The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-10-12
Senator r. NJ La Toilette
Lays Facts Bare.
BOB uKFoLDs THE TRUTH.
Shows How the capitaIistic Com.
binations Have Managed to Build
Up and Flourish So Well.

From Thursdays Daily
The large audience that gathered to
listen to Senator Robert NJ LaFollette
of Wisconsin on Representative Gov
eminent at the theatre last evening
was not disappointed. Senator LaFol-
lette arrived in the city on the p. m.
train on the Omaha road, and having
previously had his supper, walked di-
rcctlv to the theatre. He had spoken
Monday night at Hutchinson and Tues
day night at Fargo. n. d., and his voice
was not in very good trim last night.
He is filling in one full week on the
lecture plat torn for the lecture bureau,
which is all of the time that he can
spare the bureau.
This was Senator LaFollette's first ap-
pearance in Mankato, although many in
the audience had heard him elsewhere.
He has rare oratorical power, and holds
his audience very closely by the hour on
seemingly dry subjects. The most of
his time last night was devoted to the
trusts and railroad rate legislation
which is one of the dryest of subjects
for popular audiences, but his discourse
became more interesting as he progress
ed, and the last half hour saw the. au.
dience and speaker both well warmed
Up. The address lasted for two and
quarter hours, and was only cut short
by the fact that Senator LaFollette was
obliged to take the late Omaha train
for the south.
Secretary Gran introduced the speak
er, who prefaced his address by saying:
81 am here tonight to talk to you about
our government-ou country. / know
YOU are interested in this subject. We
are now in the morning of the second
century of our national life. Our de-
velopment has been most remarkable"
The speaker then told of the immensely
of the country. and its great wealth,
and how it leads all other nations in
many ways.
Notwithstanding all this accumuln-
ton of wealth." said the senator, Sour
country now faces greater dangers than
ever before challenged the courage OF
the people. l hope that, you will divcst
yourself of the prejudice against me that
has been created by the press of the
country and listen to me for the cause.
The colonists fought to give us a gov
eminent where all men would be equal
before the law, and it was for this that
so many people have crossed the ocean
to US since then. 1t cost us dearly to
get this government. and to save it in
the sixties, and it ought to be held very
precious by us. and an obligation rests
upon us to hand it on to our children
just as Washington made it and Lin
coin died for it. think that a great
change has come over the country in
the last twelve or fifteen years-mainly
in the last nine or ten years.
Competition has so entered into the
NiUtllS VI inc icpubliC CiltC IL Has JUL
run the speech OF the people. and they
have had to coin new word, graft 4"
Senator LaFollette spoke of the corrup-
ton in the great cities, in the state leg
islature and in the national congress.
Cincinnati was enthralled by George B.
Cox, common dive keeper. In Milwau-
kee a grand jury in two years has in
dicted twenty or thirty public officials
for corruption. The only difference be-
tween Milwaukee and other large cities
il that the former has prosecuting at
torney who has uncovered public in
EQUITY. Let other cities put a Joseph
Folk or Frank McGovern in as prose,
cutting attorney and they will find the
corruption" (Applausc.)
The speaker traced the history of the
industrial and commercial development
o. the country, and told how corpora
tons had taken the place of individuals