The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-01-19

Good Story Of Congressman McCIear,
and the NEGRO.

Good Story Of Congressman McCIear,
| and the Negro.
While some of the rural people in thi
county may look with favor upon tn,
action of Congressman McCleary in tn,
recent literary production which he has
caused to be sent out, most of them ant
| also those who are versed in the rights
pertaining to public office frown upor
the use Mr.. McCleary makes of the
privilege the government gives him OF
sending out correspondence relating tt
public matters under the frank of his
office.
During the paste week few, if any OF
the voters of this county have missed
getting letter from Mr.. McCleary, GOV.
ering an entire page of letter paper
having nothing in it of public nature
and evidently intended as means of in
gratiating himself in the good will OF
those upon whom he must depend for
support in the coming election, that man
has not been heard from.
This is wrong, and there are two
reasons why it is wrong one is that it is
an abuse of the postal laws as this de-
partment shows an immense deficit, due
largely to this very reason, and the 9TH
er is that it looks as though at time
when the railroads are expecting to have
the mails weighed preparatory to bid
ding on carrying the same, the members
of congress are using their franks to in
directly assist in the graft that annual
ly brings large income into the Golfers
of the roads.
In regard to the franking privilege
the following story is told on Congress
man McCleary, which, though somewhat
far fetched illustrates a point that most
of the franks he sends out are illegal.
They say that colored voter in the
second district dreamed that he died and
went to the gates of heaven which SEEM
ed to be shut. Pounding on the gates,
he was able to arouse st. Peter from
the slumber he had fallen into, but was
unable to pass because of lack of Gre
dentials. Turning from the portals of
the heavenly city he started back, when
he met McCleary coming with utmost
confidence, in the direction of the
straight and narrow way.
''Is that you, Massa 'Cleary?" said the
colOred brother.
'9es, Rastus, what's the matter?"
''Has you got your frank with you,
Massa 'Cleary?"
Frank" exclaimed the congressman,
mo, left that behind"
''Well you might as well go back,
you KANT git in lessen you have a
frank said the negro, sorrowfully.
''I'll fix that all right" said the states
man, "come along with me-"
So the two Travelled up to the gates
and the negro was sent in with list
of all the franks since he had used by
the congressman since he had been in
office, and shortly after the colored vot-
er put his head through the door and
said with a grin:
us you still there Massa 'Cleary?"
"Yes, Rastus, what is the matter?"
'St. Peter he say them franks am
bogus, tell Massa 'Cleary every man
what gets here from Minnesota has one
of desc franks and they look sort O
'spicious. You KANT git in on no rural
free delivery frank, lessen you get bet
ter qualifications. take what you got
and go to the left"
'But Rastus how did you get in?"
'The frank what let me in were the
only good one in the bunch Massa
'Cleary. 'Scuse me Use got to look after
my wings"
Then the gates closed with bang and
the disappointed congressman turned to
the left and disappeared Ulm Re-
view.