The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1890-10-31

of the war 1T was hard struggle.
Ny surroundings and environments were
that of poverty. I grew up in the midst
of it; it colored my whole mind,
my notions and ideas and being. And from
that day to this-I can't help Tiny sym
paties and my heart and my feelings and my
mind all run out to you laboring men.
TGreat applause While have no antip-
athy and no feeling against the rich, those
who live in nice palaces, but when l am
among them-brethren I, must tell you the
truth on this occasion-i feel like
ONE oF THE LOST TRIBES
of Israel. Laughter. My life has been
always with you; my sympathles are with
you. There never is strike but what
sympatize with you, if you are striking
justly, pray God for your success. Ii you
strike unjustly and without good ground,
even then pity you, for I know the trials and
tribulabions and struggles and sorrow OF
your family and your children.
''Now, gentlemen, | know many OF you
feel at times as though you are injured.
Some of you in the shape of the Alliance
and Labor party, are on strike this fall.
You are on sort of political strike. Now,
want to say this to you, my friends, In all
candidness, you who have been Republicans
in the past, stay with me in the Republican
party, and will join you in any honest tight
tremendous applausel if there is anything
that is amiss, any wrong to be righted, Will
join you; the people in the backwoods Will
help you men of the city, and believe there
is no place SO good to effect these reforms
and accomplish what you want as within the
realms of the Republican party. Great
applause
and you know how many strikes fail IL refer
to business strikes), you know how many
just strikes fail because they are not at the
proper time or in the proper surroundings or
haven't the good will of the communlty-lt
you are out on strike by yourself, you are
like battery advanced in the line of battle
away ahead on the hill. You are subject to
the enemy's fire.
YOU DRAW THEIR FIRE.
and you accomplish no good. battery to
be effective in time of battle must have the
solid support of the infantry behind it, and
you laboring men who are In striking
mood, stay with the Republican party. Have
the infantry of that party to back your bat
teries, and you will demolish the Democracy
and all other dangerous and blithing things
in the community. Tremendous applause.
"There is another thing, and then am
done. I see great many of my country
men, Swedes and Norwegians, here-Scandi-
navians. We have that faculty that we know
one another in the dark" Laughter and
applause A voice: "Louder."l
Mr.. Nelson: 81 see in this audience a
great many of my countrymen, Swedes and
Norwegians, commonly called by the gene
raj name of Scandinavians- though l be-
lieve nobody cares particularly for the
name. l am glad to see 80 many OF you
here Now, want to tell you little some
know that the two greatest Republican
states in the West (west of the Mississippi)
are the states of Minnesota and Kansas, and
do you know that the state of Kansas was
colonized and settled by the cream of New
England. by those true and tried abolition
-, nd into Of 10
country, aye, the moral sense of it; and it is
q pride to me to know that the state of
Minnesota, settled as thickly as it is by
Scandinaviaus. stands shoulder to shoulder
with that state settled by the cream of New
England, the state of Kansas. [Applause.]
"What makes Minnesota 30 strong Re-
publican state! 1t is you Swedes and Nor
wegians within her borders. How comes it,
my friends, that in this broad land nearly
every large city is q Democratic city, ex-
cept two noted instances? There is Chicago,
the great metropolis of the West, there is
your own city, the great metropolis of Min
nesota in the Northwest tremendous ap-
plause]; you are the two great exceptions.
Chicago has a population of over 100000
of Scandinavian blood and lineage, and
need not tell you how thick you arc here in
Minneapolis. Laughter and applasse.] It
is you Scandlnavians that have made
Chicago Republican city, it is
yOu WIN hdN0 IuuuO
apolis a Republican city. Applause. ]
If the city down the river
had as many Scandinavians as you have, it
would be Republican city instead of being,
as it always has been, a Democratic city.
[Applause.1 Now, want you to feel that
in this campaign, my friends, you have a
reputation at stake as much as in the past.
You have the standard of the state and the
standard of your own city to maintain, and
l hope you will show to the world, show to
your sister city. st. Paul, that you are Re-
publican today as strong and as earnest as
you every was, and that you will vote for
every man on the ticket, from the head of it
to the end of it; that you will be Republicans
to the end of the chapter; that there is no
mugwumpism, no renegade Democrats
among you, no men going astray after false
gods, but that you are genuine Republican
Vi-kings-just as your forefathers were q
thousand years ago." Tremendous ap-
plause and cheers.