The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-03-08
The Contest is Beginning to Mar.
row Down.
Talk of all Kinds in the Air, Including
Fusion. A Law and Order
League, Etc.

Col. johnson some time ago received
permission from the Chicago & North
Western road to become candidate
for mayor. This is a very unusual
practice on the part of railroad cor
porations, but the North Western has
a representative of unusual merit in
the person of Mr.. johnson, and his
actions as mayor would not discredit
it's judgment.
1t is given out that an effort will be
made in the Democratic convention to
secure an endorsement of Col Johnson
for mayor. In order to do this, the
city committee will be instructed to
fill in the mayoralty, which will be
left blank. Should the Republicans
nominate Col. Johnson, the committee
will place his name on their list.
Should Aid. Meyer be nominated then
the committee will place the name of
some Democrat on the list. Aid
Meyers views of how the city should
be run are not believed to be liberal
enough by those who want to make
the fight simply Currier and anti
Currier. Is it not possible that they
may be off in regard to Col. John
son? The latter may disappoint them.
There is already talk of organizing
strong civic league in the event of
the "wide open" policy being inau-
gurated again. Things will not be al
lowed to go with the freedom that they
did during the few years preceding
1899. Between the municipal court
and the grand jury, the civic league
would have plenty of means to abolish
those institutions which are against
the law and against the best moral
sense of the people. Some of the best
men in Mankato may take hand in
law enforcement.
Aid. Meyer has received promises
of strong support in all the wards, and
if nominated he would sweep the lower
wards as we'll as the upper, if half the
promises that have been made to him
are carried out.
That portion of the Democratic party
which wants to have a ticket of its
own in the field is in favor of putting
up Fred KrOn or some other equally
nd c4ro Io,. Of
persons have urged Mr. Kron to be-
come candidate, but thus far he has
not encouraged the move. Mr.. Kron
is one of our leading citizens, a life
long Democrat, and if nominated
would poll a heavy vote.
Col. johnson would be hard man to
beat at the polls. Besides his other
support, the railroad employees would
rally around him, and as he is veter-
an of the Spanish war the ex-soldiers
| of this war would enroll themselves
! under his flag. So strong is his show
| ing already, that it has been sprung
! that as the representative in Mankato
| of great railroad corporation, he
| would favor it's interests rather than
those of Mankato when they clashed,
| as they sometimes do. Those who
know Col. johnson are aware that he
would prefer the interests of the city
every time to those of his railroad,
| and would not favor his employers
more than any other road. So this
argument, like Mother Hubbard's
cupboard, has nothing in it.
1t remains to be seen whether the
affairs of the Democratic party in
Mankato are to be settled at Sunday
afternoon secret sessions of the Royal
Arch. Perhaps the Royal Arch thinks
it is the Democratic party. 1t may.
turn out that there are ''others, R"
when the convention is held.