Visser has lived for many
years.
A baby boy has arrived at the
home of W. DeVries.
Mrs. Otto DeVries and youngest
child have both been on the sick
list.
Rev. and Mrs. Burgraaf are ex
pected home this week from their
four weeks' trip in the East.
Mr. and Mrs. G. Brink, and two
daughters, who visited here for
two weeks, returned to their home
in Sioux county, Iowa, last Thurs
day. They visited at the D. Dek
ker home in Roseland Wednesday
and Thursday. Mrs. Dekker is an
old friend of former years in Iowa.
Report has it that Henry den
Adel from Washington will bring
his family back here again in the
near future.
A great many of our farmers
have lost their hogs, and some have
none left. The cause seems to be
hog cholera.
E. J. Roelofs Sr. has not been
well the past week. Dr. Lumley
of Renville is attending him and
we hope for a speedy recovery.
Henry Stob has built a new barn
back of his store here. A short
time ago he bought a team of po
nies from Rev. Dragt of Roseland,
and needed more barn room.
Henry Bruggers is enjoying a
visit from his parents, who live
near Cawker City, Kansas. They
came Friday and intend to stay
here about two weeks.
A. J. Nagel from Greenleafton,
Minn., is here visiting his daugh
ter, Mrs. Ben Wibbles, and looking
after his farm a mile east of Prins
burg.
The sale at Ben Wieberdink's
place last Wednesday was well at
tended and everything brought sat
isfactory prices. They expect to
leave soon for Denver, Colorado.
Mr. and Mrs, Ralph Roelofs ex
pect to celebrate their silver wed
ding the 9th of this month. Their
daughter, Mrs. Fied Groenwald of
Pease, Minn., was expected here
but owing to illness cannot be pres
ent. We hope this worthy couple
may live to celebrate their golden
wedding, and wish them the best
of everything.
Mr. and Mrs. Garret Ruisink of
Raymond visited with their uncle,
J. W. Wieberdink, last Wednesday.
Mr. and Mrs. Albert Boersma
drove to Willmar Thursday.
The frame work for the new
house for R. Biuns is up and work
is being pushed to get it done be
fore cold weather comes to stay.
IRVING INDEX
Irving, Oct. 6.—Threshing is al
most done and the machines are be
ginning to pull up for the winter,
only one or two jobs being left.
John Granstrom, who has been
suffering from tuberculosis for a
long time, is reported very low.
Lena Olson from Willmar is vis
iting with her parents this week.
Miss Nettie Hanson commenced
her first term as teacher today in
Dist. 2. Success to you, Nettie.
Laura Pederson visited at her
home Sunday.
Erick Olson, whose barn was de
stroyed by fire this summer, is
building a little shack for his stock
this fall. He intends to put up a
large barn in the spring.
Rev. Nordberg preaches in Nord
land church next Sunday. There
will be Young Peoples' meeting in
the evening, at which Rev. Paul
son from Willmar will be present.
Miss Bertha Johnson is assisting]
Mrs. I. J. Anderson during thresh
ing. Bennie Johnson returned last',
week from North Dakota, where he!
has been threshing.
Lewis Thompson came up from
Sisseton, S. D., last week for a few
days' visit at his parental home,
after which he left for his claim in
North Dakota.
Nettie Hanson and Hannah Jen
sen made a business trip to Will
mar last Monday, in
Wednesday. Farmer Boy.
FEWXK I
9&V3WM3)\
Pennock, Oct. 5.—Mrs. Johnson
of New York, who has been visit
ing with the Floren family over
summer, returned to her home last
Thursday.
Rev. Micahelson conducted ser
vices her last Sunday.
Mary Floren went to the cities
Monday to spend some time with
relatives and friends.
Big hog and cattle day at Pen
nock Monday.
John Ostlurd, R. C. Rasmusson
and G. C. Haug left for South Da
kota Monday to hunt for land.
