The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1908-10-23
He Announced That He Will Not Vote
For the DanviIIe Gentleman
For House Speaker.
Last Of the Series Of Joint Debates
Heard at Mankato Theatre
On Last Evening.
Two Thousand People Listen to the
Discussion OF Issues; Tariff
Revision, by Whom?
From Tuesdays Daily.

From Tuesdays Daily.
James 7. McCleary has placed him
self squarely on record as opposed to
the retention of Joseph Cannon as
The declaration against Mr.. Cannon
was made last night when Mr.. Nc
Cleary opened the last of the series of
the five joint debates which have
taken place between himself and W.
S.. Hammond, the democratic nominee
for congress. Mr. McCleary read a
statement that leaves no room for
doubt as to his position on this mat
ter, and it also left his rival in the
field for the congressional honor with
nothing much to talk about but the
tariff, which he handled from demo-
cratic point of view whenever it
would serve the purpose of pleasing
the members of that party, and then
he would switch occasionally and
talk protection as straigh as the
most ardent standpatter.
On All Sides of the Question.
Mr.. Hammond got on all sides of
the tariff question. He made a plau-
sible argument to sustain the demo-
cratic idea of tariff revision and at
the same time he tried to place him
self in the good graces of republi-
cans by declaring that democratic re-
vision meant the obtaining of revenue
and also placing the protecting arm
around American industries as well.
Mr. Hammond really made his best
speech, last night, of the series. He
was not lacking in his usual amount
of sarcasm, which he hurled at his OPP
ponent as if it came from rapid
fire gun, and strange to say there
were those in the audience who ap-
peared to regard it as logic and
argument. Mr.. Hammond made a flu
tile attempt to ride both the donkey
and the elephant at the same time.
1t was the same acrobatic perfor-
nance that he tried to carry out
during previous debates. A person who
was not acquainted with Mr.. Ham,
mond's political affiliations would have
found it rather difficult task to de-
eide lust what party he was a mem
Der of, were he left to Judge by Mr..
Hammond's discussion of the tariff
question last evening. 1t was the
lawyer pleading a bad case before a
Jury whom he was trying to befuddle.
II CT tn
cure republican votes for a democra-
tic candidate for congress.
Mr.. McCleary Was Logical.
Mr.. McCleary, as he always is, was
logical and argumentative. He made
it clear to the thinking men in the
audience just what his position on the
tariff question is. He evaded nothing
and declared his stand on the national
republican platform in no doubtful
tones. He favored republican revl-
sion as interpretated by Mr.. TAFT
the republican nominee for president
He made no attempt to cajole the
democrats with honeyed words, but
discussed the issue from the stand
point of a republican who would per-
form his full duty fearlessly, and al
ways having in mind the interests OF
the people of the second district ana
the country at large. Mr.. McCleary
views the tariff from national stand
noint. a CONSTANT national policy. lie
regards the position of the republican
party as tenable, and he maintained
his ground with an argument tha'
could not be shattered even by the
st;nos of sarcasm and the injection OF
sneers.
Before concluding his remarks last
evening, Mr. McCleary expressed The
wish that the joint debates continue
He is satisfied with the results so far
He wanted twenty-five or thirty Joh'
meetings, but they were denied MN
by his opponent.
| Tn closing his rebuttal Mr.. McClear!
stated that Champ Clark OF missouri
would he a democratic candidate fo'
the speakership, and he is the MAI
that Hammond will vote for shouio
Hammond be reelected. Champ Clarf
is the member of congress VINO mao'
the statement that were it left to MN
ba would raze the walls of every custom
house in the United States, Thereof!
destroying the protection that i
afforded the American farmer ane
producer.
Treated Matter Lightly. :.
Hammond treated lightly the SUB
iect of protection to the farm pro
ducts. He offered no encouragement I,
the farmer. but on the contrary sneere'
at the efforts of others to MAINTAIN
a duty on eggs, butter, barley woo
and other products of the second JUS
+r;ct Naybe the farmers ike ina