The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1896-08-14
FROM WASHINGTON.
The Necessity of a Political Reading
Room Set Forth
Questions the Wage Garner Should
Demand an Answer For.

WASHINGTON, D. c., August 3, '96.
EDITOR FREE PRESS Il note with
some degree of pleasure, Mr.. Funk's
suggestion for the organization of a
Mckinley andHobart club inMankato.
1t is certainly proper, but do not
think it ought to be urged in place of
an open non-partisan organization for
the free discussion of this great ques-
tion of finances. 1t is unquestionably
true that there are three classes Of
voters-one in favor of Mckinley and
Hobart, another in favor of Bryan and
Sewall and another composed of
! those who are not yet settled in
their political convictions. The
third class is the one that both par
ties are striving to convince. 1t is
question how best to get the truth
before this latter class of voters. If
the proposition comes from Republi-
cans to go into fair investigation of
this question the first favorable i'm
preston is created as to it's fearless
ness to meet the arrogant assump-
tion of it's enemies. This would be
long step in it's favor. OF course if
such non-partisan club is formed
there should be an organized effort on
the part of the Republicans to secure
and place before it all the evidence
and arguments upon which they rely.
1t may besclaimed that all this evil
dence will come from the speeches of
the respective party party speakers,
but these meetings will be intermit-
tent and have no documentary sup
port, beyond quotations. A club
room could be supplied with litera-
i ture and official records and statistics
so that all who desire could for
| themselves verify the truth or fall
sity of all statements made in argu-
ment. If this is not done by non
partisan club the Mckinley and Ho-
bart club should open room at once
and supply it with all the literature
bearing on the question which it can
obtain and invite all who will to come
in and read and listen.
~
"The goldite is always distressed at
the thought of the poor bod carrier
or the poor washerwoman who has
5000 or $500 IN the bank having it
scaled down in value by the free coin
age of silver"
The above quotation is from SYM
postum that appeared in the Wash
ington Star last night. l quote it
literally to bring out a point that is
part of the general scheme of dis
honesty of discussion that character
ICES the Democratic methods. The
language is'that of Mr. Bartine prom
inent free silver philosopher. The
goldite has never expressed any dis
tress for the "hod carrier and wash
erwoman," and hence the language is
lie to start with. The oddities do
claim to have sympathy for the work
ing men of our country, but these are
not properly classified as 'hod carriers
and washerwomen." Mr.. Bartine
may feel contempt for the workmen
of this country which leads him to use
these terms to emphasize the sarcasm
of his remarks. The "hod carrier and
washerwoman are honest though
humble occupations, and both of
these classes may by able to judge by
their personal experience from which
element of society they desire the
most substantial sympathy, but they
are not all there is of the great class
usually understood as included as in
cluded in the term working people. :"
The man who has learned the trade
of moson, is working man, but he
is not hod carrier, and generally
speaking mason resents being CLASH
fed as a bod carrier. Everybody
knows that the Republican party
claims to be the friend of the Ameri-
can workingman, and what is more it
has proved it's good faith in this
claim, but it has never had the eff
frontery to classify the American
workingman and workwomen as ''hod
carriers and washerwomen," although
the mantle of it's charity embraces
them in its broad scope. Until the
Democratic party redeems it's pledge
to the working classes of America,
made in 1892, it comes in very bad
taste, to say the least, for it's spokes-
men to refer to them as ''hod car
riers and washerwonen"
*x*
Mr.. Bartine then goes on to say
that the; AMERICAN laborer will make
up for his deprecated money, by the
increased demand for labor and the
- 4.