The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-03-16
SENATOR NELSON'S DINNER
Congressman mcCleary and the Tariff
Question; Good Coming Out Of
Concession to Germany.
FREE PRESS BUREAU. a
WASHINGTON. MAR. 8.

than the usual number of visiting Min
nesotans in Washington and of course
the political situation in the old North
Star state has been theme of general
discussion.
Senator Knute Nelson gave a little din
ner the other night and strange to say
only one of the twin city papers have
published anything about it. Your cor
respondent was advised by some of the
northwestern newspaper men that the
story about the Nelson dinner was sent
to Minneapolis and Duluth and that in
the Zenith city appeared the only ac..
count of the affair.
The dinner was one of those quiet in
formal functions where home matters
can be discussed freely without any APP
prehension of the ubiquitous" report
er. Senator Clapp was the guest of
honor, and he received something of a
surprise at the warm greetings he re-
ceived for having made such firm, de-
termined and successful stand against
several of the older senators who rep
resent eastern states, and who have been
in the upper branch of congress so long
that they have an idea that any new
man who dares to controvert them is
amenable to ''lese majestic Senator
Deliver of Iowa dropped in during the
evening and he too was greeted very
cordially and congratulated on the game
fight he put up against Senator Aldrich
of Rhode Island who tried to hit Dol
liver and destroy any prestage which the
latter has gained on the railroad rate
bill. A great many subjects were dis
cussed at Senator Nelson's little dinner.
Your correspondent was not there but he
has talked with several people who were.
OF course, Minnesota politics and re-
publican politics were discussed. The
talked of, and the available qualities of
each ware considered, the talk being just
about the same as it would be in the
corridor of the Saulpaugh in Mankato
OF the Merchants in st. Paul when sew
eral prominent men get together.
Just because Senators Nelson and
Clapp and several members of the house
delegation came together in social way
and conversed about pending legislative
matters, and incidentally talked Mime
sofa politics is no reason in the world
whv the people at home should not know
about it.
All of those present are perfectly free
in talking about it including the host
and the guest of honor.
And yet there are some papers in Min
nesota which caustical "rOast" the Min
nesota colony in Washington whenever
the news is sent out that there has been
a little gathering
Some people think that members OF
congress and United States senators
should not talk about politics until their
congressional labors for the session are
over.
It developed during the Nelson dinner
that the senators and members from
Minnesota are hearing from the people on
the subject of tariff revision and reel
procity. hits past week there was filed
in the United States senate by personal
presentation by Senator Moses Z.
Clapp monffster petition signed by
twenty thousand German American
citizens of Minnesota requesting the
president of the United States and the
United States senate to come to bet
ter commercial understanding with thu
German government. The petition was
first taken to the president who IN turn
sent it to his personal friend, General
Clapp, to file in the senate.
The petition was printed In The Free
Press on the 18th inst. 1t Is significant
as showing the trend of sentiment In ia
vor of extending our markets and es-
pecially of finding market for our sur
plus products abroad. And within less
than five days President Roosevelt is
used his proclamation, granting conees-
sions
If the question of commercial reel
procity treaty with Germany based on
a fair square business like sub-structure
would come up in congress today, your
correspondent ventures the assertion
that it would command the vote OF the
two senators and eight of the nine con-
gressmen.
-
Mr.. McCleary could not vote for 1T
unless he changes his views and admits
as he will be compelled to admit in the
future that his twenty percent re-
taliatory tariff bill was a great big smis-
take. Mr. McCleary is already in deep
oTo - I,o ant