The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-07-29
Opinion Is Expressed That He
Would Fill the Bill.
Massmeeting Held Saturday
Night in Brooklyn"
Republicans in the Majority at
the Gathering.
From Mondays Daily.

From Mondays Daily.
Wenzel Hodapp was nominated for
county commissioner last Saturday night
at the massmmeting of citizens held in
the village hall. There were fifteen in
the gathering in all. All the voters OF
that commissioner district. comprising
the village of North Mankato and the
townships of Belgrade and Oshawa had
been invited to attend the meeting and
take part, but there were no voters from
'Oshawa and only three from Belgrade.
The rest were all villagers. The three
from Belgrade were Alfred Torngren,
August Petersen and William Petersen.
When the ballot was taken there were
twelve votes for Mr.. Hodapp and three
for Nels Anderson. This was simply an
informal ballot. A motion was imme-
diately passed, making the nomination
unanimous.
The meeting was called to order about
nine o'clock by o. M. Hagwall. Mr.. Hag-
wall was Immediately made chairman
and Anders Anderson secretary. Thomas
Taylor remarked that the meeting had
been called for the purpose of nominating
a citizen of North Mankato for COM
missioner. He thought North Mankato
was entitled to this office.
Alfred Torngren of Belgrade said he
would like to see North Mankato secure
this commissionership.
J. I. Bennett said he thought the people
of Belgrade would be easily satisfied, but
he wanted them to have a voice in all
the proceedings, that they might have no
complaint coming, Somebody should be
selected for the office to represent the
whole district in businesslike way.
Nels Anderson suggested Wenzell Ho
dapp as a man that would probably be
satisfactory to the Belgrade people and
a man that had time to devote to the
duties of the office. 1t was possible,
however, that Mr.. Hodapp might not
accept the nomination.
Mr.. Torngren said Belgrade would sup
port North Mankato man for the office,
but would expect in return that North
Mankato would support Belgrade man
for a political office, whenever Belgrade
should thus need the help of the village
votes. There was no prospect just yet
of Belgrade having candidate for any
office, but one might turn up.
August Petersen of Belgrade wanted
to know of what party Mr.. Hodapp was.
If Democrat, he might be beaten for
the Democratic nomination by strong
Oshawa Democrat. Mr.. Hodapp, he
thought, would make model county
commissioner.
Mr.. Torngren wanted to know whether
the massmeeting was non-partisan. Mr..
Hagwall gave his opinion that it was a
Republican caucus, and nobody dissented
from his view.
Nels Anderson remarked that Mr..
Hodapp had supported Mckinley.
Mr. Bennett said Mr.. Hodapp was as
much Republican as anything else.
There is a question whether he would
accept a nomination on the Republi
can ticket. Mr.. Bennett said he would
support a good North Mankato man,
whether he was a Democrat or Republi
can, for commissioner. He would like
better, however, to see an out aud out
Republican nominated. The caucus
ought to know where Mr.. Hodapp stands
Adolph Hintz said that that afternoon
he and David Severance had a talk
with Mr.. Hodapp, and the latter would
not say whether he would accept on one
ticket or the other. He might not be
willing to run at all.
Mr. Hintz went on to say that North
Mankato and Belgrade had been rather
getting the worst of it at the hands of
the county for the last eight or ten
years. The united strength of the peo-
pie of this part of the county should be
used to elect good Republican or Demo-
GRAFT.
Nels Anderson remarked that North
Mankato ought to be ready to reciprocate
for the support that its candidate would
have from Belgrade. Mr.. Bennett ex-
pressed about the same idea, saying that
the interest of the village and the town.
ship were largely mutual.
Mr.. Torngren said that Belgrade was
grateful for what North Mankato did
for it two years ago. If Mr.. Hodapp was
the North Mankato man, he would also
be the Belgrade man.
After the nomination was made, there
was little further discussion and the
meeting adjourned.