THE SATURDAY LUNCH CLUB OF MINNEAPOLIS

...Members and invited guests, have lunch together on alternate Saturdays at 12:30 and listen to the presentation of some subject which is afterwards open to discussion...

...Many of the members belong also to the Minnesota Citizen's League...

...In a state worse corruption-ridden than was even Wisconsin in the days of Philetus Sawyer, in the possession of pine lands he is better qualified as a candidate than was even the ex-"Mare of Oshkosh...

...But thanks to the "muckraker" or what is usually a correct equivalent description, "the truth-teller," in magazine and at Chautauqua and other places where people gather for the consideration of public questions, and to some independent country newspapers the people of Minnesota more nearly appreciate the true situation than did the people of Wisconsin of that day...

...The bill was defeated largely through the efforts of the club...

...And in the determination, the Saturday Lunch Club will bear an honorable part...

...One particular consequence of the Club's attitude was the changing of Ex-Speaker L. H. Johnson, a member of the House from the city of Minneapolis, from a leader in support of the bill to a leader against...

...Governor Folk on "Municipal Government...

...Minneapolis is not exceptional...

...He, however, is not illiterate...

...The first meeting of the club was held December 6, 1908, with twenty present, and the last, May 22, 1909, with a hundred...

...Many of them, though, will not know that by "The Richest Man in Minneapolis" was meant T. B. Walker, reputed to be, next to Frederick Weyerhauser, the largest owner of timber lands in America...

...who shall fill public stations—educated and patriotic freemen, or the feudal serfs of corporate capital...

...Democracy," from Ernest Crosby's "Broadcast...

...Taft, at the time probably the most talked of man in the country, speak in our University Armory under the auspices of a University society, introduced by an ex-governor of the state, later another ex-governor on the platform on the public question then agitating the American people more than any other, * * * and looked in vain in their next morning's paper for a mention of the presence in our city of the distinguished speaker, to say nothing of a report of his speech...

...The organizers of this club having observed these and other short-comings, to use no stronger word, of our newspapers, and meaning to make it a forum for the presentation of live, not academic, questions that would not be likely to get adequate, if any, hearing in our local daily press formed this organization hoping eventually by the character and number of its members, and the themes and manner of their treatment at its meetings to become an influence for good in this city...

...Bjorge, author of the bill, and President McVey of the tax commission, now president of the University of North Dakota, both approving: employers' liability, with addresses by Professor John R. Commons of the University of Wisconsin, State Labor Commissioner McEwen, and President Gillette of the State Manufacturers' association...

...As a consequence the tonnage tax will be an issue in the next state campaign...

...Usually such organizations have wielded strong influence also in state and national politics...

...John Z. White of Chicago on "The Sources of Municipal Corruption...

...Resolutions drawn by Professor Willis M. West were adopted and were transmitted to the authorities at Washington accompanied by a strong letter from President Northrup...

...But if they will observe, as the fact is, the Steel Trust and the Hill Interests working together to control the politics of Minnesota, they will see a giant combination, compared with which the union of Milwaukee and the Northwestern railroads of that day was a pigmy...

...That meeting resulted in a large public gathering, with President Northrop of the University of Minnesota in the chair...

...And there is grave fear that it and its great rival have secretly confederated to make partition of the state and share its spoils," may be skeptical as to Minnesota being now more under the control of the plutocracy than was Wisconsin for the period succeeding that address until the overthrow of the Sawyer domination...

...They had seen speeches in our city an hour long by 'The First Citizen of Chicago' on her work in that great metropolis for the amelioration of the conditions of life among the poor and lowly * * * given a paragraph or nothing at ,all * * * ; and on the other hand they had seen writing on the timber interests and other things by the 'richest man in Minneapolis' much of it turgid twaddle published by the page...

...IN the City of Minneapolis there is an institution which has to be reckoned with in the public affairs of the city and the state...

...Louis F. Post, editor of the Public of Chicago, on "The Present Problems of Democracy...

...At about the same time the governor appointed to fill a vacancy on the board of control of state institutions except the University, C. E. Vasaly, a radical Bryan man, a student, a scholar, and a good writer, and got credit for disinterestedness in making a high class appointment...

...It is known as "The Saturday Lunch Club...

