The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1900-11-02
HSUBSCRIRER. >,
HE STOOD BY LABOR.

Captain S. R. Van SAINT, the Repub-
lican nominee for governor, has al
ways been true friend of labor, both
in his business as we'll as public life.
Wherever you find man who has
ever been employed by Mr.. Van SAINT,
you will there find true friend and
warm supporter of the captain. In
his many years of business he has been
a large employer of labor, and during
all that time his relations with his
men have been of the pleasantest. In
his career in the legislature, he was
one of the most active workers for
the labor interests. and much of the
beneficial legislation in this particu-
lar may be attributed directly to his
efforts. This is especially true of the
session of 1895, in which he was
speaker of the house, and as such he
invariably recognized the requests of
labor in his appointment of commit
tees. -a.-..-
In the face of this honor able record,
the fusion machine is industriously
and underhandedly spreading the re-
port that Mr.. Van SAINTS legislative
record was antagonistic to the labor
interests. This brazen falsehood,
coming to the ears of Mr.. ]. F. Nc
Auley. of st. Cloud he writes an open
letter to place Captain Van SAINT
Alright before his fellowmen. Mr.. Nc
Auley is staunch Democrat, but he
is justly indignant at the cowardly
attack and he proceeds to say so in
the following vigorous language:
st. Cloud, Mimi, Oct. 26th, 1900.
Capt. s. R. Van SAINT,
st. Paul, MINI.
Dear Sir: I notice that in certain
quarters the charge has been made by
those who do not know the facts. that
you are an enemy of the laboring man.
Ny attention his been called to this
several times.
/ was the representative of the
labor interests during the session of
the legislature of 1895. l represented
the state Federation of Labor and
was there during the entire session
LOU WCIO UhO opOohO4 VI u11C hOu5C
during that session. To begin with,
we wanted those who were friendly to
labor placed upon the house COM
mittee on labor and as many as we
could on the state prison committee
I asked you before the announcement
of the committees by you, if certain
members were on these committees.
You then informed me that the COM
mittees were all made up and that it
would be considerable trouble to make
any changes on them. l then person
ally requested you to appoint certain
members friendly to labor. upon these
committees. After little further
conversation, you told me you would
think the matter over, and if possible,
you would place these members upon
the committees as requested. You did
place these members friendly to
labor, on these committees as request
ed by me. In doing this. you showed
yourself to be friendly to labor and
needed the requests of labor. These
members which you placed on these
committees rendered us valuable aid
and help during that session.
Later in the session 81. f. No. 80
was introduced as a labor measure
This bill was commonly known as the
Estates prison bill. 1t was intended
to regulate the employment of the in
mates of the states prison and reforma-
tory, and the labor interests were
deeply interested in it's passage.
When the bill was in committee of
the whole house, you spoke for the bill
ON the floor and urged its passage. The
bill did pass the house, and later pass
ed the senate, and became a law.
Your help then showed that you were
the friend of labor.
can also say that your conduct
throughout the session of 1895 was
friendly to labor.
I want the man who has been the
friend of labor to get the credit for it.
The well being of labor is of greater
Importance to me than politics for it
is by labor that gain my living.
am perfectly willing for you to
make use of this letter if you wish to
do so.
Yours truly,
(Signed J. F. M'AULAY