The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1899-03-17
PLAIN TALK.
Rev. Lee w. Beattie Gets After
Local Evils.
Disclsims An Intention TO Help Any Pc.
80 litical Party to Get tn,
Offices.

The Presbyterian church contained a
larger congregation Sunday than it
has for many Sunday. In fact, the
pews were nearly ali taken Many
were present who are seldom seen in
any church, and part of the congrega-
ton was borrowed from other churches,
so great was the curiosity to hear what
Rev Lee w. Beattie was going to say
about local affairs Those who expect
ed a severe condemnation of the exist
ing order of things in Mankato were
not disappointed, for the lax enforce
ment of law was roundly denounced.
Mr. Beattie stated that he would con-
fine himself strictly to his manuscript,
so that nothing would be said by him
that he did not have in black and white
in case he was called upon hereafter for
the exact words which he used He
said that he had a few preliminary
words to say. He had been accused Of
attacking the present Democratic ad-
ministration in order to help get the
Republican party into power. In re-
ply to this, he would say that he had
been quietly asked by Republican not
to stir up things, as it would hurt the
Republicans in the campaign. He had
made an offer to furnish a hall free for
a meeting to be held by each of the par
ties. He had been brought up Demo
GRAFT and considered himself as such,
but in order to vote for the best men
had frequently voted for Republicans.
These facts should disprove the state
ment that he was trying to favor any
one party by what he was doing. He
was attacking false system of NUM-
cipal control that had been in vogue in
Mankato for FIVE and half years at
least and perhaps longer and which is
mainly responsible for the present
wretched condition of things. He con-
sidered that the time had come to break
the system To further show that he
was rot working in favor of the Repub-
utterances during the last few weeks
He said that it was absolutely i'm
material to him what party comes into
power, provided that it abandons the
= unlawful practice of shielding law
breakers.
Mr. Beattie then quoted paragraph
in the Free Press last week concerning
an interview between himself and the
mayor in regard to a minor whom he
had observed coming from saloon. He
stated that the conversation did not
take place at the city hall but at an
other place. and that he had called
at the city hall but once during the last
two months, when he called only to
leave a letter for the chief of police, and
not to gather material for his sermon
In the conversation he had observed
that he had seen policemen who had
seen children issuing from saloons. 1t
was not necessary to go to the city hall
for material for sermons, although he
would not hesitate to go there to search
the records. 1t was not a preachers
duty, but he might go as private citi-
zen. The immoralties of our city are
so fragrant outside of the city hall, he
said, that it was not necessary to go
there for material
Mr.. Beattie then turned his attention
to those who criticised ministers for 60
ing uoutside of their pulpits. Those
who thought that minister should be a
sortof lady's man or one who should keep
cranky people smooth, should peep in
to the Bible and they would find that
the ministers duty is as high as that of
any one else and that his duty comes
from the Bible and noe from the street.
Mr.. Beattie quoted from the COM
mandments and from other portions of
the Bible to enforce his point. When a
breaches found sin, it was part of his
duty to expose it and correct it if pos
sible. He did not accept the definition
of his commission as preacher from
the gossips of the street nor from the
hypocrites of society. The exact thing
which he was doing was attending to
his business when he referred to the
most Ubiquitous practices in city life.
Mr. Beattie said that he did not like
to utter the words which he intended to
say, but he knew of no other way to get
the facts before the people of Mankato,
and his hope was to awaken quickened
desire to remove such conditions as ex-
list here. He said that the people could
not afford to replace the ancient land
marks of domestic and moral life by any
newfangled principles imported from
France. He spoke of the sanctity of
the marriage relation, and the need
that it should be observed according to
Gods law and not destroyed. Every