The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1891-03-06
TOUGH ON THE DEMOCRATS.

personal interests. JuSt ~ sui eS WINS 40 NoAS
defeat is certain and inevitable. Every city Of
fetal "a st come before the people upon his rec
ord. If t has been one of honesty fidelity and
efficiency, he need have no fear II one OF pecu-
lation selfishness or incompetency, ne must
stand the consequence. The people OF Mankato
have been heavily taxed for the past hve or SIX
years. largely for their municipal government
They have not received thai efficiency and hdel-
i,y which they had reason to expect from the
salaries paid. The time has arrived when
thorough and radical change is demanded, and
the people will tolerate no more foolishness.
No party, however successful it has been In the
past, can carry through men who have
abused public confidence, defed public opinion,
and used their positions singly for their own
personal benefit. We caution citizens and tax
payers against all combinations, no matter
who are in them. but to put every candidate to
the crucical test. The linen to work reforms are
not those who have abused public confidence in
the past.
To be charged by the organ of their
own party as being inefficient. and as
having "abused public confidence, de-
fed public opinion and used their po-
sitions singly for their own personal
benefit" must be decidedly pleasant
reading for the Democratic office hol-
ders.
The Revieau understands that an
attempt is being made by certain city
officers to form combine to control
the coming city conventions in their
personal interests" This may be
true of the Democrats, Of whom the
Revieau is the close and trusted organ,
but it is not true so far as Republic
cans are concerned. 1t does not re-
quire the adjustment OF very powerful
linds to the optic to see through the
ReUieW's great concern for the veal of
the public. 1t is well known that
certain Democrats have set out to
destroy Judge Porter, because he per-
sistently refused to betray his party
last fall at the behest of of a few
"wise" members of his party and
place the name of j. FL. Baker on the
Democratic Congressional ticket. And
to get at him at this time the ReUieao
proposes to damn the whole city hall
outfit, and send the whole gang to
perdition if need be.
But if our neighbor, who has so sud-
denly been struck with such deep de-
sire for reform in city politics, would
prove his sincerity rather than the
true animus of his onslaught on the
officers "who have abused public con-
fidence in the past" he would favor a
union of the people of the city in the
selection of ticket free from all COM
binations and void of all political
character. But that | is not what
--aNtS. SIis gloaO -aaS1re IStO
GUST the present set of political OFF,
Gals and install another set who
would sneeze when he took snuff.
That's precisely the size of his great
desire ''for a radical change" No
palmer proof of this is needed than to
quote few lines from the ReUieaU di-
rectly following the extract given
above, where Wise says:
The politicians are beginning to look after the
caucuses, map out the delegates and make COM
| binations to carry the conqentions in their in
| terest. Ticket building in henewspapers is also
in order. Conferences in the name of the "busi-
ness interests are being projected. Having an
abiding faith in government of the people and
by the people, and believing that the masses of
all parties are interested in good government,
we think that they can and should be trusted
To this end we call upon them for full turnout
at the caucuses. If they have fair chance to
express their wishes we have no fears of the re
suit. If, however, they are twarthed and their
wishes defeated by ofice-seeking manipulators
and ward bosses, they can confidently be relied
upon to right the wrong at the ballot-box Let
us have caucuses and conventions, not to pave
the way for party triumphs, but to put the
several parties upon their good behavior. The
Democratic voters will not, at least this year,
vote for man simply because he gets the NOM
nation of that party, if he is untitled for or un-
worthy the Office.
In other words, if "our kind of
Democrats are defeated in caucus we
will forthwith proceed to slaughter
the whole ticket" is what Mr.. Wise
plainly conveys in the above. He has
san abiding faith in government of
the people and by the people" and be-
lieving that the masses of all parties
are interested in good government,
shows his faith in such by discourag-
ing action by the masses and encour-
aging repetition of the old system of
party nominations and the consequent
control of caucuses by few men who,
as a rule, have little or no real inter-
est in the economic administration of
our municipal government.
Just so long as our city will persist
in running it's affairs into politics and
through politicians, just so long may
we prepare ourselves to take what
comes and set back and grumble over
wasteful extravaganza and incompe-
tency in management. 1t is the his
tory of all cities, great and small. But
when municipality can rise to the
dignity of setting politics aside for
men, and get down to running things
on business principles, with brain to