...There is no question of how the Commission as now constituted stands on the tonnage tax...

...It can truthfully be said too without disparagement of the able adresses before the Club that usually the ensuing comment and discussion by members has been no less able...

...The meeting heretofore referred to at which was delivered an address that this writer expressed grave doubts of the willingness cf the Journal, to publish, was one of the most important held by the club...

...Club's Success is Assured THE Club now numbers about one hundred and twenty...

...Before the next meeting of the council the Railway Company withdrew its application...

...THE SATURDAY LUNCH CLUB OF MINNEAPOLIS An Association That is Counteracting Newspaper Subserviency to Big Interests and Bringing about Better Conditions in City and State By LEWIS R. LARSON IT is a significant fact that most of the reforms recently accomplished in the governments of our larger cities have sprung, not from the duly constituted municipal authorities, but from private citizens...

...The club expects to have several distinguished visitors address it at special meetings during the summer...

...The address was delivered by Judge W. A. Lancaster, special counsel for the city in the appealed case...

...They had seen the appearance before our railway and warehouse commission of the man our papers are frequently pleased to call 'Minnesota's first citizen,' after employing every tortuous device to prevent appearance, misreported or unreported as to every essential detail...

...Some characteristic "lessons" the writer now recalls have been "The Unemployed," by Hugh J. Hughes...

...C. J. Rockwood, also addressed the club...

...and to several other reform organizations...

...eminent domain for cities bill, with an address by Senator J. T. Elwell...

...They had seen one of the great orators of America having scores of personal friends and hundreds of acquaintances in our city, and, aside from the President, Mr...

...Fear of the Club's influence kept some members' records much better than they otherwise would have been...

...As to the individual man, of course, the Club will be silent...

...The appointment should have been reversed...

...Individuals, city clubs, civic societies, voters' leagues, and other associations, have labored inselfishly to bring about governments that are truly representative and democratic...

...0. M. Hall of the commission opposed...

...Newspapers Toady to Hill BY municipal campaign meetings referred to as not reported by the newspapers were meant meetings addressed by James A. Peterson against the renomination and re-election of aldermen, an account of which was given by Lynn Haines in the January 30th number of La Follette's...

...Charles Sumner was a great art connoisseur...

...Bryan, and Mr...

...For many years as to school matters the public mind has been somnolent...

...One of the youngest and at the same time most vigorous of these is "The Saturday Lunch Club...

...Two of the three members of the state tax commission, organized two years ago, in its first biennial report favored the tonnage tax...

...S. M. Owen, editor of Farm Stock and Home, president...

...It had under consideration the local street railway situation, with especial reference to a request of the Street Railway Company to the Common Council to withdraw the appeal of the City to the Supreme Court of the United States from the decision of Judge Lochren in what is known as the "six for a quarter ordinance" case...

...The remark has been made of it, "It is rarely that so many men of brains, courage and disinterested public spiirt are found in one small organization...

...The Skirmisher," by Herbert Quick...

...There are those who see in the election of President McVey of the tax commission to the University presidency not so much a proceeding to get him into the University as one to get him out of the Commission...

...The Mission of a Liberal Church," by Rev...

...Walker's campaign for United States senator...

...Both publications are in all probability part of Mr...

...Readers of La Follette's, especially in Wisconsin, who heard or read contemporaneously, or have read since, that greatest of law class addresses, Edwadr G. Ryan's to the University of Wisconsin class of 1873, and know he spoke the truth when in it he said, "Already here at home, one great corporation has trifled with the sovereign power, and insulted the state...

...Some much-needed reforms have already been effected and more are likely to follow...

...Reverend L. C. Talmage, pastor of the Oak Park Congregational Church...

...Bryan on "The Tariff Situation...

...Following the Club's meeting, and inspired by it, other organizations of the city held meetings and passed resolutions...

...Of the legislative measures on which the Club took a positive position, those favored by it were passed...

...and Mr...

...Herbert Carruth...

...and Professor John H. Gray of the chair of economics of the University of Minnesota, favoring...

...The duties of the board of control are administrative, and three capable honest country merchants could perform its work well...

...Work has already been actively begun by the opposition by the circulation of tens of thousands of pamphet copies of the veto message of the governor bound with an opinion in justification by a firm of Steel Trust attorneys...

