The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1908-09-25

PNOPiS Iluop hiIo" uCIhltClN Nudb
each party stands for. TO this end
each party embodies its promises
to the people in platforms" ma
tional and state. In order to give
the people ample time for the ex-
animation of these platform pied
ges, the platforms are framed and
published months before the cleo
tion.
No man has a moral right
to seek the nomination of any
party for an office unless he thor
.oughly believes in and is ready
to, defend the principles of that
party. 1t is neither manly nor
honorable to play fast and loose
with both parties in campaign.
The people will have little respect
for or confidence in one who de
liberately starts out to play Good
Lord, Good Devil with them.
Such a performance is utterly TN
WIFI VI ColiNtiuoOO lOi oll
office like that of congressman.
You sought and have obtained
the nomination of the democratic
party for congress. | sought and
have obtained the nomination of
the republican party for congress.
Congress deals with national ques-
tions. Between the two parties
are well defined national issues
of immense Importance to the
American people. / stand ready
to advocate in your presence and
defend against your arguments the
principles and policies of the re-
publican party. The people would
like to have you advocate in my
presence and defend against my
arguments the principles and poll
cies of the democratic party, whose
nomination you have obtained and
whose votes you thereby hope to
receive. For instance, both parties
have promised in their platforms
that the tariff shall be revised inn
mediately after the Inauguration
of the new president next March.
The question at issue is.HOW shall
it be revised? Each party has
plainly and unequivocally set forth
in it's platform the principles that
will govern it in making the re-
vision. l am ready to advocate in
your presence the republican plan
of revision, Are you ready and
willing to advocate in my presence
the democratic plan of tariff re-
vision?
If you have any doubt as to
the desires of the people of the
district to have the debates pro-
posed in my letter of the 18th,
consult them. You will find that
the people in all parts Of the dis
trict greatly desire to hear these
debates, and they will not regard
very seriously your excuse that
j "previous plans" forbid your com
!. plying with their rightful desires
in this matter. They will natur-
ally and properly ask: 'Gf Mr..
Hammond really believes in demo
cratic principles, how can he ex-
pect them to prevail unless he
stands up and fights for them7
" If he does not believe in demo
cratic principles and does not wish
to have them prevail, how came he
to seek the democratic nomination
{ for congress? If he will not stand
up like a man and defend demo
cratic principles, what right hasfhe
to expect democratic votes?" Aren't
you in danger, Mr.. Hammond, of
? giving the impression that you are,
simply and only an office seeker,
without any profound convictions
OH public questions?
In this country there always
have been and always will be, so
long as our present system pre-
walls, just two major parties, no
more and no less. These major
parties you and respectively rep
resent in this campaign. The prin-
ciples and policies advocated by
one of the parties represented by
us are going to prevail and be