The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-10-01

Some have personal reasons for being
opposed, and some would not vote
for it today, but would tomorrow
The masses of the people are to de.
eide without regard to anything but
the real issue.
Where the People Differ.
w. r. Geddes spoke against the
new charter. The present charter car
be improved upon, and so can the
new one, and no charter could be pre-.
pared that could not be improved
upon he said. The point that people
differ on now is the change in the
form OF government. People are not
opposing new charter, but do not
want to give up representative govern
ment for monarchy. The commits
sion plan is fad, and cannot exist
under our form of government. Not
so much will be heard of it in ten
years as now. Cedar Rapids has not
tried the plan long enough to prove
anything
The speaker did not think that the
people were going to surrender what
they have had for fifty years. The
old charter has been abused for years
We have lived under SINH
lar charter for fifty years, and it Is
strange that it has just been found
out that it is bad. 1t is claimed that
the new plan would result in angels
holding office, who will not steal or
do wrong. If human nature is to
be revised, we will have to go some
where else than to the Mankato char
ter commission to have it done.
There is nothing to require the com
missioners to devote their time to the
be no politics under the new plan, but
where officials have friends who help
elect them, there will be politics and
they will smell just as bad as here
tofore. 1t is claimed that money can
be saved by the new plan. This can
be done by not spending it. Past
administrations have done this and
the next would make long needed i'm
provements and be called eXtravagant.
There are as many sins in the new
charter as in the old. The speaker
had not expected it to be perfect, ais
the human mind cannot make any
thing perfect.
Same Conditions Here.
DIR. j. A. Hielscher was the last
speaker on the debate. The cOndi-
tons at Cedar Rapids were very sim
liar to those in Mankato, he said.
He answered the arguments of the
Mankato Post and the pamphlet called
"The Other Side" His remarks were
about the same as he made at the
city hall meeting Wednesday night.
Every argument was completely an
swered. The speaker did not think
that the recall would have to be used
often. The charter commission had
invited all the people to appear and
make suggestions while it was pre-
pairing the charter, but none had APP
peared That was the time for them
to have been of real assistance.
DIR. Hielscher made strong per-
sonal appeal to the Germans to vote
for the new charter. He had done
all he could for them for the eighteen
years that he had lived in Mankato.
He had not favored the new charter
for pay, but because he thought it
best for the Germans. He hoped they
would not doubt that he was honestly
working for their interests, and would
take him at his word.
Mayor Meyer in Explanation.
The question was thrown open to
general discussion, and Mayor Meyer
explained how the $4,000 in the
sinking fund disappeared. He claimed
that it Was used for the water sys-
tenn, and that part of it was used to
pay hands, The council should have
left the money in the fund. The
money was taken by previo''s admin
istrations, and was not. foO.et away.
He wanted the citizens to fully under
stand it.
No one else responded to the invi-
tation 10 speak, and the audience filed
out As it went, numerous express
sions Of approval of the new charter
were heard on all sides.