The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1890-10-17
JUDGE WILSON'S SPEECH.
Attempts to Show that the
Democratic Party Includes
all the Principles of the
Alliance.
a Spacious

Judge Thos. Wilson, Democratic cam
didate for governor, was created with a
full house Wednesday night, by the aid of
the band. Several prominent Democrats
occupied the stage. The argument pre-
scented by Mr.. Wilson was such as might
be expected from an eminent lawyer,
and was spun in such a subtle web that
it was intended to entrap the unthink-
ing, though great loopholes were left,
through which a person might easily
desern the thin veil of sophistry. Mr..
Wilson is an interesting talker and held
the closest attention of his hearers. He
paid a great deal of attention to the AL
lance and had nothing but sugared
words for Mr.. Owen, whose speech of
the afternoon he frequently referred to,
The enthusiasm displayed at the recent
Republican rally was lacking in a great
measure and many of the speakers best
points fell fiat.
Chairman O'Connor, of the Demo-
cratic county committee, introduced
Mr.. Wilson, after stating some reasons
why he was proud of the Democratic
party. Mr.. Wilson said:
Our greatest danger is from indiffer-
ence 70 the t~respassing upon b rights
of the people, but in this country unless
the people are to blame there is no
wrong that may not be righted. Re-
.-- - NJ nuynn,c anQnah ho cold
that be agreed to every doctrine put
forth. as that upon which the Demo-
cratic party has stood for years. No
party is wholly good or bad, and the
Alliance can obtain its ends by coming
to the Democratic party. [ won't say
that because the party has been out of
power since 1860 the country is any
worse off or is going to the dogs. The
world is better and richer.
Some lay this, in our country, to the
protective tariff, but this is an insult to
the intelligence of any audience. Look
at the lands that have been given away.
In Europe four-fifths of the taxes are
used in war and the preparation for
war. but it is altogether different in this
country. We transport our products
for one-fourth the price formerly
charged. Europe cannot compete with
America in agriculture. Why shouldn't
we be rich and prosperous? We do as
much now with one man as formerly
required four men. The farmer buys
bis reaper for half Of what he formerly
did, while the manufacturer makes
twice as much. This is why We are so
prosperous. We ought toget our articles
for one-ffth the price formerly paid,
but we do not. Thus we see that the
present prosperity is not owing to the
protective tariff. The eight hour prob
lem will be settled by the invention of
machinery, as the laborer will then &C.
complish as much or more in eight hours
as he does now in ten to fourteen. There
is no animal who works as hard now as
the poor man, unless it be the poor
mans wife.
The system of national taxation and
the policy of our state are the two great
questions which the people want to
hear about. The trouble is that the
wealth of the country is not %equitably
divided, capital getting too much and
labor too little. The people, not capt.
alists, should have the benefits of the
improved machinery. A few years ago
there we're but n or two mlllionaires,
but now you stumble over them at every
corner, made so by giving them priyil.
eyes which other classes have not had.
It is an injustice to tax y class for the
purpose of keeping up another.
The Democratic party did not take
| off all of the tariff on sugar in the Mills
| bill, because there is so much capital
invested in the business On the faith
of the Republican tariff, not because it
sympathized with the rebel Southern
ers. The Republicans take it all off and
take from the North money to pay a
bounty to the sugar raisers. The object
of the tariff is to make American goods
higher in price. 1t is taxing the peo-
pie to put money into the pockets of a
certain favored class. The Democrats
are not free traders, but they oppose
this as un-American and unjust. The
speaker attempted to show that the tar
if does not increase wages. He said
that competition made the wages, and
illustrated by saying that many men had
gone from Winona to Duluth, because
in Winona there are two men for everv
job, and in Duluth two jobs for every
man. England is overpopulated and this
makes wages low. The lowest tariff
country in Europe is the highest wage
country. There is no tariff on the Ia
borer, and the only man who ought to
be protected has no protection.
The speaker then proceeded to show
that the farmer is unprotected. The
tariff is only to make higher that which
comes into the country. The corn which
was imported last year, 1900 bushels,
was by farmers for seed, upon which
they paid 10 per cent. tariff. The wheat