P. J. Lindgren and daughter,
Miss Emily, went to Grant county,
S. D., last week to visit relatives.
H. J. Johnson of Salem is wear
ing a 2x4 smile on account of the
newly arrived baby. Good luck,
Hjalmar.
Threshing is all done around here
for this year.
Willie Hoglund and wife, of
North Dakota, are spending a few
days with the former's mother,
Mrs. E. Mickelson, of Mamre.
Agnes Johnson boarded the train
for the east last Thursday.
TWO DEATHS AT
NORWAY LAKE
Norway Lake, Sept. 28.—It is
our sad duty this time to chronicle
two deaths. Mabel Lundin, aged
9 years, 6 months and one day,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John
Lundin of Lake Andrew, died at
the home of her parents at 2 o'clock
a. m. last Wednesday, after a week
of painful sickness from appendi
citis. The funeral took place last
Friday. The remains were laid to
rest at the Florida cemetery, Rev.
Franklin officiating. At the church
songs were sung by the Swedish
Sunday school class of which she
was a member, and also song by
Miss Lawler's school in Dist. 25,
her schoolmates, the parting hour
being extremely sad for her small
schoolmates. The pall a
were Hattie Larson, LiHie Larson,
Mabel Railson, Mabel Skoglund,
Lillian Skoglund and Edna Mankel,
all small girls of her age. When
father and mother, sister and broth
ers look for the last time upon the
beautiful face of their darling
daughter and sister who has been
called from earth just as the tender
plant of her girlhood is budding
into the flower of womanhood, it is
sad indeed. However, they have a
olessed consolation of knowing that
while their poor hearts are burst
ing with grief, the melody of heav
en is sweeter by having added to
that great angelic choir the voice
of their precious child and sister.
Anders E. Rue of Arctarder died
last Wednesday. To him death
was a great relief, as he had suf
feied greatly the last two years
from cancer in the throat and at
last practically starved to death.
Aiiders was born in the town of
Arctander 41 years ago. Twelve
yeais ago he was married to Miss
Margit 0 Huset, and leaves be
sides his wife, two sons, Albert and
Erick, and one daughter, Clara al
so three brotheis and five sisters.
The funeral took place at the East
Norway Lake church lagt Sunday
and the remains were laid to rest
in the adjoining cemetery by the
side of his parents and one brother,
Erick, who had preceded him.
The pall bearers were C. T. Skinde
lien, P. P. Lien, S. Mattson, L.
Kambestad, Ole Stai and E. Rud
ningen.
Julius Skaalerud visited with the
family of Carl Skaalerud last Sun
day.
Miss Anna Hande leaves tomor
row for Arizona.
Nels Quam of New London made
a trip to his farm to look after the
threshing,
Gunder Swenaon made a trip
thru parts of Norway Lake town
last Wednesday on business pertain
ing to threshing.
Last Saturday was declared a
holiday by everybody.
Prof. E. Kr. Johnsen of St. An-porary
thony Park is the guest of Rev. and
Mrs. M. A. Sotendahl, and preaches
in the West Norway Lake church
next Sunday.
Chris Solberg ships a carload of
flax to Minneapolis today.
White Ribbon
-Shoes—
THE HEW SHOE FOR W0HER
We mnkc th«»m In all the popular leathers.
Black and Dull Kid, Patents and Tana, High
ani Low Cuts, prices from S3 to $6 the pair.
One Boston
woman vntss:
"1 will never
ceaseto sfng the
p-aises of the
White Ribbon
Shoes."
Tired women with tired feet
want easy flexible soled
shoes. This then is what
you want.
Nrt £A Fine
s°ft
kid, lace, vamp, pat.
iWo tip. medium low military Heel,
welt sole Pure Oak Belting: Sole, very flex
ible stitched belting: top piece on heel, anti
septic covered soft cushion innersole. White
Ribbon Process Made over last with med
ium toe, especially designed and graded for
the White Ribbon Line.
