The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1896-10-02
HIT 1T HARD.
FIR. Wilkinson Shows up some OF
the Weak Spots of the Chi
cagO Platform.

The meeting of the Mckinley
Sound Money club was largely attend
ed last evening and much enthusiasm
preyailed. The Mankato band kindly
favored the club with few selec-
tions previous to the meeting, and a
vote of thanks was given the boys for
their kindness.
Mr.. wilkinson, of Minneapolis, de-
hyered a short address in which he
paid particular attention to the
Chicago platform, and several OF It's
vulnerable features. He opened by
stating that he was not politician,
was an Englishman by birth, and an
American citizen by naturalization.
When the Chicago platform was put
forth he saw the issue had left the do
main politics and entered that of
morals One trouble with our poll
ties j. there is not enough Christian
ity in them. Did not believe that it
was out of place for clergyman to
take part in politics. He had several
sons and hoped that when he had
passed away and they visited his
grave they could say that in time
when there was an attempt to water
the currency of the country AZ per
cent their father had left his par
ochial work and did his part to pre-
vent it. Four years ago there was a
party that wanted free trade. They
have had enough of in now and so
have we all. Believed the masses of
the people were honest. The masses
of the people in the Popocratic party
were as honest and as patriotic as any
OF Us, but the leaders are not. ln
this campaign it is net question of
juggling with figures or money. The
question is, will we be honest or dis
honest as nation. The leaders have
Two sets of principles, one for their
own use and one for the public, and
to illustrate his meaning he exhibit
ed copy of gold clause lease made
out and signed by Gov. Altgeld.
There is no money too good for the
man who tolls hard from early morn
till late at night. When man has
medicine that will cure every i'll
flesh is heir to from an ingrOWing
toe nail to gray hair he would look
upon him as a Quack. So with poll
ticians who would cure all national
ills with silver.
Referring to Bryan's statement
that free coinage would send silver
no to 81. 20 an ounce he thought it
knocked out their theory of cheap
money and asked what would become
of the 300 cent dollar theory. But
what if it does not? What then!
Will not we suffer for it? I have no
bullion, neither have you to be made
into silver dollars If his theory is
true it will double the value of bull
Iion but that will not help the peo-
pie, it will not give them cheap
money TO pay their debts with as
they are told. If it does not prove
true it will cut from the top all the
way down and hit labor the hardest
blow of all. The only thing that
will profit by Bryan's success is silver.
The farmer cannot call 50 pounds of
pork 100 pounds nor the laborer 81
days work 100 days.
He looked upon these as the most
serious times since the war. If
Bryan triumphs what does it mean?
1t means the pushing the front of
the Altgelds, the Tillmans, Waites,
Pennoyers and Debses, a thought that
is enough to make any patriot shud-
der.
He spoke at some length upon the
tariff and gave instances how labor
suffered and is ground down in Eng
land and on the continent. Referred
TO she cheap labor of Japan and the
Orient and said you could stand on
the Warf of San Francisco and see
werkmen on every outgoing steamer
going to those far off nations. For
what Go they go2 To teach the peo-
pie of those countries to operate ma
chinery to compete with American
labor in all fields of manufacture. He
believed in the protection Of Ameri-
can labor against such cheap labor
Protect every article that we can
produce. In referring to the plank
in the Chicago platform relating to
federal interference he paid an elo-
quent tribute to President Cleveland
iOE the work he had in putting down
the Chicago riots in 1894 and restor-
ing the country TO condition of
peace and safety.
He stood against the Chicago plat
form because it arrayed class against
class, and said he believed in putting
the government in the hands of
fghoSa who have always stood loya to
it and its principles. If you want 10
open the mills and set the spindles
- e Co.