The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1888-11-02
MANKAro FREE Press.
FRIDAY. NovMBER q, 1888.
DEMOCRATIC WIND.
E. N. Wilson, Judge Flandrau and Mon
aisur D'Autremont talk against time.
The Parade.

aieur D'Autremont talk against time.
The Parade.
The great effort of the Blue Earth |
county Democracy to arouse little en-
thusiasm in the party Saturday night
was not the conspicuous success that the
leaders could have wished and conf
IDENTITY counted upon. In the first place
the principal speaker, Hon. Eugene M.
Wilson, candidate for governor, greatly
disappointed his hearers. He has
very poor voice for public speaking, and
the opera-house was evidently too large
for hun, to Judge from the high, strained
key at which he spoke. The effect OF
his words Is also lessened through u lisp.
He raised no enthusiasm, and the per-
functory, weakened applause that at
long intervals fitted across the audience
like the uncertain fight of wounded
bird was anything but inspiring or fiat
tering. The first real enthusiasm was
manifested when Judge Flandrau, of st.
Paul, opened his remarks. His virulent
and personal abuse of Mr.. Merriam
pleased the audience. He, too, is fail
ure as speaker. Though perhaps some
what better than MIR. Wilson in this re-
gard, he lacks the brains Of that gentle
man, and the more intelligent portion OF
the audience was disguised from the
start. Mr.. D'Autremont, candidate for
encouragement, is young man OF en-
the evening. His oratory is of the col
lege style. From outward appearances
he does not show any particular qualiti-
cations for the high and important Office
of attorney-general, and was evidently
put on the ticket merely to catch the
French vote. The meeting lasted until
after eleven o'clock, and the audience
was thoroughly tired, as was evidenced
by its failure to respond to three cheers
proposed for Cleveland and Thurman at
the close of the meeting.
The torchlight parade which proceed
ed the meeting was a creditable one as
to size, though the per cent. of voters in
the ranks was small. Instead of four
bands, as advertised, there were but the
two home bands. The parade was head
ed by about seventy-five horsemen bear
ing torches. Then followed three car
riages bearing distinguished Democrats,
including the speakers. The boys clubs
came next, and then number of men.
Several transparencies were exhibited.
No enthusiasm was displayed anywhere
and the threatening weather thinned
the ranks of the spectators.
Before the parade was half through
the opera-house had been filled. The
stage was occupied by many local DEM
ocrats, and Hon. Daniel Buck presided.
1t was half past eight when the Germa-
MIA band ceased playing and Mr.. Buck
introduced Mr.. Wilson, predicting a
great national and state victory Nov. 9th.
Mr.. Wilson devoted himself mainly to
the tariff question.
He said he had been going around the
state attempting to give to the best Of
his ability some reason why the people
should vote the Democratic ticket. Re-
ferring to the great surplus he said that
$3.50, 900 900 is piled up in the national
treasury, and financial troubles were
likely to happen if this surplus was con-
tinually added to. When money is
taken from one class of people to enrich
another it is none the less robbery,
though under the disguise of taxation.
The speaker thought that the revenue
system in vogue before the war was
about right. The promise TO reduce the
taxes after the war were not carried out,
except that the taxes on the rich manu-
facturers were taken off, and the taxes
on the poor were left on. In 1870 the
Republicans passed bill making twice
the reduction of the so-called free trade
Mills bill. Then the Republicans and
Democrats of the West stood together in
in favor of the bill, while the represen-
tative of the Eastern manufacturers and
the carpet baggers of the South opposed
it. At Chicago last June the Republi-
cans passed platform such as was new
er seen before, drawn up by "Pigiron"
Kelly and such men. 1t proposed to
leave the taxes on necessaries and to
make whisky free. The speaker highly
complimented Knute Nelson for his
stand on the Mills bill. He stands
where the Republican party stood be-
fore the Chicago convention. The Re-
publican platform is two-sided, one side
of which is shown to the Eastern manu-
facturers and the other side to the West
ern farmers, when the party wants
votes.
There is one man who changed side
very quick, and that is Mr.. Donnelly.
The Labor party and Farmers Alliance
favored heavy reduction of the tariff
and Mr.. Donnelly stood on this platform.
A while ago he favored Cleveland. We
would probably have saved him to the
party if we had given him an office. The
speaker intimated that Donnelly favor
ed the Chicago platform because there
is "boodle" in 1t for him.
Everyone in your town depends upon
the prosperity of the farmers. The
more they receive the better it is for
you. Under the present tariff they must
sell in the lowest marketsand buy in the
highest. The tariff does not raise the
price of farm products any. The balance
Of trade must be against them, and moth
ing but the great prosperity of the coun-
try could let them keep their heads
above water. The distribution of wealth
is unequal. They have to pay a large
amount to the Eastern manufacturers,
and they should be relieved of this. The
money that Eastern laborers have
placed in savings banks was taken from
the farmers pockets. Is the seven per
cent. reduction proposed by the Mills
bill to ruin labor? The tariff doesn't
protect the labor employed in nineteen
twentieths of the industries. We only
propose to reduce the extraordinary
profits of the manufacturers, not the
wages of laborers. Let us take off ST.
600, 900 of Carnegie's 81 800, 900 annual
profits. There are manufacturers who
make difference in favor of foreign
customers, some up to 20 per cent. as,
for instance, saw manufacturers. The
law of supply and demand, and the eff
ficiency of labor will regulate the price
of labor. Though higher wages are paid
in this country than in England the diff
ference is more than made up by IN
creased efficiency and longer hours of
labor. Manufacturers are at disadvan-
tage on account of the tax on raw ma
terials, machinery, etc.
Mr.. Harrison's objection to the Mills
bill, that it was but the first step, Is like
a sick man refusing to take medicine be-
cause five times as much might kill him.
We do not want free trade, but fair
trade. If the manufacturers thought
that the Mills bill would reduce the
price of wages, they would all vote the
Democratic ticket. They bring over
foreign labor TO reduce wages by compe-
tition. The speaker referred to women
who, only in boots and skirts, naked
above the waists, worked in the bake
ovens like men.
The tariff nourishes another cormor-
ance in the shape of trusts. The speak
er explained the operations of a trust.
They are like devil fishes sucking the
blood and life out of the industries of
the country.
The tariff has destroyed our merchant
marine. To maintain our rights on the
seas we went to war with England twice
and had splendid marine that carried
80 per cent. of the trade between Amer
lea and foreign countries. After the
war the services gradually declined, un-
til now we carry but little over ten per
can't and ara navino S90 On0 mn 70 910