None Gentfine That Does Not Bear
Above Trade Mark on The Sole
This is a fac
simile of the cou
pon which is re
deemed at 5 cents
a pair and goes to
the W. C. T. U. So.
ciety.
_4966 A
MADE BY
White Ribbon Shoe Company
FORT DODGE, IOWA
SOUS MANUFACTURERS
SOLD BY
THE LEADING STORE.
Peterson & Wellin.
NELSON ON GUARANTY OF BANK
DEPOSIT8.
"Out of their mouths shall they be
condemned."
Presidential Candidate Taft has
come .and gone and during his flying
trip through the state he did not lose
an opportunity to attempt to prove the
fallacy of the bank deposit guaranty
plan of the Democratic platform. As
the guaranteeing of bank deposits is
Receiving much attention at the pres
ent time, as it is being fiercely at
tacked by the Republicans and as
stoutly defended by the Democrats, it
might not come amiss to look over the
field and see who is most conspicuous
In assailing this principle and whoestablishment
most active in its defense.
The principal opposition to the idea
comes from the big banks, which
claim that its general adoption will
result in placing all banks on the
same plane that the large institu
tions will be compelled to support the
weak ones in times of stress and that
it will also encourage reckless meth
ods, as the crooked or reckless finan
cier will take advantage of the situ
ation created by the guarantee and
use it to his selfish advantage. It is
also condemned by the general Repub
lican politician, not because he knows
anything about it, or because he
doubts its soundness, but because the
Democrats "jaw it first," and it there
fore became a Democratic measure,
and for that rtaaon it must be op
posed.
On the other hand it is supported
by many small bankers and by the
general run of depositors, who feel
that they are entitled to security of
some kind wh9n they put their money
in the hands of another man. They
argue that when the banker entrusts
them with money from his institution
he exacts security, and they believe it
is right and proper that he do so, but
they are personally as honest as he
why then should he be placed in a
class by himself and be permitted to
handle millions of other people's
money without guarantee that it shall
ever be returned?
The supporters of this contention
are not confined to any walk in life,
nor to any political party. When Mr.
Taft was ridiculing the idea in his
Minnesota speeches he was perhaps
unaware that he was verbally lashing
a member of his own party—a man
whose sound Judgment the people of
Minnesota, regardless of political affil
iations, have every confidence. But
that was just what he was doing.
It will perhaps surprise many of hi3
Minnesota constituents to learn that
Senator Nelson introduced an amend
ment to the Vreeland Aldrich currency
bill in the senate, on March 27 last,
which provided for the guaranteeing
of deposits in national banks In sub
stance this amendment provided:
That one-half of all taxes paid on
national bank currency by banking as
sociations be set apart in the United
States treasury as a depositors' fund,
to be used in paying all depositors, ex
cept the United States, upon the in
solvency of any bank that said de
positors' fund shall not exceed $20,
000,000.
On the introduction of the amend
ment Senator Nelson argued in sup
port of the measure that a money
panic was distinguishable from a
money stringency. That a money
stringency arises because of a tem
scarcity of currency, while a
panic, such as that of the fall of 1907,
always originates in a run by deposit
or* as to the safety of their funds In
1907 the banks, to protect themselves,
practically closed their doors. In fact
they suspended cash payments to all
practical purposes.
This condition was brought about,
net because of astringency of curren
07, but because the public became
panto stricken in its disbelief in the
soundness of the banks. A large
amount of the capital and surplus of
national banks is held in tbe shape of
long-time securities—bonds of various
kinds and approved stocks—so that
their available money for loaning pur
poses is actually the money of the de
positors.
When a panic sets in and a run
starts on the bank money becomes
scarce because depositors withdraw
their money, and also because people
who heretofore were content to get
their pay in drafts and checks now
demand cash. Thus the supply in
cash Is depleted, while the demand
for actual money increases.
