The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1898-10-07
ALWAYS WRONG.

pie of this nation for settlement
Democracy has nearly always elected
to take the wrong side. When man
looks back over his life, no matter how
i'll spent it may have been, he is judg-
ed sad wreck ind ed. if at some time
or another he has not stood for, or
lent some aid to. a cause that has the
lettering Of humanity in view. But
here is an instance where the build.
of nation Is concerned, that great
national party has deliberately placed
itself in the wrong on nearly every
great question that has come up ef-
fecting directly or indirectly the cause
of humanity, and in which had it
been permanently successful would
have resulted in a serious set back to
the progress of civilization. This is
to take a survey uf the field to be
confronted by the indisputable facts.
In taking an Inventory OF the great
national questions that have come up
during our one hundred twenty two
years of national life, he will find
that Democracy at the start has been
wrong on
QUALIFICATION
STATE RIGHTS
FREE SOIL.
SLAVE LABOR.
RECONSTRUCTION.
SPECIE RESUMPTION.
FREE TRADE.
TARIFF FOR REVENUE.
FREE SILVER.
THE SHERMAN LAW
REPEAL OF SHERMAN LAW.
ANARCHY
COURT INJUCTIONS.
CUBAN WAR. ~
HAWAIIAN ANNEXATION.
TERRITORIAL EXPANSION.
And right on
THE so CALLED CRIME OF
'73.
Here is list of sixteen questions
that have assumed a national impor-
lance and upon all of them the Demo
cracy has taken or is today taking
the wrong side. Gen. Grant must
have had this curious fact in mind
when he remarked that Democracy
could always be depended upon to
bunder at the right time, and the
list was not as long then as now.
But we hear some one say: "We
have got you on one point. Democracy
was on the right side of "territorial-
expansion, in the early days of the
century," Well that is fact, so it
was. But not from any inspiring mo-
tive or good of humanity, but purely
from the selfish motive of building
up slavery, upon which it was ever
lastingly wrong. On the question as it
is presented today it naturally takes
the wrong side, the side against hui
maDity.
On the so-called "crime OF 49, it
did give an expression for the right,
in that it's representatives largely
voted for it, but it's Importance was
not recognized at the time which is
doubtless it's excuse for right action
at the srtat.
This then, as it's record. Wrong
on nearly all the great questions of
the past. Wrong upon the great
questions as they present themselves
today. And yet it asks that at the
election on the Sth of next month, it
be given control of congress, where
during the next two years those ques
tiOns in the list above, now before
the public, must be passed upon.
In private life the giving to man,
who has always been wrong, and who
entertains wrong views of life, an i'm
portant position, would not for an in
slant be entertained. Wherein is it
more wise for great nation to so en-
trust political party! AS in the for.
mer case disastrous results are sure
to follow as penalty for the deliber-
ate mistake that would be made.
We are told that there are no nation
al issues this year of great impor-
lance. But the fast should not be
lost sight of that matters of as grave
Importance as have ever been consid-
cred by our nation, will be passed
upon by the congress elected next
November, and they should not be en-
trusted in the bands Of party, which
the facts above quoted, show to
have been wrong on nearly all great
national questions throughout the
period of its existence.
The story which comes of death