The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-12-03
WANTS A DRY PLANK
EX-GOVERNOR JOHN LIND is IN
FAVOR OF COUNTY OPTION.
If He Accepts the Nomination On the
Democratic Ticket Platform Will
Have to Contain Something Def
mite AS to the Question Which
Affects the Liquor Interests; Now
What Is To Be Done.

/
What Is To Be Done.
| st. Paul, Nov. 27.-The Dispatch
says: If the democracy of Minnesota
insists on making former Governor John
Lind it's standard bearer in the com
Il ing campaign, it will have to adopt
a county option platform.
This ultimatum, it is said, has been
served on the democratic leaders by
Mr.. Lind, and he awaits their an
swer. He is not anxious to run-in fact
he is unwilling if the convention
insists, he will be compelled to make
the terms, and the delegates must ac-
cept.
According to the republican slate
makers who gathered in st. Paul Tues
day ostensibly to attend the Shriners'
field meet, but who put in most of
their time framing up ticket, there
is more than method in Governor
Linds apparent madness, and the whole
thing will come out in due time. They
declare it to be a deep-laid plot for the
capture of the United States senator
ship by the democrats.
Means Fusion of Forces.
As they outline the scheme, the es-
pousal of county option, now strong
rallying cry in the country, means an
alliance of the democrats and county
option republicans of the two legisla-
tive branches, with the former offer
ing their aid in the passage of coun-
ty option bill, in return for the votes
of the latter in the election of a
United States senator to succeed Moses
E. Clapp. The result of the trade
would be a democratic senator with
Governor Lind perhaps the beneficiary.
The whole timing looks visionary, in
fact to some impossible, but with the
big fellows nothing is impossible in
politics and the scheme has thrown
a scare into the ranks of the republi
can leaders that they have not expert
enced in years. John Lind they know
is vote getter, but they think they
can dispose of him in the coming fight.
This fact, however, by no means dis
posses of the senatorial scheme.
May Ignore Party Lines.
Though the majority of the repre-
sentatives and senators coming from
the country districts are republicans
and would naturally repudiate any at
tempt at an alliance, involving the
senatorship, still where men have been
elected On 4 county option platform
this issue has their first consideration
and those who know the game know
too, that the majority of them wi;
stop at nothing to carry out their
campaign promises. Party is their
least consideration.
In republican circles John Lind is
generally accepted as the next demo-
cratic standard bearer. 1t was at
first given out that the Minneapolis
man would not accept the nomination,
but that has since been denied. The
leaders figure now that they will
have him for an opponent and every
thing is being done to meet him as
such.
As a schemer John Lind is admit
ted to be without a peer and in his
slow, determined way he generally gets
what he starts out for. When Cover
nor johnson was in the flesh he was
the St. Peter mans one stumbling
block. He effectively blocked the plans
of the kitchen cabinet for the politi-
cal control of the state university, and
as a starter compelled the practical
expulsion of John w. Olson, johnson
appointee, as dean of the State Agri-
cultural college.
County option, which is prohibition
on a limited scale, appeals but little
to the cities, but out in the country
lit is a living, crying issue. Those be-
hind it are now at work in on effort
to have it recognized by the next
republican state convention, Tut the eff
forts of the leaders are directed at
it's reputation. They look upon it as
personal and not party opinion and
as sure to disrupt the republican
party if adopted. This has been the
case with the majority party in every
state where it has been enacted into
IA law and with Minnesota republican
ism in it's present disorganized con-
dition they do not care to add to the
lparty's troubles.