The banks are therefore compelled
to call in loans from customers and
must refuse further accomodation All
this is caused on account of a panic
stricken public.
Continuing, Mr. Nelson said: "Now
if you ean by legislation, as is here
proposed, provide a fund for the pro
tection of depositors, so that they will
feel easy and confidant and will not
become panic stricken, you to a large
extent cure such evils as we had last
fall. To my mind those evils arose
from two sources. First, from the
want of confidence on the part of the
depositors. In consequence of that
there was a run on the banks, and in
the next plaee because the bank*
themselves were even more cowardly
than the depositors because the big
banks throughout the country practi
©ally suspended payment, that is the
one way la which they stopped the
panic. The amendment does
not levy any additional burden upon
the hanks. It does not require them
to pay an additional tax. It proposes
to take one-half of the tax they now
sad set it apart as a fund for the
neflt of the depositors. The federal
government was authorized to pre
setlbe rules for the regulation of one
as well as for the other that the gov
ernment demanded security for its
note issues and could as well provide
for the security of the depositor. That
when national banks are organized and
incorporated they are held out to
thecent
pubHo as species of governmental
ageneles. In this way they acquire
reputations to which, they are scarcely
entitled. That the ordinary small de
positor, the laboring man and the
farmer, are often not able to distin
guish between the good bank and the
bad bank. A bank is a bank to him.
It Is sufficient for him to know that It
it a government institution, organized
8£r'v~~ v?WK%
POLITICAL COMMENT
Edited by the Democratic Press Burean.
its his money.
"You may think I am cranky upon
this subject, but in my younger days
I had a little experience the memory
of which has been with me ever since.
When I was a law student in the city
of Madison, Wis., in 1867, I was very
poor, but I finally succeeded in ac
cumulating the great fund of $500. It
was practically all of my possessions.
There was in the city of Madison a
bank known as the Farmers' bank. I
did not know the difference I sup
posed one bank was as good as an
other. I deposited my little moivy in
that bank In a very short time the
bank failed
Mr. Nelson argued further that the
of the fund of $20,000,
000 in question, would create confi
dence in the minds of depositors and
would in this way eliminate panics
and runs upon banking institutions
As was stated in this article hereto
fore the people of Minnesota have the
utmost confidence in the soundness of
Senator Nelson's judgment on all ques
tions of a financial nature. It is ques
tionable, therefore, if Judge Taft, in
his speeches throughout the state con
verted many of his hearers to the be
lief that the man who runs the bank
is entitled to unlimited confidence
This is a question which must be
settled by the voters of the countrj.
Senator Nelson is authority for the
statement that the bankers are as
much subject to control by the people
as are the railroads In our opinion
they will decide that what is fair for
the individual is fair for the bank.
That the bank rightfully requires se
curity from the borrower and that the
depositor should demand security for
his deposits.
HARKING BACK TO '97.
To Candidate Jacobson's mind the
great heyday of wise financial man
agement, the era of ideal financiering
in connection with state Institutions in
the state of Minnesota was ten to
twenty years ago, in the decade from
1887 to 1897, when the old party ma
chine was so sure of controlling the
vote of this state that "divided re
sponsibility" was not feared. Mr. Ja
cobson's Duluth statement on this
point is herewith appended in full.
"To show the difference that exists
when one party is in full control and
when you divide responsibility let me
show you a few figures The average
Increase of expenses during the last
twenty or thirty years has been 10
per cent. The increase each year has
been 10 per cent I have the figures
for the appropriations for the years
1887, 1897 and 1907 In 1887 we ap
propriated for all the institutions of
the state $1,580,000 in 1897 we appro
priated $3,180,000, or an increase of 10
per cent each year. In 1907, instead
of increasing the appropriation to $6,
360,000, which would be 10 per cent
Increase, the appropriation was in
creased to $7,894,000, or nearly $2,000,
000 more than would have been had
the 10 per cent increase been made
In 1887 the appropriation amounted to
about $9 for each individual. In 1897
it was decreased to $8, but in 1907, in
stead of decreasing it to $7, it was
increased to $13 25, or nearly twice as
much as under a Republican admin
lstration."
