The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-06-24
Hardly Require Instructions.

sCHe"S s'So 1StShSs
1t has hitherto been the practice of
Blue Earth county Republicans to make
up their own minds who they wanted to
support for office and to choose such
delegates as their best judgment dictated
to carry their desires into effect. It is
probable they will do the same this year,
but there is being carried on campaign
from st. Paul by the Dunn forces that
may rob the people of this county of
their real choice for governor unless the
voters are alert and attend the caucuses.
About week ago nearly every Republi-
can voter in Mankato and Blue Earth
received a circular letter signed by Mr..
Dunn, containing no little. amount of
flattery and a request to the recipients
that they hustle for Dunn delegates in
their respective localities. These letters
were later followed by Dunn workers
from st. Paul. First came the indubit-
able and irrepressible Eli Warner who
carried the news to his chief that he had
fixed" Garden City and one or two
other towns in the southern part of the
county. OnlMonday of this week P. A.
Gunders, who has been in the employ
of Mr.. Dunn for the past three months,
came unheralded into the county, alight-.
ed from the train at Lake Crystal, secur-
ed a livery team and started out through
Judson, Butternut Valley, Lincoln and
other towns in the southern part of the
county to instruct the farmers who to
send as delegates to the county and state
conventions, and to see to it that the
friends of Judge Collins were left at
home.
If there is any one thing in this cam
paign that the farmers and voters gen.
orally should resent it is the importa-
ton of non-residents into the county to
instruct them as to their duties. This
kind of political bamboozling" has been
tried in years past, but always with dis
astrous results. It is sure to meet with
a like fate this year if the Republicans
are alert and attend the primaries as
they are. likely to do now that the
scheme to rob them of their independence
and individuality is known.
| It is also rumored, and with consider
ale evidence to back the statement, that
means other than argument are being
used to persuade the selection of Dunn
delegates. 1t is well known that the
Dunn campaign has plenty of money
behind it, and one of the Dunn leaders in
this county, who has promised to de-
liver the county to his chief, recently
and openly made the statement. that
money would be used to carry the coun-
ty if need be. The strong Collins senti-
ment throughout the county has doubt
less led the leaders of the opposition to
feel that the county isIost to them un-
less they can secure it by the liberal use
of money and promises, hence this &C.
tivity on the eve of the primaries.
The Free Press is wholly of the
opinion that very large preponderance
of the Republicans of Blue Earth coun-
ty prefer Judge Collins to R. c. Dunn
for governor. The difference in character,
makeup and dignity of the two men is
marked to a degree seldom shown in a
n NJ
gubernatorial contest. Judge Collins is
one of the most scholarly, unpretentious
and altogether capable men ever pre-
scented to the people of Minnesota for
the high office of governor, and the in
teiligence of the Republican voters of
Blue Earth county should besa guarantee
of strong and united delegation to St.
Paul to back him in the contest.