The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1894-10-26
WHERE THE RESPONSIBILITY
LIES.

III OIlo SUdUc Will De between GOV. n ell
son and S. M. Owen, and that Gen.
Becker will drag along somewhere in
the rear. A great many Democrats
have expressed their intention of vot
ing for Mr.. Owen, because they say he
is nice man and is better than his
party and they see in his election the
only way in which the Republicans
can be defeated. And in this idea
they have been urged on by the ma
jority of their party press, which has
either directly or indirectly gloried in
the fact that the Republicans might
be defeated in this way, and have
virtually admitted that this was the
only way in which they could be de-
feated, and that Democracy was
nothing more nor less than forlorn
hope which might well be abandoned.
There have been few Democratic
papers which have taken a manly
stand for their party, and opposed
such methods, among which may be
mentioned the ST. Paul Call, which
few days ago came out editorially in
an appeal, which was reproduced in
the FREE PRESS, to Democratic voters
not to vote the Populist ticket, and
briefly pointing out the reasons there
fore.
The Minneapolis Times few DAYS
ago, in an able and extended editorial
pointed out the dangers to the state
in such a course, and appealed to
those Democrats who are thinking of
following off the Populists this year,
to remain with their own party.
Touching upon the assertion so often
made, that Mr.. Owen is better than
his party, and can be trusted to keep
his fanatical following in check, and
protect the material interests of the
state, it says
Nothing can be more absurd than
the gable about Mr.. Owen being bet
ter than his party. On the stump he
has approved and advocated, with all
his unQueStiOned ability, the worst
fallacies and all the fallacies of Popu-
liSm. If being "better than his party
means that he will not, if elected,
carry out the wild and dangerous
theories and demands of his party, it
is cOmplimenting his SmartneSs at the
expense of his honesty. Ii he is ad
vocating principles upon the stump
that he can be trusted not to carry out
in his administration, then he is
thoroughly insincere-a demagogue
and charlatan unworthy Of the sup
port Of honest men, and utterly unfit
to be entrusted with the important
office Of chief executive. But The
Times has better opinion of Mr..
Owen. 1t believes him to be perfectly
sincere, and that if he shall be elected
he will give Minnesota POpuliSt adj
ministration, with all that the phrase
implies.
These are truths which cannot be
gainsaid. Those of our readers who
have heard Mr.. Owen speak, know
that he has advocated all the worst
features of Populism, and that he is
not the conservative man he was four
years ago. Populism in Minnesota
under S. M. Owen would be just what
Populism has been in Kansas under
Lewelling and Colorado under Waite.
The question is, is Minnesota anxious
to turn it's back upon the experience
of others and duplicate these proceed
ings? Is there the least foundation
for belief that the result would be in
any respect different here than in
those states?
But, going back ofEall this, who is
for the danger which the
Times, the CAL, and few other con-
sentative Democratic papers declare
threatens the state? The full respon
sibility of it lies upon the Democratic
leaders and majority of the Demo-
cratic press of the state. From the
first they have fiirted with and en-
couraged Populism, hoping to draw
into it a sufficient number of Repub-
lican voters SO as to give the state to
the Democracy. But, as usual, it has
operated as boomerang to it's pro-
and we are told is likely to
Democracy.
The Republicans have repeatedly
shown up the dangers of Populism,
and these same dangers have at yari-
Gus times been commented upon in
the Democratic press, but as election
approached, the Democratic leaders,
as class, have done everything posi-
bic to promote it, through fusion and
and if there is any danger
Of Populist success in Minnesota to-
day, the whole responsibility therefor
rests upon the shoulders Of Democ-
racy, and it is entitled to no sympathy
for the disorganizing forces which are
at work within it's organization and
it's ruin. 1t is only another
of the fact that child
cannot play with fire without some
time being burned.
The FREE PRESS does not believe
that, the scheme which has been
worked to overthrow the Republican
party in Minnesota will work. 1t has