The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-05-23
THE PEOPLE A UNIT
Want the Electric Railway, and Resent
Any Move Looking to Its Defeat.
AN ENTHUSIASTIC MASS MEETING
Stronu Resolutions Adopted at the Mass Meeting Held at the
Opera House Last Night and Committee Appointed
to Try to Induce Mr. Meagher to Withdraw
His injunction Suit

lie anybody had any doubt, previous
", as to how the people of Mankato
view the injunction suit started by
Jobn B. Meagher of st. Paul to re-
strain the city from going ahead with
the lighting contract recently awarded
to the street railway company, all
doubt must have been removed If he
attended Thursdays mass meeting at
the opera house. Business men and
tax payers from all parts OF the city
met there on common ground, and for
the first time in the ,city's history
every section and element, every class,
trade and profession, stood shoulder to
shoulder, advocating one common
object, seeking to further one COM
mon purpose.
The main floor was flied to the
doors and the crowd below overfowed
into the balcony, In all the assem-
blage of 800 patriotic people, there
was not one whose mind and heart
did not work in unison with the pur-
pose of the meeting. 1t was a gather
ing that meant business from the
word, ego" It was such gather
ing as means much for thereby in the
future.
The ears of Mr.. Meagher and the
other members of the Mankato Gas
and Electric Light Co. must have
tingled, even though divided from
the city which has given them their
wealth by distance of hundreds OF
miles The remarks of the speakers
concerning Mr.. Meagher and the
corporation to which he be-
longs were not such as were calculated
to add to their popularity in this com,
munity. The applause which those
remarks evoked makes it plain that the
people are in earnest and that, If the in
junction suit defeats the railway
project, the Manksto Gas and Electric
Light Co. will be held responsible for il
and treated accordingly by the council
and the individual consumers of light
The mayor, aldermen and many
prominent citizens had seats on thu
stage.
President Pond, of the Merchants Pro
tective association, called the meetins
to order, and l.. P. Hunt was electet
chairman. The latter thanked tn
audience, and said that the meetin!
was for the purpose of furthering tn
construction of a street railway
which has long been wanted. 1t wa
unfortunate that anything shoul'
come up at this period to obstruct tn
enterprise. 1t was doubly unfortunat
that q young man who was raised il
Mankato should, after leaving the cit
and locating in city where stree
cars run every minute, come back an
attempt to dictate what our ipeopl
shall do, and preventive building @
the street railway on the ground @
expense. The railway project has bee
under way for three months, yet n
move was made until it had almos
reached dts contamination. Thi
young man who would run our affair
tells us that we are contracting at ito
high price for our lights If SO, "
have been paying his company to
much for years. He gays that al
lights can be sold for 500 to 800, an
if SO, has he not been robbing til
people here for the past twelve years
Mr.. Hunt said he was not here
berate anyone. By your large attend
ance you have shown, said he, ths
there is a God in Israel, and He il
tends to protect this community
which intends to run its own AFFAIR."
1 have been charged with goo
many mean things, among Other
standing up for the Mankato Gas an
Electric Light Co. I have alwaJ
been opposed to municipal lightin
plant, because I have not believed
the Capitalization of too much powt
in the community. Ii this actio
con menced by Mr.. Meagher results
the defeat of the street railway, | sa
here publicly that I will favor a mur
icipal lighting plant. The people hay
spoken, and they will get a stree
railway or municipal lighting plan
The people will get what they wan
as they will take care of the one
the fnanciers do not take hold of tt
other. Time will demonstrate tn;
the act of Mr.. Meagher was done i
advisedly. It has been denied thu
the lighting company is back of tt
move, but men have been hung on lie
circumstantial evidence than he,
produced. Mankato is now on Il
threshold of an era of great prosperit
and I hope that this bluff will n
throw the eastern fnanciers off IL
track.
Il DR.. J. w. Andrews was called f,
and said that for many years he hs
been enthusiastic for an electric sire
railway, feeling that the city cou