The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-05-11
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away III bulitu tut INV
are interested in the contest in the Sec
ond congressional district, and The Her.
ton:
''DOwn in the district represented in
congress by James T. McCleary, stand
patter there is movement on foot tc
defeat him, headed by promising can
can nomination away from him at the
primaries.
In some quarters the fight against
him is being made on the ground that he
has had the job long enough, that two
terms are enough for any legislator, and
that his six terms should warrant his
retirement to make place for another
man.
'This is poor reasoning. McCleary
will never be defeated on that ground
and he should not be. If the public
has a good man i'm Office. the fact that
he has held his place long time is nc
reason for retiring him. There has been
too much of this thing of looking upon
political places as commercial cOmmodi-
ties, to be passed around like an apple
through crowd of boys that want a
bite apiece.
''If you are in business, and you get a
good man in your service. You don't set
a definite term upon his employment
and discharge him to give somebody else
a job when his time is up. If he is a
good man You want to keep him as long
as he is good, and by advances in sal.
airy and words of praise you seek to
make him want to stay. There is nc
reason why that should not apply to a
congressman, so long as he is doing
good work and faithfully representing
his people.
''But this not to say that Congress
man McCleary should not be retired
from his position. He has failed to rep
resent his state or his district The peo
pie of Minnesota, in the second congress
sional district no less than elsewhere
believe in tariff revision. Congressman
McCleary has publicly acknowledged
that his people believe in revising the
tariff, but instead of seeking to heet
their wishes, he has announced that he i:
coming home to, teach them that they
do not want tariff revision, but that
they should want what he wants then
to want.
'This is not the proper attitude of d
public servant. His stand is mared by
an arrogance and self sufficiency that
amply earn him defeat. If the people
of the second district want to retire him
let them do it on the ground that he has
failed to represent the sentiment of his
constituency, not on the ground that he
has served six terms in congress. That
only makes him the better congressman
or ought to. 1t is his attempt to bend
the wishes of his people to suit his OWL
conveniences that makes him bad con
gresham, and that warrants his defeat
The Herald is mistaken on one point
There is no disposition to fight Mr.. Me
Cleary on the ground that he has beer
in congress long enough, but rather there
is opposition to him because he has beer
there so long that he has assumed the
role of dictator to the people and re
fuses to answer their appeals for re
vision of the tariff. And the argument
has been made in some quarters thai
the system which deprives a newly elect
ed representative from receiving just
recognition in congress should be smash
ed. Suppose Divine Providence, in Hi.
infinite wisdom, should see fit to re
move from this earth many of the Older
members of congress? Younger mer
would be called upon to take theil
places. Should these newly elect
ed members be forced to SIT
in retirement for several years UNI
til they become old and moss covered
like too many of our national legisla
tors have grown in their inactivity
New blood should be infused in the
congressional veins once in while sc
that life and energy can take the place
Of Sl,,o,;cbnos. -, that hod,,