The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1898-03-25
THE CONFERENCE.

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least, been held gathering bearing
the name of any party where there
was so much uncertainty felt as to
what was to be done as this. A sus-
picion lurked in the minds of many
that the thing was "loaded," and
would strike where least expected.
Others expected that Mr. Van SAINT
was to be ripped up the back with
concealed machete, while a further
fear existed in the minds of some who
would have it otherwise that the con-
ference would come out fiat-footed for
Collins or Eustls or both, and thus
put a cold flannel around the Van
SAINT boom.
Much of the fear was wholly ground
less, as developments proved. There
was strongly expressed desire on the
part of all that nothing should be
done that would hurt the party or
jeopardize success at the polls. And
the Free Press feels entire confidence
that while nothing was done that can
possibly hurt the party, the reso-
lutions passed echo the sentiments of
very large majority of the Re-
publicans Of not only the Second
district, but of the whole state as
well, inveighing against the growing
tendency of few to dictate nomina-
tions far in advance of the constitu-
tional convention called for that
purpose, and in this we believe it will
do the party good. One thing is GER
tain, if the party fails to purge itself
of the stigma of machine domination
it will get such threshing as it has
never yet had.
This is no time to mince matters
nor to make excuses. The opposition
of the Republican party is alert, &C.
tice and INSCRIPTIONS. The amalga-
nation of the Democrats, Populist
and Free Silver advocatessin the next
campaign is foregone conclusion.
The boss ridden carcass of the old
Democratic party in this state is now
visabIe only in the shadow that it
casts when lined up against the back
ground of Populism and free silver ad-
vocates. Individually these parties
are powerless to do harm; united as
they will be in the campaign they are
dangerous, not only to the success of
the Republican party, but to the best
interests of the state and the nation.
To cope successfully with an enemy
made up of so many parJs, it behooVes
the Republicans of Minnesota, If they
would maintain the proud record of
the past, to be extremely painstaking
and watchful of the future. Success
this year can only be assured through
the nomination of the cleanest,
strongest and most acceptable men.
We should not fiatter ourselves that
nomination on the Republican ticket
is as good as an election" unless, for
sooth, the nominees merit the conf
dence of the people, and they can only
merit that confidence by showing
that their past records have been
above reproach that their present at
titude is above criticism, and that
their ability to conduct stirring,
aggressive and popular campaign, is
apparent.
The prairies of Minnesota are
strewn with the shattered remains of
political ambitions of some of the best
men in the state who have run amuck
the machine and been ground to
smithereens. Men, too, who would
have been a tower of strength to the
party, but who have been sidetracked
because they did not fit into the parts
carved out by those who had their
hands on the lever and controlled the
conventions.
The Democratic party has been
brought to it's present disorganized con
dition through machine rule and the
arrogant dictation Of small and Sc
lect few of self-appointed men greedy
for notoriety. The Populist party is
cut in twain from the effect of light
cause. The giant skeletons of both
stand out as grim visaged warning
of the certain decay Of party loyalty
to any organization that'will suffer it's
powers and prerogatives to be usurped,
and the voice of it's members to be
stiff1ed.
The Republican party believes in
equal rights to all, special privileges
to none. 1t demands for every mem
Der from the highest to the most hum
BILE the right to express his preference
as to whom he would have serve in
positions of trust, and have that pref
erence recorded without let or hin
drance. Never in the history Of the
party in this state has an occasion
arisen when the demand was more
potent for the exercise OF such pre-
rogative than this year.
The great mistake made by the Van
SAINT forces was in fighting the resolu-
tions. Mr.. Van SAINT has himself and