The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1886-03-12
THE MAYORALITY .


veninG between this and our city cleo
ton, more or less interest is manifesto
by people of all classes as to the proba
bilities and possibilities of the action {
the parties in placing their RESPECTIVE
tickets in the field. And 1t is well tina
this is true. Not for years has Their
Deen such strong disposition on tn
part of party leaders to consult the wish
es of the masses and nominate only mel
of moral WORT, and integrity, combined
with ability and cOmmendable degre,
of public-spiritedness. If this presen
and very pronounced determination
shall continue to possess the better ma
tire of the people, we shall witness ;
+ very important progressive mark in mu
nicipal affairs.
We believe that we can truthiully say
and in 80 saying be sustained, that tho
past two administrations have beer
em,nently satisfactory to the great mass
of our people, and il behooves us to con
tinue the regime The office of Mayor
at this time is, herhaps, of more prime
Importance than at any other period in
the history of our city, hence the neces
sity of looking well to the selection OF
the man who will he called to preside
over our municipal affairs for the ensr-
ing year. Parties, il must be conceded
are Indispensable TO good government,
and the selection Of honest, capable and
enterprising men are equally necessary
The exceptionally prominent feature
however which too often enters into
town and city affairs is, too much politics
and too little brain. Such an admixture
retards progress, defeats needed inn
provements and oft times showers dis
credit upon the municipality. AS we
said before, parties are a necessity
They equalize if they do not at ali times
harmonize. But too much Of anything
is truly worse than nothing.
So far as the Republican and Demo-
cratic parties are concerned in Mankato,
there is very slight difference III their
numerical strength. So far us the best
men in either party go, there is no diff
ference between them us good citizens
and enterprising men. Weare all striv-
ing for the same main end-the promo
ton of every positive and negative inter-
est which shall aid in building up our
city and developing her hidden ~ well
as apparent resources. We do not want
to hide our light under bushel, but we
do want the brilliant rays of our city to
SO shine as to give warmth and comfort
to those who provide the Illuminating
power, and at the same time broad and
far-reaching enough in its orb to invite
strangers i'm TO abide with us. To do this
we must begin to manage our affairs on
the broad-guage plan. That is, we must
think more of men than matter, more of
brain than breechcs, and more of either
than politics. There is no advantage to
a party to elect Mayor of the city.
There is no salary, emolument or APP
pointment which can profit the individ-
uai, but there are innumerable RESPONSE
Just in proportion to the ability and de-
termination of the executive to execute
these trusts, just in that degree will our
city prosper. Mankato has reached that
point in her existence when, if we
would man her course properly and
beneficlally, the very best business men
we have must be called upon to take
hold tho helm. She is headed in the
right direction and it must he seen to
that no obstacles are placed in her way
to change her channel, and it need not
be said that every well-informed citizen
feels this representation of affairs to be
gospel truth.
As we said in the outset, our municipal
election is near at hand, and "who shall
be our next Mayor is question of no
slight importance ~ '''oty i.ois o~. ~S
the city. We have numberless good
men who would do credit to the office,
but very few whose nomination by eth
er party would not precipitate strong
opposition 1t is most desirable at this
time to avoid party strife and to set
squarely down upon all fanatics and
ism. We do not want prohibition or
anti-prohibition, temperance or anti
saloon or anti-saloOn, to en-
ter into the election of Mayor this
spring. What we want is the selection
of a man upon whom both parties and
all parties can unite, and accord him
that unanimitv of support which would
be guarantee of entire confidence, and
a graceful compliment to the sacrifice of
time and labor which he would he called
upon To make in the discharge of the
duties of his office. Such man can be
had, and only, if we are correctly in
formed, upon the condition that the
nomination is rendered and the election
secured regardless of parties. If Mr..
Jno. A. Willard is called to fill the Office
of Mayor by the voice of the people he
will serve, and 1t goes without saying
that he will serve them well. Mr.. Will
lard is too well known IN Mankato, and
throughout the entire Northwest, for
that matter, to need one word of COM
mendation. els one of the oldest resi-
dents of the city, and without saying one
word disparagingly of the host of other
equally good men, we believe that there
is no man i'm the city who could be pre-
vailed upon to accept the position that
would be as valuable to every interest
connected with corporate affairs as he.
Constructed upon the broad-guage scale,
endowed with exceptionable business
qualifications, possessed of vast COM
mercial interests, true, tried and en-
thusiastic friend to Mankato since the
days when Indians had full possession,
adding immensely to her growth and
prominence, and ever ready and willing
to take the lead or follow i'm any public
matter where money, time or talent
were required, what could be more
graceful on the part of our citizens at
this time than to give him unanimous
calling to preside over the affairs of the
city that he has done 30 much for?
We hope and trust That the suggestion
Of Mr.. Wizards name for Mayor will be
received by the people of Mankato in
the same sense in which it isgiven-that
of the greatest good to the entire popu
lace. Politically, Mr.. Willard is moth
ing-or everything. lie belongs to no
party--always supporting the men whom
he believes best fitted for the positions
to which they aspire. Upon this ground,
then, there is no occasion for party divi
sion. The temperance people can rally