The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1897-09-17


the idea that the only offices TO be-
come vacant are governor and aGtor-
ney general. Leastwise the other
offices have all been "called' by the
present incumbents. and they are not
to be considered in the ground up"
1t may be news to some Of the metro
politan papers to learn that there is a
decided feeling among the Republican
voters of the state to make pretty
thorough change in the present office
holding outfit at the state house, and
if this feeling crystalizes into any
thing like determination, such as
now seems probable, there will be
little difficulty in the way of clean
sweeper at least sweep so nearly
clean as to give freshness to the
atmosphere that has been wanting
about the big building for some years.
Leaving the twin cities out of the
calculation, as it is keenly felt that
they can very gracefully step aside
for couple of years, the First,
Second and Third districts will
probably make a demand for the
governor, secretary of state and state
treasurer, and the Sixth and Seventh
districts, the lieut.. governor, auditor
and clerk OF the supreme court.
Some such apportionment as this
would be entirely fair and equitable.
The present distribution of the offices
is wholly out of geographical whack.
The governor, is from the Fifth
district, the attorney general, Sec
rotary of state and clerk of supreme
court are from the Fourth, while the
First, Second and Seventh districts
are unrepresented. AS evidence of
the love and respect that the country
holds toward the great metropolitan
districts it will be seen that four of
the six present officials are from there.
Reciprosity is a cardinal principle of
the Republican party, and next year
the rural districts will try and inject
little of the good stuff into Mime
sofa politics. 1t sounds very we'll on
paper to note with what righteous
indignation" Jerry ]. repudiates the
thought that there should be any op-
position to the twin cities having their
own way in choosing the state officers,
but Jerry should not overlook the fact
that there is very widespread and
deep-seated conviction among large
and we'll informed circle Of good
citizens who do not happen to live in
the metropolitan atmosphere that
surrounds him, that St. Paul and
Minneapolis have always had more
than their share in the distribution
of state and federal patronage, and
the present feeling of opposition to
continuance of this condition is the
result of their greed. The FREE PRESS
does rot believe in arraying the
country against the cities. Neither
does it swallow with relishing ap-
petite the otficious action Of the cities
in arranging political states, debating
political action, and sweeping up all
the political plums. 1t is firm be-
lever in the constitutional preroga-
tive of majority rule, and does con-
tend against $4,000 Republican voters
in the Fourth and Fifth districts,
having their way so completely against
100000 Republican voters in the other
districts of the state. Nc one can
blame the cities for getting the best
end of the bargain. The fault is not
with them but with the country in
permitting it; and now that the
country people are getting their eyes
open, all they will have to do is to get
together and take care of what be-
longs to them. And this they are
quite likely to do next year, 1t is not
so much the country against the cities
as it is the country for itself. Here
tofore the cities have operated on the
theory that ''self preservation is the
first law Of nature" and little of
this kind of tonic on the part of the
country will have a soothing effect.