The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1898-08-19
Judge Severance Had
Previously Declined
the Honor.
C.. N. Andrews, OF
Wells, Puncfus'es the
Resolutions.

The Democrats placed Winfield Scott
Hammond, of st. James, up for con-
gress Tuesday, to be defeated by Con-
gresham McClearly. He was the con-
vention's second choice, and he may not
accept. AS stated by the Free Press
Yesterday, the convention was all at
sea for a candidate, and hit upon Mr..
Hammond at the last moment, after
Judge Severance, j. A. johnson and A.
E. Clark had declined to run.
The convention was called to meet at
noon, but as not over dozen delegates
were in the room at that time, the time
for meeting was changed to 1:3O p. m +,
on motion of H. J. Essler, OF st. Peter,
1t was almost 2 o'clock when Chair
man G. N. Peterson, of the Democratic
congressional committee, called the
convention to order, and g. o. Daley
read the official call in the absence of
Secretary Byron Hughes.
], J. Green, of New Ulm, nominated
Gen. E. M. Pope for chairman, but
Gen. Pope stated that he was not a
delegate and not eligible to serve unless
substituted for some delegate who was
not present. The motion was renewed
and carried, and M. Van Slack, of Ell
more, was chosen secretary.
Messrs. Daley, of Blue Earth; Pfaen-
der, of Brown; Essler, Of Nicollet;
King, of Jackson, and Lester, OF Mar
tin, were appointed committee on
credentials.
While the committee was out, Judge
Severance was called upon for speech,
but said that he preferred to wait until
business had been further advanced.
A delegate moved that Judge Sever
ance tell the delegates what they were
there for, This brought the judge to
his feet. He said that he did not know
certainly what the rest were there for,
but he knew why he was there. He
was there as a Democrat who believed
in certain principles, and if the party
puts these in its platform he was with
the party, otherwise he stood alone on
that platform and defied the surges roll
ing around him. He said that he be-
ieved in George Washington, the
father of his country, and would be-.
lieve in his only son had he had one.
He believed in tariff for revenue only,
and in keeping the expenses OF the
government down to make the burden
as light as possible. He believed in
keeping trusts and combines down by
law if possible, or else by amending the
constitution. Something must be done,
or the consuming class would be
crushed beneath the weight of plutoc-
racy. He was in favor of the Monroe
doctrine, which is not principle of in
ternational law but is measure of
self defense. Every civilized nation on
earth applies the Monroe doctrine to
itself.
Judge Severance announced that he
is unalterably opposed to imperialism,
or the expansion of the territory beyond
the limits of this continent either by
peace or war 1t would unnecessarily
increase the expenses and responsible
ties of the government, and be harder
to defend in war. England feels her
colonies to be her everlasting weakness.
He was opposed to an alliance. offensive
or defensive, with any nation on earth,
because we need no such alliance. He
demanded that silver be placed back on
the same basis as before it was ode
monetized" in 1878, and said that the
ratio between gold and silver could
then be determined.
The report of the credentials COM
mittee was then adopted, 1t substitute
ed Gen, Pope for T. B Murtaugh. The
temporary organization was made per-
manent.
The following committee on resolu-
tions was appointed: Messrs Green, of
Brown county; Bagley, of Blue Earth;
Peterson, of Martin; Nutter, of Nicol-
let, and D. J. McGerigan, of Fari-
bault.
M. Horga, Of Martin county, said
that he was not delegate but asked
permission to express his views.
There was much fear and trembling
on the part Of the delegates until he
1ns- al lNoA al L. - 4