The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1908-10-16

S. Hammond refused to answer the
questions put to him by James T.
McCleary. At pipestone the democrat
lie candidate for congress "squawked.'
As the small boy would say, he
'hollered." Reduced to few words,
Winfield Scott Hammond does not
want to acknowledge allegiance to the
party that gave him the nomination
for congress. He has not the courage
to declare himself in hearty sympa-
thy with the democratic platform as
adopted at the Denver convention, nor
will be express himself as possessing a
friendly political feeling for William
Jennings Bryan, the democratic candi
date for president. The st. James
man is as evasive when asked to
answer the queries submitted to him
by Mr.. McCleary as he is contradictory
when discussing the tariff. ....... ..
Mr.. Hammond accuses Mr.. MeCleary
Of trying to fasten the democratic Ia
bel on him. Mr.. Hammond states
that which is true. Mr.. McCleary is
trying to attach to, Mr.. Hammonds per-
son the political stamp that properly
belongs on him. The democratic nomi-
nee for congress will not be permitted
to parade before the people of the sec
ond district clothed in false color.
How Hammond "Squawked." 80.
When the meeting to arrange for the
joint debates was held at the Saul
paugh, in Mankato, last Monday, Mr..
McCleary submitted this proposition to
Mr. Hammond That the issues to be
be discussed be clearly defined and
that nothing aside from these issues
not consent to this program and in
sisted that the discussions cover any
question or issue that the speaker
should elect-that anything or every
thing could be introduced as either
party to the debate saw fit This was
agreed to by Mr.. McCleary. The bars
were thrown down and the gates left
aiar So Mr.. McCleary felt priviledged
to ask Mr.. Hammond any questions
that might have bearing on the cam
paign. and bring the truth to the sur
face When Mr.. McCleary submitted.
the five questions, to his opponent at
the Fairmont meeting, and which were
published in The Free Press Satur-
day evening, he was not stepping beyond
the rules laid down for the debate.
Mr.. Hammond sidestepped the questions.
He was i'll a rage and acted like a
small boy who had not been given his
own way. At the meeting in this
city this evening Mr.. McCleary again
pressed the five queries, and Mr.. Ham
mond ''squawked" He not only eva
ded the questions, but became indig-
nant and insinuated that Mr.. McCleary
was taking an unfair advantage of him
by introducing matter into the debate
that was not german. But Mr.. Ham
mond appears to have purposely over
looked his own demand, made at the
Monday meeting, that the debates
include discussions of everything, even
to the finding of Moses in the bull
rushes. The games sportsman has no
admiration for "squawker."
Hammond Was Not Sure.
Mr.. Hammond, in reply to the first
question, said that the democratic plat.
form was quite decent" He did not
have copy of the platform handy
and would not say positively whether
he could endorse it in its entirety,
but he thought it pretty good decla
tion of principles.
In reply to the question of whether
he was advocating the election of Mr..