It takes very little analysis to show
how superficial, far-fetched and ridic
ulous the above argument is, either as
a criticism upon the present state ad
ministration, or as a basis for a fair
and just judgment in review of the
state's financial history.
To compare the decade 1887-97 with
that of 1897-1907 is not a comparison
of Republican with Democratic admin
istration. The legislature which ap
propriated the funds and the state au
ditor and treasurer who acted as the
state's financial sponsors and advisers
In the matter of disbursements were
Republican during the entire period of
twenty years. During the last decade,
1897-1907, the governor and all the ex
ecutive departments were Republican
one-half the time, Governor Clough be
ing in the executive chair in 1897 and
1898 and Governor Van Sant during
1901-4, inclusive.
But, if the intention of Mr. Jacobson
Is to show ideal financial management
of state institutions back in 1897 8 as
compared with today, it again fails.
What was the financial condition of
the state and its institutions back in
1S97-8? Has he forgotten? Like every
other state in this country, and espe
daily In the West, we were Just
emerging from the greatest financial
disaster in the country's history, the
panic of 1893 and the depression of
1893-8. Property values everywhere,
and especially in the cities, were de
pressed beyond precedent. The city
and village real estate bubble had
everywhere burated and broken banks
left depositors without savings. Tax
able valuations were cut down, tax
levies reduced and state institutions
dared ask for nothing more than bare
existence. Is that the financial ideal
to which Mr. Jacobson would appeal
as a basis for the support of Minne
sola's state institutions today?
The financial condition of the state
was such ten years ago, at the end of
the 1893-7 panic and depression, that
the state board of equalization ap
pointed by Governor Clough was com
pelled to reduce the real estate valua
tions of the cities of St. Paul, Minne
apolis and Duluth 25 per cent at a
single cut. The total valuation of the
state even so late as 1900 had not yet
recovered and was still a trifle below
that of 1890, ten years before.
The state banks of Minnesota—to
day over 600 in number with $90,000,
000 of resources and not a failure or
loss of a dollar to depositors In six
rears—were then less than 200 with
hot one-fourth of today's resources
and the department of pnblic examiner
In charge of those banks was so poor
ly supported by the state and such a
dead letter and farce that over 10 per
of the state banks under its su
pervision were in a state of insol
vency—five of the insolvent institu
tions still being indebted to the state
treasury tor state deposits never re
covered.
And now Mr. Jacobson points his
finger back to that date as a proper
and fitting comparison for the people
of Minnesota to heed In managing
their state institutions In 1908 and he
under federal law, and in it ho depos- gggg comparison in preparing his
1
S^~
indictment of Democratic "extrava
gance" during the ten-year period that
has intervened!
It is plain that Jacobson has fallen
Into a vast and most ridiculous blun
der, which in the interests of his
party, if not of his own reputation, he
should make haste to repair.
MINNESOTA ISSUE OF 19C8.
