The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1883-11-09
Our County Election.

within about three hundred of the tota
vote as shown by the poll list. TIN
vote OF the county IS considerably in
creased over that of two years ago. A
that time $500 votes was the aggregate
and this year the total reaches abou
1000.
The vote on Governor was tidal
wave in Blue Earth county, but will
calm reflection after the result, thu
cause of the revolution is no. difficult
to comprehend. For weeks few
Democrat Norwegians had been active
in Bierman's behalf and so aroused
the people ofthat nationality in the city
as to enlist many Republicans in his
behalf. A meeting was held in the
Merchants Hotel block Monday even
ing before election, ut which no less
than one hundred and fifty Scandina-
vians were personal---very. per cent of
whom were Republicans. Brief speech.
es were made 10y those most prominent
IN the movement, and at the conclusion
of the meeting it was generally under
stood that the Scandinavian vote of the
city would go pretty solid for Biermann.
And IT did. On fair estimate we have
in MankatO three hundred and
fifty scandinavian voters, aud 1t is not
saying too much, in the face of the re-
turns To place two hundred and seven.
ty-tive of these us Biermanu supporters.
General Baker. by this move, also suf-
tered slight loss in the city. His OPP
ponent, Lindholm is Swede, and with
the understanding that the Swedes would
generally support Blermann, the Nor
wegians in turn assisted Lindholm, on
ly, as would lie indicated by the returns
the latter were not quite SO liberal.
Republican tickets with Hermann and
Llndholm were freely circulated all
over the county, but outside the city
they were not in very high favor. Bier
man went out of the city with 3S9 maj
ority, and without the official count at
hand, it Is pretty safe to place his maj.
oriry at about 400 in the county. Thus
it will be seen that Hubbard pretty
nearly held his own outside the city
In justice to the Norwegians, who it was
claimed were all going over to Bier.
mann, it should be stated that not over
80 per cent. OF that vote in the county
did so. Hubbard lost as many, If not
more, votes among the American Re-
publican Republicans than he did
through the Bierman SO called boom.
And the reason for this is very plain.
The same cause which led to this defec-
ton here is noticeable in the returns
from every county in Southern Mime
sofa, and had it not been for the most
persistent efforts to get the vote out, and
allay the iactional feelings as far as pos
sible which were wrought last winter
in the contest for United States Sena.
tor, the result would not hayc been rs
gratifying to the Republicans of the
State as it now is. An apathy over the
State ticket has been all along apparent
and nowhere has this fact been more no.
ticeabc than in Blue Earth county. 1t
is therefore not surprising, that Mr..
Bierman carried this county by the
majority he did, and no tault can be at
tributed to local causes in any sense.
The election of Mr. Monks tor Sheriff
by the magnificent majority of 400 is a
result: highly gratifying to the Sheriff
himself as we'll as his hosts of friends.
The claim we made of his popularity
before election has been more than full
filled, by the people of Blue Earth coun-
ty, and the slanderous stories set in CIR
culation by few demagogues tor the
purpose OF injuring his campaign, only
operated in his favor. From the date
of his re nomination until the closing of
the polls upon Tuesday, he did not
scruple to any chicanery whatever, but
conducted his canvass in the most gen.
tIemanly and straightforward manner,
and he has the satisfaction of knowing
that his services in the past two years
are entirely satisfactory to large ma.
.jority of the people of the county.
In his race for Register of Deeds,
Benny Bangerter made a splendid re-
cord, Notwithstanding the fact that he
was defeated by 35 majority. Mr..
Bangerter was almost wholly unac
guainted with the people Of the county.
He was placed in nomination against
Mr.. Wagon who had held the office for
a single term, and who had made a
very acceptable officer, and by the re-
turns it is shown that he was the choice
of the majority of the voters outside of
MankatO tor the office to which he as
PRED In the city, Mr.. Bangerter ran
ahead of his ticket in the first and Sec
ond wards where he was we'll known,
but lost heavily in the third and fourth.
The vote throughout the county on these
two candidates was very peculiar. In
almost every Democratic town in the
county the Republican candidate ran
ahead OF his ticket and the same was
equally true Of the Democratic candi-
date in Republican towns. The I'M
pleasant feeling stirred mp in Lake
Crystal over the local fight there be-
tween Republicans defeated Mr.. Ban
gerter, and defeat brought about
through such unwarranted means is to
be deprecated. Whatever reasons the
rejected delegation from Lake Crystal
had for feeling hurt over the action Of
the committee appointed to arbilrate
their difficulties, we fail to see any
justiIiable excuse for Strengthening an
innocent candidate, and II young man
against whom not one word can he
truthfully uttered. BIT if their spite
work shall have the effect of harmonic
ing matters, something will at least have
been gathered from the ruins, however
little consolation such result may
bring to those who stood true and loyal
To the nominees of the convention and
the Republican candidates.
Mr.. Wagons unlooked-for majority
in the third ward is attributable to two
4.