The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1898-04-01

The prime object of the meeting was to turn Z
down the candidacy of Capt. Samuel R. Van
SAINT, of. Winona, for governor. Capt. Van
SAINTS candidacy is favored by Gov. Clough,
who some men say is distasteful to the Repub-
lican party. That candidacy is also favored by
the rank and file of the people. That candi-
dacy is opposed by Sleey Eye bunch of egotism,
L. P, Hunt, of Mankato, and number of other
rank machine men in the state, who have simply
because Van SAINT has not responded to their
call and stood by their machine, come out with
the statement that Van SAINT must not be nomi-
mated at the Republican state convention, or
they will bolt. They organized the Mankato
meeting for that purpose-and probably also,
for the purpose of making Mankato hotel BUSH
ness lively.
The above is from the. Redwood
Falls Gazette, usually very fair pa
per. The Free Press does not assume
TO speak for others, neither does it ask
others to speak for it. and when the
Gazette assumes to charge to us any
responsibility for the conference or
tn at, if Mr.. Van SAINT shall be nomi-
mated for governor we will "bolt," it
reaches to point of falsity wholly un-
becoming it's previous standing. The
Free Press is not in favor of Mr.. Van
SAINTS nomination for governor, simply
because the Republican party has
score or more of men much better
qualified for the position and men.
too, whom the voters will not have to
apologize for as being mixed up with
any cabal of politicians who have set
out thus early to dictate the nomina-
tion, regardless of individual prefer
ences. There was nothing in the reso.
, lutions submitted that any Republic
can, not tied hand and foot to one
man power, could possibly object
to. Mr.. Van SAINT was represented in
Mankato by one of his closest Winona
friends, and splendid gentlemen, too,
who said that he nor Mr.. Van SAINT
would in any way object to any resolu-
tions that denounced machine
methods, but that such resolutions
would meet with his personal appro-
baton. The effort that is being made
by certain newspapers to distOrt the
true intent and meaning of. these reso-
lutions is unfair. The effort, also, to
make it appear that the convention
was packed with Mankato people is
equally unfair. Nicollet' county voted
as many or more men against the reso-
buttons as Mankato did for them, as it
should be borne in mind that no less
than dozen Mankato men voted with
the Nicollet and Nebles county ma
chine from start to finish. There is
no argument in the personal abuse in
dulged in by some of the newspapers,
neither is there anything to be gained
for Mr.. Van SAINT or the Republican
party by these newspaper misrepre-
sensations. i
And again let it be understood that
the gentlemen favoring the passage of
the resolutions are not of the "bolt-
ing" kind. They stand ready to sup
port whomsoever the convention shall
nominate-at least that is the belief
of the Free Press. 1t is known that
the opponents of the resolutions came
to Mankato-or the leaders did-with
the avowed purpose of breaking up
the conference. They held ''secret
conference" at The Saulpaugh in the
morning, mapped out their line Of &C
tiOn oh OSe their SDOkaSmen and went
to the hall 'loaded for trouble" If
they got it, it was of their own max.
ing. They determined to adjourn the
meeting without action if possible. If
this failed, and 1t did, they were then
to oppose the passage of any resolu-
tiOns, no matter what their nature,
and failing in this they agreed to bolt
and they did. Now it is only fair
that the gentlemen who came here to
rule or ruin-and did neither-should
stop classifying. A little truth mixed
up with their criticisms would be in
much better taste.