The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1894-11-02
BAKERS APPEAL.

D.. L.
candidate for congress from this dis
trict has addressed an open letter to
Mr.. L. G. Long, the Populist candi-
date for the same position, asking
him to withdraw from the field and
give him Baker, the right of way. 1t
is indeed pitiful appeal of an already
beaten candidate for help, and bris-
ties with all that assumption of self
for which the General is noted.
In the first place Mr.. Bakers appeal
came too late, as the list of candidates
were in the hands of the printer and
the time for an official withdrawal
had gone by when his letter was writ
ten, and consequently Mr.. Long could
not get out of the way did he so de-
sire.
But one of the most important feass
lures of the letter, is the statement
of the General that upon political
questions there is practically no diff
ference between him and the Populist
candidates. To get the votes OF the
Populists he declares that he sub
scribes to everything the candidate OF
that party does, and he claims that he
can bring the whole Democratic
party of the district along with him.
In his deSertion of all principle and
all political honor, matters which
weigh very lightly upon his shoulders,
he seems to carry the idea that Demo
cracy is unit with him. Possibly he
is correct in this. But we doubt it.
The FREE PRESS believes that there
is an element in the Democracy in
this district which does not subscribe
to the ideas put forth by the General
and will not follow him into the Pop
ulist camp. In fact it knows such to
be the case.
The General makes the main point
of his letter on the fact that II he
and Mr.. Long are both in the field,
neither can be elected. In this he is
right. Neither of them stand the least
possible show. But in his reasoning
that he would surely be elected by the
combined Democratic and Populist
vote, he is decidedly off. While call
ing Mr.. McCleary weak candidate,
he evidently forgets that Mr.. Nc
Cleary had some $40 majority over
the combined vote of the Democrats
and Populists two years ago and is
some two or three thousand votes
stronger today than he was then,
while there is no question but what
Mr.. Baker is, to draw it mild, at least
as many votetS weaker than he was
four years ago.
When comparing figures why was
not the General honest about it and
give the total Democratic and Pop
ulist vote of two years ago. He at
temptS to demonstrate that because he
received 20,306 votes four years ago
as against 1S,207 for Mr.. McClearv
two years ago, that Mr.. McCleary is
that much the weaker, but he fails to
state that the Demo-Pop vote two
yCdlS dSO was Ohly h'tcO'3 III
would have knocked his argument all
out.
The letter is simply an appeal for
Baker with everything else left out of
consideration. 1t is species of the
same kind of campaigning the Demo-
Gratis, did two and four years ago, and
which the better element now bitterly
regrets, for it has carried demoraliza-
tion into their ranks. If this aSsump-
tion is correct, then Mr.. Baker should
be marked for overwhelming defeat,
for we do not believe the people of the
second district are ready to endorse
the dangerous fallacies to which he
subscribes.
They yet believe in principle, and
have no time for one who will wholly
desert it and subscribe to anything
for votes. They believe in the pro-
lection of American industries and