The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-10-28


of the state" said Michael j. Costello,
private secretary of Mayor Robert A.
Smith and a lifelong democrat, who
announced yesterday that he will sup
port Roosevelt and Dunn.
81 have taken especial pains to in
vestigate the statement of John Lind
regarding Mr.. Dunn's settlement of the
Duluth & Iron Range land grant and
much as l value the opinion of the
Minneapolis congressman, | cannot agree
with him that the facts in the case
impugn Mr.. Dunn's character or his of
fetal record Taking Mr.. Lind at his
own word and admitting that the $4,000
acres of state institutions lands were
included by mistake in the railroad
grant, | do not believe that Mr.. Dunn
is any more to blame than Mr., Lind,
who was governor at the time and was
especially interested in the matter. At
the worst the whole thing is purely an
oversight, and | do not think it just to
saddle the blame on Mr.. Dunn.
81 supported Mr.. Dunn for state au
ditor in 1894, when he was first can
didatc, because l believed that he would
make an auditor who would bring credit
to the state and be satisfactory to dem
ocrats as well as republicans. l was
not disappointed in my expectations, and
when Mr.. Dunn came up for reelection
four years later l supported him again.
He continued to transact the affairs of
the office with an eye to the welfare of
the state, and | do not think that l
would be doing my duty if l did not
support him for governor.
"There is nothing in the report of
Public Examiner S. T. johnson, and in
any other of the campaign stories cir
culated about Mr.. Dunn that should
prevent an honest man from voting for
him in November. l know something
about Mr.. Johnson's reports, for he has
attempted to malign the city admins
tration of st. Paul for political effect.
Every line of his reports on the record
of r. c. Dunn and on the city admins
tration of st. Paul bear testimony to
the fact that they were issued by John
son, the politician, not Johnson, the pub
lie examiner. The report on the city adj
ministration of st. Paul to which 1 re-
fer was brought out on the eve of cleo
ton to furnish political capital as his
reports on Mr.. Dunn's record were
brought out just before, the state con-
vention so as to defeat Mr.. Dunn's nomi-
nation.
81 am democrat, and as a democrat
do not agree with many of the principles
advocated by the republicans. But l
believe that Roosevelt apd Dunn are
men of courage, ability and integrity
and that their election will be victory
for the cause of good government.
81 do not know the democratic candi
date for governor. | have never heard of
anything he has accomplished that
would justify me in voting for him as
against Mr.. Dunn, with whose record l
am familiar. do not think, that the
question of nationality should be con-
sidered. l shall vote for Mr.. Dunn be-
cause | believe that he is the best man
for the place.
81 consider that President Roosevelt is
the finest type of American citizenship
in the United States, and that his defeat
would be great disaster to the cause
of good government. 1 have been init
mately acquainted with him for twenty
two years. l served in the New York
legislature with him, when we were
both very young men, in fact the young
est members of the legislature. AL
though l differed with him politically,
found that he was a strong champion
of the cause of justice and that no pow
er on earth could intimidate him. 1
learned to respect him then and my
faith in him has never faltered.
"When we were in the legislature,
Roosevelt represented Fifth avenue, the
home of the aristocrats. / represent
ed the tenement house district. He was
republican and l democrat. We had
many hard fights together for reform
measures, and tremendous influences
were brought to bear to defeat them. In
one of the first hard fights for meas
ure for the welfare of the people, after
many of my colleagues had fallen by
the wayside / saw by my side a young
man from Fifth avenue. He represented
an aristocratic district but did not hest
tate to come to the aid of the poor peo-
pie.
"That is one of the presidents princi-5
pal characteristics, and that is why he
is popular with the people. 1t makes
no difference to him whether a man is
rich or poor. He looks beneath the ex
terror. If he believes that a man is
right, he remains his friend. No power
on earth, corporate or otherwise, can
swerve him from his duty as he sees it.
The sole question to him is, is it right! 2
He has nothing to conceal; he is open
and above board in all his dealings. 1t
was only the other day that a Minneso-
ia congressman related how President