The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-11-04

| of which came the glorious Napoleon
Bonaparte, the friend of France and her
people, who brought France to the front
Intoxicated by power, he took the crown.
and the result was Moscow and Water
loo. The republican party has been the
friend of the people, but, intoxicated by
majorities of 10000 it reached out and
in the last state convention placed the
iron crown of the Great Northern road
upon its head The republican party this
year is washing it's own dirty linen, but
we hope on election day to iron some of
that linen.
At the beginning of the state cant
paign the republican party was full of
hope and ginger but now it is not so
full of hope, even if it still is of gin
ger. Dunn started out by speaking kind
| ly of me, but lately he has not spok-
en- so kindly. Mr.. Johnson spoke of the
upheaval in the republican state central
committee. Perhaps they were not
frightened; | have not been in their
haps, like the man chased by ghost,
| they were out of breath and are going
some more" Before | would sacrifice my
personal or political friends to gain
the favor of corporations | would resign
tonight. If | am elected, it must come
! to me without corporate aid. This is a
peculiar campaign. Three fourths of the
metropolitan papers and one hundred
country papers of the republican party
are opposing the republican nominee for
governor.
Mr.. johnson referred to the issues of
the state campaign, discussing the board
of control. He said he had no apology
to make for anything he ever did or
ANY sentiment he ever expressed in ref
erence to the board of control. He was
opposed to the board of control when the
law was passed, and he was opposed to
| it now. He had opposed it because it is
purely political and spends millions of
dollars year of the tax payers money
and makes no accounting for it. Does the
state get a dollars worth of value for
every dollar spent? The people have
the right to know this. The board does
| its work in secret. 1 am opposed to q
| hos ,.l &c So. h. ii,
stitutions, for fear it would inject poll
| tics into them. If elected governor, |
promise that for two years at least the
school system of the state will be abso-
lutely divorced from politics.
The gross earnings tax law was re-
ferred to by Mr.. Johnson, who said ne
was in favor of the four per cent gross
earnings tax. This great proposition was
omitted by mistake from the republi-
can platform. The general counsel of the
Great Northern road sat on the plat
form and dictated every action of the
republican convention. Are you going
to commit the collection of this $780,
| p. =.
600 tax to the people who believe it just
and legal?
There is scarcerly a republican paper
in the state that this year refers to the
merger as an issue. Two and four years
ago it was leading issue. 1t is and
must be an issue. The state must guar
antee to every citizen the rights which
he has, as well as the rights of the
railroads
Dunn stands accused by party as
sociate in regard to mineral land leases
The pine land of the state belongs to the
school funds. Mr.. Dunn admits
having settled many of the tres
pass cases for much less than the law
required. do not charge that he profit
ed from this, but it was an abuse of dis
cretionary power that bordered on Off
cial dishonesty.
Mr.. Johnson spoke of Lind;s admins
[tration, which he praised. He spoke on
behalf of his associates on the ticket. He
hoped they would carry the county and
state, but if defeated he hoped it would
be $50 close that when Dunn rides at
my political funeral he will think he is
riding with his mother law and it will
spoil the day." If elected, Mr.. johnson
said that he would be true to himself
land would strive to enforce the laws
so that every citizen would be equally
protected. If defeated he would still
even be loyal to the great state. He
had spent all his life in an adjoining
county, and his life's history was an
lopen page.
A great many people started to 60
lout when Mr.. johnson closed, but Mr.
Andrews succeeded in introducing
Thomas j. McDermott, candidate for at
torney general.
Mr.. McDermott spoke of his frequent
visits to Mankato in the past His wife
was born in Blue Earth county and edu-
Gated in the city schools of Mankato.
All the masses of the people desire
the best government, and their heart is
right. 1t is only necessary that they I'M
derstand the situation rightly. The re-
publican candidates were presented by
) the merger. At any time the roads en-
! tering Mankato might enter into SINH