Governor Johnson accepts the issue
of the state campaign on the lines
laid down by his opponent, Ja
cobson, and points to the administra
tion of the past four year=s, •with its
practicable reforms and constructive
measures, as the fulfillment of his
campaign pledges and the justification
of the big vote of confidence cast for
him by the people of Minnesota
Governor Johnson also points to the
great array of results in state de\ elop
ment—177,000 acres of state swamp
lands reclaimed, miles of improved
highway constructed, state aid dis
tributed to 1,000 additional r-"blic
schools, 300,000 volumes added to
school libraries and $4,300,000 added
to the value of Minnesota school
houses, large additions to land, build
ings, equipment and enrollment of
agricultural colleges and expeiiuient
stations, development of state binding
twine plant at the state prison and
also of a new harv i-^ter and binder
manufacturing plant, tho e\tension of
the state university and its increased
enrollment, tha establishment of the
state immigration bureau, the devel
opment of the State Agricultural soci
ety enterprise and the development of
state institutions and internal im
provements generally—as worth all
they cost to the people and the state
Governor Johnson also points to the
new boards and departments created
—the permanent tax commission,
which in its fust year brings $500 000
of new revenue into the state treasury
from iron mines, the state highway
commission, which is developing a
state system of good roads the state
drainage commission, which has Id
ed $885,000 to the wealth of the stare
during the past two jeuis fiom re
claimed state swamp lands at a cost
of $185,000, the state timber board
which has recoveied half a million dol
lars from timber trespas«eis the
state immigration bureau, which has
brought thousands of new scttleis into
the new counties, the new department
of fire marshal, which has effected re
duction of fire insurance rates—as
progiessive departures worth to the
state one hundred times then cost
Governor Johnson also points lo the
practical achievements of the execu
tive departments controlled by him—
insurance department whose practical
reforms have commanded national
prominence, public examiner's depart
ment, which has recoveied in two
years $150,000 of public re\enue and
made the unparalleled record of tak
ing over 282 new banks in four v°ars
labor bureau, which has made state
labor inspection of great practical
value for the protection of labor and
opened free employment bureaus,
dairy and food department, which has
expanded the state's efficiency in dairy
and food inspection 50 per cent in
four 5ears- public instruction, which
has broken all recoids in piactical ed
ucational work, board of control,
which has reduced cost of binder
twine 2 cents a pound and in four
years made for the state a net profit
of $716,000—as demonstrating the
practical value of his administration
to the state
Governor Johnson points to the re
forms achieved—prosecution of timber
thieves and recovery of half a million
dollars of trespass damages preserva
ticn of state's mineral wealth for the
public schools and stopping the leas
ing of the state's mineral lands to iron
and steel companies and lucky indi
viduals at one half to one fourth value,
recovery of hundieds of thousands of
dollars of unpaid taxes from railroad,
telephone, telegraph and e\precs com
panies reduction of freight and pas
senger rates abolition of passes and
rebates, and improvement in the finan
cial management of e\ery state office
and institution—as fufilling his prom
fses to the people who gave him 70
009 plurality and justifying their fur
ther confidence in his stewaidship
To this vast an ay of practical
statesmanship and constructive
achievement Candidate Jacobson sim
ply says "extravagance," altnough the
state budget to pay the bills was con
trolled by a Republican legislature,
which authorized and voted every dol
lar of expenditure Mr Jacobson also
alleges Increased taxes, although the
total increase in stiie taxation would
not amount to ten cents a poison upon
the people of this state, and the in
creased taxes upon iron mines, street
railway and lighting companies, logs
and lumber, franchises and royalties,
corporations and mhentances, has
more than paid rhe additional revenue
to put into effect all the above re
forms and can through all the above
Improvements
As stockholders and directors in
this great democratic institution, the
state, the issue is up to you Do you
want Governor Johnson's kind of ad
ministration continued7 Does his
stewardship meet your endorsement7
If it does, the day for expressing It is
on Nov. 3.
"Would you send a man who uses
profanity to congress?"
"I dunno," answered Farmer Corn
tossel "Of course I don't approve of
profanity but, then, I'd want him to
be able to hold his own in any of them
arguments that come up "—Washing
ton Star.
Traveler (to alet)—That's a rather
large statue, Pat
Pat—Yes, sor. They tell me the hand
is eleven Inches wide.
Traveler—Wonder why they didn't
make it twelve Inches?
Pat —Because they didn't want to
make a foot
Stranger—What sort of a man is your
neighbor, John Brag^s?
Native—Oh, he's all right, but he has
a telescopic imagination.
Stranger—How's that?
Native—Yes, he can't even tell the
truth without getting it at least two
sizes larger than it is.