...it is now thoroughly awake...

...And, too, the metropolitan newspapers of that day in Wisconsin, whatever their affiliations and sympathies, were all primarily newspaper enterprises and had fits of real independence, while some of the great newspapers of Minnesota today are probably essentially part of the equipment of the great business combination of the state, with occasional seeming editorial independence to deceive as to who really control them...

...They will bear me out in the statement that first and foremost of those conditions was the attitude of the local press toward what we loosely call reform movements, on the one hand, and the interests on the other...

...Governor Johnson appointed to succeed President McVey of the commission Mayor J. G. Armeson of Stillwater, popular at home, but not a fit successor to Professor McVey...

...And later had seen those candidates beaten at the polls, demonstrating that reports of those meetings had news value...

...with one asset alone worth several times the then or present cost of the entire road, James J. Hill met the situation he said he had so clearly foreseen, unprepared, and the Dakotas froze and died, and Great Northern stockholders got stock dividends on which future generations of the resident of the Dakotas and Minnesota will pay cash dividends, if they are as complaisant to such practices as were their fathers...

...He is to be a candidate for United States Senator to succeed Moses E. Clapp...

...Besides Professor Commons already mentioned, out of the state speakers before the club have been H. A. Barton of Idaho on "Political Conditions in Idaho...

...One of its earlier meetings was for the consideration of the Rudowitz case with addresses by Rabbis S. B. Deinard and George B. Leonard, members of the club, both naturalized American citizens of Russian birth...

...The mem-be: ship of the executive board is a fair index of the membership of the Club, made up of prominent and able professional and business men of the city who take an active interest in movements for the improvement of city and state affairs...

...those opposed by it, defeated...

...and Professor Willis M. West of the University of Minnesota, constitute the executive committee or governing board...

...The distinguished lecturer under the auspices of a University society whose presence in the city the Tribune did not mention was Senator La Follette...

...If in the judgment of the governing board some acute situation makes it advisable or some person from out of the state is in the city whom the Club would like to hear on some subject on which he is especially qualified to speak, special meetings are held...

...George S. Loftus, president of the Minnesota Shippers' and Receivers' Association...

...Walker's very fine art collection...

...but as to the kind of man, it will have something to say...

...There are now being published in successive numbers of the Sunday Tribune full-page illustrated descriptions of Mr...

...The Time to Strike," by Wm...

...The last meeting was given over to the State University, with an address by Ex-Governor Lind, president of the board of regents...

...The club has been an influence for good, as the following brief and incomplete summary of its work will show...

...The ''Tonnage Tax" OTHER legislative matters considered were the tonnage tax, with addresses by Mr...

...Making Use of the Roll Call WHILE primarily an educational and not a militant organization, the club purposes to supplement the work of the Citizen's League in advising the voters of Hennepin County of the work of their senators and representatives in the last legis-laure, and in that way to aid in preventing the reelection of any unworthy men who may be candidates,—and most of the Hennepin members are unworthy...

...By the man referred to as being by the newspapers frequently called "Minnesota's First Citizen" was meant James J. Hill, chairman of the board of directors of the Great Northern, one time associate of Farley, "The Empire Builder" to have a monument at Seattle (Quay has one at Harrisburg), so acquainted with the affairs of his read that he knows every tie and every section man on it according to his familiars (the poorest ties and the poorest paid section men of any great railroad in America), but who testified under oath before a legislative investigating committee (the testimony has disappeared from the secretary of state's office), that he did not know who were the president and the secretary of a holding company that had in trust for the Great Northern Railway, an asset according to him worth several times the cost of the road, while for fifteen years two of his sons had held those offices, and were still holding them, whom the writer heard in a stump speech to the Interstate Commerce Commission under the guise of giving testimony as to the causes of the railway traffic congestion that in the Dakotas had prevented the inhabitants from getting enough fuel to prevent some of them freezing to death say that he had seen clearly for five years before, that the conditions then under investigation, would surely come because of insufficient equipment of the railroads, the Great Northern with the rest, and still with five years, hundreds of millions of money that could be borrowed at three per cent...

...The Scripture Lesson" ONE important feature of the meetings of the club is what is known as "the scripture lesson," read just before lunch is served...

