The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-09-14
CONFIDENTIAL.
Mmkato, Mimi, Sept. I, 1906

| ne information lHIS ldI ltCtiNtu pA
me through reliable friends in each
county of the district indicates that Mr..
Gnttersen win fail to get as large a
percentage of the total vote in the pri
mares as Mr.. Miller got two years ago.
| desire now to ''check up by get
ting as full and accurate a report as
possible on each voting precinct. To that
end | am asking a number of my friends
in each precinct to give me. an estimate
of the situation there as they see it,
Having long counted you among my
good friends. | take the liberty of ask
inc You about the situation in your
precinct.
In what precinct on town do you
vote?
How. in your Judgment, will Mr.. Gut
fersen's vote there this year compare
with Mr. Nlller's two years ago? Who
seem to be Mr.. Guttersen's principal
supporters? How active are they? How
influential? What arguments are they
using? Which of the arguments seem
TO be most effective?
May l trouble you to advise me also
on the same points as to those who are
supporting me?
| need hardly assure you that | shall
highly appreciate your kindness in ad-
vising me as fully and as promptly as
possible Cordially yours,
j. T. McCLEARY.
What a clever ruse of the congress
man. He is attempting to fool the vot-
ers of the second district by giving out
the false information that Mr. Gutter
sen will not get as large percentage
of the total vote as Mr.. Miller did in
the primaries. What folly. Anyone
who will travel the district over cannot
help but reach the conclusion that Mr..
Guttersen will not only increase the
show of receiving the nomination. The
district is a seething mass of opposi-
ton to the return of Mr. McCleary to
congress and that gentleman has become
aware of the fact, but as a last straw
he tries to create the impression that
| Mr.. Guttersen will not gain over the
Miller vote. The death knell of Me
Clearyism and standpattism will be
sounded in this district on Sept. Is.
| OF course many of those whom Mr..
McCleary counts as my good friends"
have already received the ''cOnfdential'
communication, and | can see them in
my minds eye tearing around like a
cranberry merchant securing the infor-
! nation he asks for What arguments
are people using to secure the nominal
ton of Mr.. Guttersen? Wouldn't that
jar your political sense and cause your
think tank to enjoy the humorous for
moment? Mr.. McCleary knows what
arguments are being used without asking
questions.
The fact that Mr.. McCleary has flood
| ed the district with the confidential cir
! cular is evidence enough that he him
self realizes that he has the fight of his
life on his hands. He is sitting up and
taking notice of the fact that Mr.. Gut
tersen is in the fight.
The people of the second district have
learned with much delight that a Gut
tersen club with a large membership has
been organized in Lake Crystalline
Guttersen's home town, and that his
neighbors are greatly interested in his
candidacy, using all honorable means to
bring about his nomination. Mr.. Gut,
tersen stands well with his neighbors
and that is the best testimonial any
man could ask for.
Calm discussion of the issues involved
in the present congressional contest has
taken the place of exciting, loud cham
pioning of the cause of either candidate
with the excellent outlook for the nomi
nation of Mr.. Guttersen. His candidacy
is backed by demand for tariff re-
vision and other reforms which Presi-
dent Roosevelt desires to inaugurate at
the next session of congress. Gutter
sens star is in the ascendency.