The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1891-02-06
MADE. A MISTAKE.
Editor Free Press:

Editor Free Press:
In last Saturn lays Minneapolis Tri-
berae Frank j. , lead had communica-
ion defendiu g Senator Washburn's
Vote to side-t rack the cloture rule and
the electlons law, commonly known as
the Force ID III, passed some time ago
by the HoU Sc and now pending in the
Senate, az d gives as the Senator's rea-
sons for citing as he did. First, he
did not believe it would strengthen
the Re- publican party or make any
Repub lean states in the South if
passed second, he feared it might in
Jure his (the Senator's Republican
part 7 in the North, and thirdly it
WoP Id so mollify the temper of the
30 Lthern Senators, that the minOri-
t!L would modify their obstructive
policy and kindly permit the majority
to proceed with the business of the
session, or at least so much of it as did
not conflict with views or wishes of
the minority, Now, Mr.. Editor, / do
not question Mr.. Washburn's honesty
and good intentions, if Mr.. Mead
states correctly the reasons which in
fiuenced the vote of Senator Washburn
on the questions which killed the
elections bill, but do most seriously
question his Judgment and believe he
has made the greatest political mis-
| take of his lifetime. The vital ques-
tion involved is not whether five or
| six millions of cOlOred citizens of the
South, freed from slavery by the pro-
clamation of President Lincoln, as a
war measure, necessary to the suppress
sion of their then masters in arms, for
the declared purpose of destroying the
Union, subsequently elevated to full
citizenship, the right of suffrage and
enumeration in congressional appor-
tiOnment included. But 10! for these
many years, even from before the bru-
tai massacre of the Chisholm children
by that good old Christian, Sitting
Bull-Gully to the present day they have
been by fraud, violence and terrorism
denied the free exercise of that right.
or defrauded by tissue ballots and
other means an honest count. and
two months since were duly notified
by the Alliance-Democratic Governor
Of the ''puissant kingdom of South
Carolina that only when they could
proye themselves untainted with Re-
publicanism they can exercise their
rights in the palmetto kingdom, shall
beprotected by the UnitedStates in the
free exercise of this right of free bal
lot and an honest count, whether they
vote the Democratic or Republican
ticket, or possibly the Alliance ballot,
for only federal officers elected by
ballot. 1t is question of right and
! justice of protection to American cit
liens to vote freely their own choice
of parties or candidates in their own
states. 1t is the right of American
citizens that are involved, not the in
terest of any single party and the Re
publican party true to it's past record
and party principles as well as party
| pledges, is bound to protect the Cit
liens of every state when in control of
the government, whether Republican
or Democrat. The Republican party
has never been injured by doing right,
and never will be. 1t has never lost a
campaign by standing squarely and
boldly for the rights and liberties of
the people. 1t has never made con-
cessiOn OF right and justice to concili-
ate or placate its enemies that did not
injure it. 1t has never compromised a
right principle that it did not get
swindled in the trade. 1t can never
put its hand to the pillow of progress
in the cause of human freedom and
human rights, and turn a smooth.
straight, unbroken furrow the whole
length of the land with it's face turned
to Democracy for approval. 1t can
never afford to raise a tempest over
lost Goldfish on the bank, a stolen seal
skin from Alaska, or seize Cuba in re-
taliation for an outrage perpetrated
upon an American missionary by some
goddess Spanish Catholic priest. and
leave five or six millions of citizens in
our own country at the mercy of ex-
rebels who disgrace their country and
manhood by denying those citizens
rights cOnstitutiOnally given them by
their own votes: How can Republi-
can Senators afford to show the white
feather and abandon just and righte-