The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1896-10-16

ndteQ.
DR.. A. A, Ames, of Minneapolis
three times mayor of that city, and
the Democratic nominee for governor
in 1886, addressed large audience at
Union hall Friday night. While his
utterances on the money question and
state issues did not gain any applause
the.sympathy'of.the audience was with
him in his exposition of how he is the
logical candidate of the silver Demo
Gratis and Populists.
Times have changed since the Doc
tor last ran for governor. Then the
local Democratic organ was loud in
sounding his praises, while this year
it contained not even mention of his
coming, but gives it's support to free
silver Republican who aspires to be
governor. Who would have predict
ed such a change, when it was defend
ing DR.. Ames to the extent of it's
ability from the assaults of his oppo-
nents? The doctor came the nearest
to being elected of any Democratic
candidate for governor, yet the Demo
cratic machine has no time for him
and is ready to kick down the former
popular leader He was formerly the
idol of the rank and file of the Man.
kato Democracy, but now there are
few who do him honor.
DR.. Ames devoted the first part of
his speech to the usual free silver ar
gument. He denounced bond issuing
during the war as the beginning of
"the peoples trouble" and said that
the monied aristocracy of Europe and
Am erica own the people of this coun-
try, which he declared was bankrupt
and ought to make an assignment.
He said that we cannot pay the inter
est on the public debt. He said that
he was the only man who had ever
dared to declare this so boldly, and
that every large daily paper and the
magazines are owned by the ''money
power" The people are in such bad
shape that the best financiers cannot
eXtricate them.
The Democratic state platform
this year declares in favor of gold and
silver at parity. Ten years ago it
declared for silver, and being one of
the makers and supporters of that
platform, the speaker said that he
must BE- sort of parent of the Popu-
list party. He could prove that he
was elected governor by 5000 plural
ity, and that this is now admitted,
although the official returns show
that he was defeated by $500. He
had,almost overcome Blaine's major
ity of $4,000, on the same platform
that he was standing on today.
Lieutenant Governor Clough had
wanted to be governor, and boosted
Nelson along and Washburn out, and
Nelson become Senator. Lieut..
Clough was promoted to be captain
for what he did. 1t was good poll
tical trick. These two wanted the
higher offices and got them, and could
not be blamed for it. But Washburn
was very mad, and when Clough
wanted to be nominated, Wash
burnsbuckled on his armor, but met a
second defeat. Washburn then pre-
pared for third contest and organ.
izedfa committee of one hundred, who
called themselves silver Republicans,
and carried the caucuses in such
manner as men of means can. John
Lind was put up for governor, and
Washburn carried the Democratic
and Populist caucuses, and Lind was
consequently endorsed by these
parties. l am often asked why l am
running for governor, and whether it
is only to defeat Lind.
A voice from the audience shouted
out, "That's right, that is what you
are running for"
DR.. Ames said, 81 wanted somebody
to say that very thing, and l will
convince you that you are wrong.
Mr.. Lind said, at the silver convention
which nominated him, and again the
other day at Pipestone, that he is as
good Republican as he ever was
What has silver to do with his cleo
tion as governor, anyway? If either
Lind or Clough is elected, it will be a
Republican governor. In accepting
the Populist nomination, Lind said
that he would not accept the nomi-
nation as Populist, nor the Democra-
tic nomination as a Democrat. What
have the Democrats to do with th c
election of either of these Renuhli.