...They had seen in the last municipal campaign meetings attended by hundreds of our citizens where candidates were opposed because it was claimed that their official records showed them subservient to the interests, especially to the street railway company, not reported at all...

...In every such city a club similar to the Minneapolis Saturday Lunch Club is needed...

...The Citizens League," with an address by James Manahan, a member of the executive committee of the League and attorney of the Minnesota State Shippers' and Receivers' Association...

...Since that report Professor F. L. McVey, president of the commission, resigned during the last session of the legislature to accept the presidency of the University of North Dakota...

...Their lapses into telling the truth about their masters in their news columns are more rare...

...Newspapers Show Bad Faith WHO were meant by some of the persons referred to by the writer in the recital of newspaper delinquencies observed by the members of the club prior to its organization, to many readers of La Follette'S may not be obvious...

...It Hurts Business," from "Municipal Affairs" of Los Angeles...

...and the Citizens' League with members scattered all over the state will be a great educator, and consequently, notwithstanding the greater power to be overcome, it will not take as long to determine favorably to the people the issue, "which shall lead, money or intellect...

...The resolutions were later made the model for many other meetings in different parts of the country...

...Many other cities have publications masquerading as newspapers that suppress or publish matter, not because of its having news value, but because the knowledge by their readers of the matter suppressed might un-unfavorably affect or knowledge of that published might favorably affect the business interests the publications serve...

...Herbert S. Bigelow...

...Judge Lancaster's address was published in full in the next day's Journal, thus advising the citizens of the exact nature of the Street Railway's application and the reasons for its denial...

...John N. Berg, a lawyer of the city and one cf the executive committee of the Voters' League...

...They had observed for years as to the former that the news columns of our papers frequently had no reports at all, and when reports did appear they were often so inadequate * * * as to give the reader no fair idea of the matters reported, and sometimes entirely misrepresented their purport...

...and "The Legislative Situation," with an address by Lynn Haines, secretary of the League...

...Public Questions Taken Up 'THE hopes of the organizers have been realized...

...Why the Club was Organized WHY and how the club came into being can fairly be stated in words used by the writer in "An amende honorable to the Journal" in explaining at a meeting of the club his state of mind at a former meeting, when he had said publication of a certain address before the club could not be got in the Journal, a daily paper of the city, at $5.00 a line, "* * * I was one of the original members of this club and by the partiality of my fellows presided at its meetings until the permanent organization was effected, and as President I appointed the committee on organization, and so know what in the minds of the organizers were the local conditions which made this club desirable and necessary...

...Judge Larson, who describes in the following article the nature and work of this Club as well as the conditions that brought it into being, has long been active in civic affairs and has played a prominent part in movements for civic reform in Minneapolis.—Editor's Note...

...A Hymn of Action," by John Hay...

...gross earnings tax bill, with an address in opposition by ex-attorney general Douglass...

...And if they will further observe that here and now, as then and there, the smaller beneficiaries of special privilege, the timber interests and others support the larger one, it will be seen that the statement of the present situation in Minnesota is not exaggerated...

...Little the interests care for now and then a mildly critical editorial, if the news columns are systematically closed to facts they desire not known...

...It continued, however, to push in every way a bill before the legislature, known as the Nolan Bill, to take the regulation of the Company's public services from the Common Council and give it to the State Railway and Warehouse Commission that already had more than it could do...

...All of course will know that by "The First Citizen of Chicago" was meant Jane Addams...

...The Journal, too, is running articles on the same subject...

...The tonnage tax bill favored by an overwhelming majority of the members passed the legislature but was vetoed by the governor...

...But it was the possession of other qualities than artistic taste that made fit for United States senator the writer of "The True Grandeur of Nations," on which his great fame is based...

...The club has given several meetings, addressed by leading educators of the state, and others, to consideration of the city schools, with much resulting discussion by the people at large and in the city papers...

...The Fleet," by Edmund Vance Cooke...

...Then, in the same issue maybe, they had seen full and flattering accounts of matters of advantage to the interests, but that by no stretch of newspaper judgment could be said to have news value approximating the space given...

...public utilities commission bill, with addresses by J. W. Bennett, the magazine writer and author of "Roosevelt and the Republic," opposing...