The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1898-03-11
A MASS MEETING CALLED.

A MASS MEETING CALLED.
"North Star Politics" in the Min
neapolis Journal last night refers to
the rumored meeting of Republicans
of the Second district, and says that
the said meeting is called to meet in
Mankato on March 22nd. From the
information contained in North Star
Politics." it seems that the idea of
such meeting originated with Fl. G.
Hays, of the Sleepy Eye Dispatch,
who is strongly opposed to what is
known as the Estate Machine" or any
candidate that might be put forward
for governor with the machines back
ing. He has worked the whole mat
ter up to it's present status, and it is
the outgrowth of letters sent by Mr..
Hays to three representative Repub-
licans in each county of the district.
Out of sixty replies received, only one
was discouraglng. The rest approved
the idea of a mass meeting. In only
a few instances were letters sent to
editors, as he said he wished to learn
what the real sentiment of the people
was and whether the papers correctly
represented it. The following is a
copy of one Of the letters sent by Mr..
Hays:
Dear Sir: Knowing that you are
loyal and consistent Republican, I
take the liberty of addressing you for
the purpose of presenting subject in
which I hope you already are inter-
ested. The many individual protests
I have heard against the Clough-Va an
SAINT combination lead me to believe
that there is widespread indignation
and alarm among Republicans at the
unblushing effrOntery Of public SER
wants attempting to make the Offices
that they hold private property that
may be willed at pleasure to whOmso-
ever they desire-Jhis to the end that
by manipulation of patronage, COM
binations may be worked up powerful
enough to control nominating conven-
tions and compel the party support
at the polls. The abuse of this power
has brought the party into disrepute,
and the time has come to call halt.
We must correct the growing evil, and
return, if possible, to the original
method of permitting the people to
have voice at conventions. We can
not make this change working alone
as individuals; therefore, it is sug-
gested that meeting of representa-
tive Republicans be held sometime in
the near future to discuss the situa-
tion, and If possible adopt some
method of correcting the abuse.
Will you lend your name and in
fluence to make a meeting success?
If so, please write me at an early day
and give me your views.
None of these letters were sent to
Mankato or to persons in other parts
of Blue Earth county. After receiving
the replies to his letters, he says he
inquired if the Republicans of Man
kato if they would welcome such
convention, and was assured that they
would. Mr.. Hays further stated to
the Journal:
After hearing from Mankato I de-
termined to ask my correspondents
for little help, and last week sent
them circulars requesting names and
postoffice addresses of Republicans
likely to be interested in the purpose
of the convention, and who might be
glad to have an invitation to be pres
emit. Three men sent me the Repub-
lican poll list of their counties, ag-
gregatlng more than 1000 names.
Three others wrote that every Repub-
lican voter in their counties was in
terested, and these letters came from
different directions.
MY answers to this last circular
were spontaneous and overlooking
with enthusiasm. They came to me
as quickly as the mail could bring
them. All of this enthusiasm, mind
you, without one word OF newsp per
discussion. Only five of the letters
and circulars were sent TO newspaper
men, because l wanted to find out
whether the newspapers were, in their
opposition to Van SAINT, rejecting the
sentiment of their several commune
ties. I found that they were.
The conference is to be anti-ma-
chine, anti-combine, anti-Clough Van
SAINT. The invitations to the Man.
katO convention 90 out tomorrow
Tuesday and will fix the date for
Tuesday, March % at IL o'clock, at
The Saulpaugh. The Saulpaugh is
mentioned because we have not yet
made our arrangements for a hall.
We can do that later.
He also said:
I trust I have made no mistake in
this matter, 1 feel sure that the meet
ing will cement the Republicans OF
the Second district into solid body
patriotic, honest and fearless.an that
we shall be able to act so wisely in
the conference as to receive the in
dorsement Of the rank and file of the
party all over the state. There is no
nerSonal ambition back of the move