The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-09-09
ISSUES A CHALLENGE.
j. T. McCleary Wants to Engage in a
Joint Debate Now.
From Wednesdays Daily.

fTOm w CuucSudy DdIly.
Congressman McCleary is a very wise
man.
He was formerly school master. Now
he is master or "boss" of the second con-
gressional district.
Masterlike, he insists that he knows
what is. good for the dear farmers of
southern Minnesota, and he proposes to
choke down the threats of the people
who pay the taxes his particular views.
His scheme is peculiar.r 1t reflects his
wisdom. Is4
In the second district is pronounced
sentiment against McCleary's continu-
ance in congress. His views are not
those of the republican leaders of the
district nor of the people. This is the
district that was formerly represented
in congress by John Lind.
Z One of the leading men of the dis
trict in politics, in business and in the
hearts of the people isl Senator Miller,
editor of The Rock County Herald of
Luverne. Mr.. Miller has been prevailed
upon to champion the opposition to Mr..
McCleary and to enter the race for con-
gress upon the line of reciprocity with
Canada Stree lumber" and particularly
on the point of representation of the
actual opinions and desires of the peo-
pie of the district Along these lines he
addressed an open letter to Mr.. McCleary
which has just been replied to.
Mr.. Miller is personally retiring and
modest. His life has been devoted to
newspaper work and to business, with
a little politics as a sauce. He is a good
writer but an Indifferent stump orator.
A stump speaker must not be bound
too closely by the truth. Mr.. Miller is
very inexpert i'll the assimilation OF
political debate.
There is where McCleary shows his
wisdom. McCleary is plausible and well
able to make the worse seem the better
reason.
Mr.. McCIeary proposes to shine at the
expense of honest Henry Miller and his
program is outlined in a letter just out.
"H. J. Miller, Luverne, Minn.-Dear
Sir: 1t has come to me that you are
dissatisfied because, as you claim, L have
ignored the questions propounded by you
in your open letter to me, issued re-
Gently while l was in Washington at
tending to the interests of my constit-
uents. AS matter of fact, of course
you know that all your questions are
answered already in my published
speeches. But printed answer does not
seem to satisfy you. Being perfectly
willing to answer your questions orally
1 hereby invite you to hold with me {
series of joint discussions of the points
about which we differ. 1 suggest tina
one of these meetings be held in you
home city of Luverne and one in m!
home city of Mankato. / would be gla'
to join you in having as many othe
meetings as possible, using for that pur
pose both the afternoons and the eve
nings If you accept this invitation
promptly, it will be possible to hold a
least one such meeting in every count,
in the district.
'No one can afford to be wrong 0
to do wrong If you are right the PEG
pie ought to know it, and no one will
be more eager to support you than
On the other hand, if it develops tina
[ am right | assume that you will b
equally eager to support me-
After issuing his defy Mr.. McClear
uses several hundred words as sort o
verbal war dance-just to show what
terror he is. As to tariff revision h
says he stands with Roosevelt in beliey
ing that the tariff should be left alon
unless it can be shown that more goo
than i'll will result from meddling wit
it. That ought to be settler for
good republican.
As to trusts" he says that only one
eighth of the nations products are man