The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1891-08-21
AN ESTIMATE OF CHARAC TER.

L
ernor's method of political debt pay
| ing," the "eXtrayagant ideas of the
commission" the ''undesirability of a
building" the political use to which
additional money is to be put to, "and
dozen other equally startling reyela-
tions. Eliminating thesuperintendent
from the discussion, as he does not
have the handling of a single dollar of
the funds nor the appointment of a
single official of any character who
would have the disbursement of a dol
lar, is the Rerieac not little unjust to
the gentlemen composing the commits
sion when it assumes to declare with
out qualification that "the apportion-
ment of the expenses as made by the
commissioners shows that the appro-
priation is designed and will be used
largely as a campaign fund, and next
season the state will be perambulated
by lot of politicians ostensibly in the
work and under pay of the worlds fair
exhibit, but really in setting up pins
to promote the political aspirations
of Governor Merriam?" If Mr.. Wise
really and conscientiously believes
that such an outrageous and unprece-
denied perversion of the peoples
money is contemplated, he is fully
justified in sounding the alarm and
issuing the warning. If he has put
forth such libellous statements for the
sole purpose of prejudicing and pois-
lining the minds of the people against
trusting the commissioners then he is
worthy only the execration Of every
honest man whose greatest sense of
justice must be measured by the re-
gard he has for his own reputation,
which to him is priceless jewel, and
to his posterity an inheritance not
measured by gold standard.
Col. D. a. Monfort, President of the
Commission, is president Of the Sec
ond National Bank of St. Paul, a gen.
tleman who has been identified with
the business interests of this state for
over thirty years. man Of unQues-
toned honesty, of large financial in
terests, high in social and commercial
circle, and one of the most conscien-
tious men, strictly speaking, in the
state. 1t has been left for Mr.. Wise
to declare that this man, whose repu-
tation among his fellow citizens stands
out in bold and shining characters has
entered into an unholy alliance to
fitch the money belonging to the peo-
pie and appropriated to cause sacred
to every Minnesotian, use the same
for political purposes" and thereby
sink into disgrace name that to-day
is worth more to him than the politi-
cal fortunes of any man, party or ma
tion! Does Mr.. Wise honestly believe
that Mr.. Monfort would do such a
thing? And does he know that not
one dollar can be paid from the
Worlds Fair fund without the APP
prevail of that gentleman and the at
tachment Of his signature to the
voucher?
Hon. G. McC. Reeve, of Minneapolis,
a member of the legislature from Hen
nepin county, is Secretary of the Com
Mr.. Reeve is one of the fore
most business men of the city in which
he lives, man against whom the
tongue of SANDER has ne'er dared ut
ter syllable, whose word is as good as
his bond and whose bond is good
enough for a greater sum of money
than the commission will have to eX-
pend in any event. And yet it is left
for Mr.. Wise, through the columns of
his paper, to charge this gentleman
with consorting to rob the people in
the interest of a gentleman's political
future who belongs to the opposition
party!
Mr.. A. L. Wards of Fairmont, one
of the most scrupulously honest and
most conscientious gentlemen in this
or any other state, and an honored
resident of his community for thirty
years is a member Of the Commission,
and it is left for Mr. Wise to denounce
him as man secretly conniving to
get money, ostensibly for the worlds
fair exhibit, but really for the purpose
Of Setting up pens to promote the po-
litical aspirations of Gov. Merriam.
And Mr.. Ward is life long Demo
crat, thorough gentleman with a life
record for honesty and yeracity worth
more to him than the accumulated
wealth of the Vanderbilts.
Senator La Due, of Luverne, is an
other member of the Commission. The
Senator is farmer, nearing the time
of life when his earthly existence is
to be counted by weeks or months
rather than by years, who has so lived
as to feel a well-earned pride in the
esteem in which he is held by his old
acquaintance and in the unlimited
confidence reposed in him by those
who have known him well and intim-
ately for many years, is now, accord
ing to Mr.. Wise, about to throw this
all aside diSprace himself and nrova