The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-06-25

The Minneapolis Journal of last
evening published a story to the eff
feet that the John Erickson Republican
league has been launched in Minnesota
A meeting of the officers was held in
Minneapolis Saturday evening. Those
who We're present cay the purpose of
the league, as outlined, is the fedora
tion of the Swedish voters of the state
into one compact central organization,
built up from precinct and county
clubs. They declare their chief object
is to reclaim the Swedish vote for the
republican party; that the league is not
interested i'll the ambitions of any indi
vidual.
Reclaim Swedish Vote.
The Swedish vote in Minnesota was
almost solidly republican at one time.
1t is still reliably republican on ma
tional issues, but an uncertain guam
tity in state and local politics. Since
the democrats nominated John Lind for
governor in 1896, they have headed
their state ticket at every election with
candidate of Swedish antecedents.
The republicans have never had a
Swedish candidate for governor, This
has gradually alienated the Swedish
vote. After voting for a democrat for
governor, it has become easier for
Swedish republicans to split their tick
ct on other propositions, and many
thousands of them are now numbered
in the independent ranks.
Survival of An Old Organization
The new league, which is a survival
of the old Swedish American Repubi-
can league, aims to enlist the individual
voters in republican clubs and bring
them into a central organization.
The new movement was launched at
dinner given by Lieutenant Cover
nor Eberhart in st. Paul, April l3.
Prominent Swedish republicans from
over the state were the guests of Mr..
Eberhart, and they selected commit
tee of thirty -one to organize the league.
At the meeting of this committee, April
10, the name was adopted, the John
Erickson republican league, and officers
were elected to serve until khe first
regular annual meeting, which is to be
March 8, 1910.
G. r. Boostrom, head of normal
school at Austin, was elected president,
and +. A. Nelson of Hallock former
state librarian, was made secretary. Lo-
cal men on the list of officers include
G.. A. Smith, A. G. johnson and Pro-
lessor Frank Nelson, vice presidents;
P. p Quist, treasurer, and A. W. Skog,
member of the executive committee.
No Membership Fee
Clubs will be formed in every town
and village where there is reasonable
number of Swedish citizens. They will
be asked to enroll themselves for mem
bership without payment of any fees,
and to elect officers. Local clubs are to
hold meetings from time to time, but
the real work will be done by the cen
trail organization. Once a year each
local club will elect delegates to the
meeting of the country club, which will
comprise representatives from each
town and village club in the county.
The county club meeting will have a
banquet or some sort of social celebra-
ton, but will also elect delegates to the
state meeting of the league, based up
on the number of Swedish voters en-
rolled in each county. No dues are to
be charged anywhere, but funds to
carry on the organization are to be
secured by the sale of banquet tickets.