The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1894-09-14
BAKER.
The Democrats Again Select
Him to Marshall Their
Scattered Remnants.
He Accepts and Declares for nOre
Tariff Reform" Free Silver,
and the Other Nostrums.
A Platform Adopted Which is
Intended as a Bait for the
Populistic Vote.
1t Contains a Radical Free Silver
Plank and Runs Counter The
State Platform.
L. c. Long Expected to Step Down
in Order that the PopulistsF
L. c. Long Expected to Step Down
in Order that the PopulistsF
May "Fuse."

Second district were unrepreSented at
the Congressional convention today.
The preliminary arrangements had
not been we'll made, and there were
no chairs or tables in the third floor OF
the city hall, so that it became neces-
sary to accept Judge Shissler's court
eOuS offer of the use of the municipal
court room, but that held the dele
gates with plenty of room to spare.
Some of the delegates thought that
the convention was not called until
HOO o'clock, and not enough delegates
put in an appearance until that time
to warrant the calling to order of the
convention. The local leaders hustled
around in a lively manner to get things
orderly.
No one had any idea as to who was
a candidate, or even whether there
was any candidate. Nobody seemed
to want the nomination, and the
leaders did much mysterious whisper
ing among themselves, and there was
a good deal of sweating under the col
lar for fear that no candidate could be
found who would aceeptor that things
would go wrong, and that another of
those bad plumbers that ever charac-
terize poor old Democracy would be
made today. Finally three or four
were heard of who were willing to
sacrifice themselves, including Mr..
Mitchell, of Marshall, and Mr.. Ryder,
of Luverne. But these were thrown
aside, and it developed after dinner
that Gen. j. HI. Baker was to be given
the nomination by a unanimous vote.
He had come in at noon, and promised
to accept if the nomination was press
ed upon him with sufficient unanimi-
ty. The leaders promised to have
the thing sufficiently cut and dried
by the time the convention convened
after dinner. Some of the delegates
wanted to put on a young lawyer, who
might be benefited by the advertis-
ing, as none thought for a moment
that there was any chance of the
nominee being elected.
At IL 100 o'clock Chairman w. l..
Comstock, of the Democratic congress
Sional committee, called the conven-
tion to order and read the official call.
He said that the press of this part of
the district have fiagrantly said that
the Democratic cause in this
district has no show. 1t is
true that the majority of the
people of the district are opposed to
the present representation. The or
g%anization of the Democrats is more
perfected than for the past five or six
years. Had they been well organized
they would have elected w. S. Ham
mOnd two years ago. Now the Demo
Gratis have perfected their organiza-
tion and are on the eve of victory.
w. B. Davies nominated Hon. e. T.
Champlin for temporary chairman, and
the election wasmade without opposi-
ton. Mr.. Champlin made some
remarks, referring to the wealth
of the agricultural community
which the delegates represented.
He said that the interests of
this community have too long
suffered from an unjust system
of taxation. The first assault and
rent has been made in the system of
protection which has raised trusts and
monopolies all over this land. There
never was finer body than that which
nominated Gen. Becker for governor.
than whom a finer man never stood
for the suffrages of the people. lie Is
a man who will protect the sctio Is
from fanaticism on one hand anu the
people from monopolies on the other.
The disasters which were predicted to
follow an interference with the tariff
have not materialized, and will not.
H. j. Essler, of ST. Peter, was elect
ed temporary secretary.
A. d. LaDue moved that the cnlir