The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1894-08-03
OWENS TALK.
The POpuiist Candidate
for Governor Tells
How the Country
Might be Pros
porous.
He Makes the Usual POpuIist Har=
rangue and Blames Cleveland
for Sending Troops to
Chicago.
Subscribes to all the Vagaries OF the
Times and HowiS Calamity.

SubSCribeS to all the VagarleS OF the
Times and HowIs Calamity.
The opera house was but sparsely
populated Friday night, although the
Junior band played some of it's best
pieces to draw the crowd in. Had the
night been cooler, probably more spec
tators would have gone in out of GU
riosity. AS it was, there were no farm
ers to be seen in the audience, and to
Judge from the slight applause that
the speaker received after what he
considered his best hits there could
not have been two dozen Populists
present. Many Republicans and
Democrats were present to be anus
ed, and in this they were successful.
although many previously entertain
ed high opinions of Mr.. Owen were
given a shock from which they will
hardly recover. The Populist candi-
date proved himself to be filled with
all the dangerous theories that per-
wade the Populist ranks. He is a
fairly interesting speaker, but his re-
ception was cool one and no applause
followed some of his fayorate
denunciations.
Of. M. Currier and Geo. w. Haigh
sat on the stage with the speaker.
Mr.. Currier introduced Mr.. Owen
in few well chosen words. Mr.. Owen
said that owing to the heat he would
DEPART from his usual custom and not
make a red hot speech. He started
in by urging his hearers not to fall
down and worship their political
party as an idol but when it has serv-
ed it's end to throw it aside as they
would an old reaper. Use party as
merely means to an end, and then
love of party will be succeeded by
love of country. The best form of
government is republic, if we have
wise rulers. Whether we have such a
government is what | propose to dis
cuss tonight. This is not republic
exert in name. The old fathers of
the republic would bring an action for
libel against anyone that would say
that this is the same government that
they helped form. During the past
25 years the old form of government
has been overthrown, and plutocra-
cy has taken its place. l do not need
to do any calamity bowling tonight,
as calamity all over the country is
doing it's own bowling. This country
ought to be smiling, serene, prosper
Gus, happy, although all others were
in the slough of despond. No other
country remotely approaches us in
wealth of all kinds. Every mouth
ought to be filled, every hand employ
ed. This is the nation that ought to
be debating to all other countries
their commercial and financial poll
cies, and it would be if God had been
as careful in citizening this country
as in stocking it with natural resour-
ces. While you have been worshiping
at party shrines, few men have got
ten control of most of the wealth of
the country.
One-twentieth of one per cent, of
our population owns half the wealth
of the country. The rest of us only
have $500 piece instead of 81 900 as
is proclaimed. 1t is inevitable that
some men must be richer than others
we cannot help that. In 1860 there
were but five,millionaireS in the coun-
try. In thirty years, we are told that
$4,000, 000,0 has been added to the
$4,000, 100000 of wealth in the coun-
try at the beginning of that time. We
have not only been robbed of all this
wealth that we haYe made in that
time, but of S14 per capita besides,
When you take the dollars out of
mans pocket, you take the manhood
out of his heart and the liberty out of
his breast, and he tends to become a
slave. No nation has ever or can sur
vive the Capitalization of it's wealth
in the hands of few.
/ know that here in Blue Earth
county you are all right, the farmers
are making money, and there is bust
ness. / hear this talked of in regard
to this county all over the state, but
/ am talking of the whole county. If
each family had s125 year more it
could have many luxuries not now en-
joyed. This money spent in the
United States would send trade and
commerce thrilling and pulsating
through the channels of industries.
1t would raise wages and make
good market for our farm products,