The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1900-01-19
DEFINES HIMSELF.


he would land in that respect,a declina.
Eion with string to it, and string so
stout that there will be no danger ofits
Ebrea king when he pulls it back. But
outside of this the address is disap-
pointing, it falls far short of what one
expects from the governor Of a great
state on such an occasion. The gov
4ernor has evidently soured on the poll
cal fodder of which he has been partak-
ing lately seems to have left bad taste
in his mouth. He has grown Grabbed
and bitter, a-d his speech shows that
he is Just what he announced himself
80 be, anti everything that is Republi-
ccan and progressive. And he further
said: "And l want to say to my friend
Bryan right here that shall not thank
him or anybody else who ever desig-
mates me as a silver Republican. And
further on he says that he does not
want it unders TODD that he is Popu-
list or a Democrat, except on occasions
of this character" He has evidently
found out that he is not longer a polit
ical orphan, and has awakened to the
fact, that has been patent 30 everyone
else since 1896 that he has no claim to
the word Republican in any sense. Up
to and including two years ago he
claimed that he was good Republican
on everything except silver, and that
the party had left him. Now he ad.
mits that be has left the party, and
after reading his speech, it must be
freely admitted that the party really
lost nothing in his departure. The
whine of all disgruntled Republicans
who have gone over to the opposition
rs, that the party has changed. Well,
the Republican party does not stand
still, 1t is progressive party. 1t takes
an advanced position on all great ques
tions as they come up. 1t leaders in
their speeches have never been given to
whining, to rant or calamity. And so
Mr.. Lind and his disg1untled associates
are right; the party has changed and
for the better.
The move which Gov. Lind has taken
TO secure another nomination may be
regarded by him and his immediate as.
ssoci ates as a shrewd one. So far as the
matter of securing the nomination is
concerned, it probably is. 1t has
brought the warning elements of fusion
dom together, so far as those elements
which are interested in the dealing of
.spoils are concerned, for he is their
aonl y hope, and nobody knows this bet
ter than John Lind. But how will
such rant as he delivered himself Of
the other night, in which he attacked
the progressive nature of our govern
nent, effect the more progressive ele-
ments of Democracy. Men who have
been the leaders of that party in the
past in thought and action, who glory
in our national growth and advance
ment, and who have publicly declared
that in this respect the present admin
; istration deserves the support of every
/ loyal American. 1t must be gall and
Y wormwood for such men to have a
renegade Republican come into camp
and not only carry off the honors of
success, but in turn to dictate what
shall be the policy and thought of the
party, and it remains to be seen how
they will take Mr. Lind's dictation.
! But Mr.. Lind was strongly incon-
asistent in defining himself the other
evening He declared that he did not
gE2nt to be governor again unless he
had the full support of the elements of
his fusion horde, and then declared
that he had no fault to find with those
who had rallied around him, that they
had been loyal to him throughout. He
farther said he did not want to be gov
earnor again unless he could have ma
-gority of the people back of him. This
is an admission then, that although he
wFas elected by some 10000 plurality,
.-aajority of the people are not really
Esehind him and do not approve of his
administration, and in this the governor
has evidently diagnosed the case pretty