The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1900-09-21

interests and destiny require addi-
tional territory I am in for it. -
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN advocated
the acquisition of Canada
The Average Man.
In his declaration for Mr. Bryan,
yesterday, David B. Hill said:
Our candidates represent the inter
ests of the average mantle plain
people of the Countrywide farmer, the
mechanic, the laborer The issues
this year are very plain, and can not
be misunderstood.
In such country as this the opin-
ions of the average man are of very
great Importance. Because. if you can
learn what the average man is think
ing about, what he proposes to do at
given time, you know what the pub
lie opinion is-what the result of an
election is going to be. For with us
1T is the average man who decides
questions and who rules the country.
The whole purpose of a political
campaign is it influence him. to learn
his state of mind and to get his sup
port for one or the other of the great
political parties. OF course, it is not
to be understood that average men,
or 1.-THE plain people," are ever all on
one side. But there is an average of
opinion that inclines one way or an
other, and it is this that decides cleo
lions. Men are kept in the party ranks
by variety of influences. The feel
ing of loyalty to party, the reluctance
to part with friends or to break old
ties, the conviction that ones party is
right in the main, even though it may
be wrong on some important ques-
tions, and the political inertia which
influences all people, more or less, all
combine to hold men in their places.
But as we have suggested, there is
an average opinion among men that
decides elections. Is it in this cam
paign favorable to Mr.. Bryant The
man that could answer this question
could tell us exactly how the election
will go. We believe it is favorable to
Mckinley rather than to Bryan. 1t
seems to us that plain, ordinary
American citizen, studying conditions
as they now exist, would reali re that
the country had had four abundantly
prosperous years, and that the pros
perity had been widely diffused-not
limited. in its operations, as Mr. Bryan
suggests. There has been plenty of
work at good wages Failures have
diminished in number Crops have
been abundant and prices good. Our
foreign trade has expanded wonder
fully Savings bank deposits have in
creased largely. And everything shows
that "the many have prospered.
Certainly this is the average view.
And now comes Mr. Bryan and pro-
poses to change radically the condi-
tions under which this general pros
perity has existed. He is, too, the
man who said that it could not prevail
under those conditions What would
the average man think of his proposed
change? in the first place, it would
was needed. And in the second place,
he would be reluctant to accept the
program of man who had been SO
mistaken in is predictions of what
would happen if his program were not
adopted. He would argue that, in
asmuch as the country had been pros
porous under the gold standard, it
would be foolish to change it.
The average man is naturally mod
crate and conservative. 1t is reason
able therefore, to infer that he will be
repealed by the radicalism and VIC
lence of Mr. Bryan and his friends 1t
will be hard thing to make him
believe that the republic is in danger.
Moreover, the average man is a man
of prosperity, with a very real interest
in the country. 1t is this fact that
his conservatism is to be largely at
tributed. He does not believe
that ''the dollar should be put before
the man, - but he does believe that
the dollar is every important element
in the happiness and prosperity of the
people Material well being is to him
a matter of very great Importance.
And when he reflects on our present
prosperity, and all the thinge Mr..
Bryan stands for, he will not be so
sure that Mr. Hills candidates repre-
sent the interests of "the average
man.
The Travelling Mems Vote.
There has been a great deal in the
papers about Mr.. Bryan and the ira
Yelling mems vote. The claim is
made that the large majority of travel
ing men will cast their ballots for the
free silver champion. 1t is, of course,
fOAJ easy w ouOh o. SOoIOIAOuUJ
but proving it is another matter
Two incidents have come under my
notice within the last two or three
days which have some bearing on this
subject.
The proprietor of the Ames Hotel,
the principal one of Wamego Kan
has a book which he requests all
travelling men to register either for
Bryan or Mckinley. When register
ed the book had been kept but day
or two and the vote stood: McKin-
ley, SO; Bryan, T. These men are a
representative lot, too, hailing all the
way from New York to the western
coast.
Then, again, in Emporia there is a
council of the United Commercial
Travellers numbering thirty eight
members. OF these thirty seven are
Mckinley men and one for Bryan
These figures fail to show the startl-
ing majority for Bryan claimed by
his supporters. The commercial ira
veler is man of too much intelli-
gence to vote against the best interests
of his house. w. S. Thompson, in
Kansas City, Mo-, Journal.
For Sale.
Very choice farm Mile Laos county
loo acres. go acres under cultivation.
30 acres meadow. Splendid house,