The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-10-14


it.
Story of the Irishman.
eff this is the way my opponent
stands on my platform, then ] am re-
minded of the story about the Irish
man who was riding the government
mule. The mule became fractions, and
in kicking about finally caught its
foot in the stirrup. The Irishman
looked down at the mules foot in the
stirrup and exclaimed: well. begorrah,
if you're goin to git on DIN git off,
81 will not be as petulant as the
Irishman about it, and shall feel con-
tented enough to stay on the platform.
1t is fattering to have u platform
broad enough to accumulate all broad
minded citizens, and / apprehend quite
an influx of fellows will come crowding
over on our platform before election.
"The American people today are
alert. Never in the history of the
world has there been parallel to the
practical application OF economic prin-
ciples existing in this country today.
One-half century ago we were but a
scattered and broken multitude OF
communities with diverse interests,
conflicting opinions. and sectional jeal-
ousies. Our national politics were
scintillating and uncertain, our bust
ness enterprises We're hazardous and
unstable, and the government was
vested in the hands of political parties
seeking to curry favor by depreciation
of depressed business conditions, or the
assumption of partisan credit for a
II - Int hrIn
period ago when the universal custom
of the campaign orator was to paint a
glowing word picture for his auditors.
He foated the empty dinner pail, the
smokeless chimneys, and the idle
wheels in the face of the enemy, and
vaunted the full dinner pail, the roar
ing furnace, and the buZzing saw. The
one talked of high prices and high
standard of living; the other of low
prices and the purchasing power of the
dollar. The one cried, give us pro-
tective duty on imports to protect
American workingmen, and the other,
give us free trade with all foreign
countries, or tariff for revenue only.
"The significant part of it. all was
that the empty dinner pail the smoke
less chimneys, the idle wheels. and the
low prices were generally on the side
of the apostoles of the tariff for revenue
only, and the full pail and the roar
ing furnaces, and the buzzing saws,
and the high prices were the hand
maids of the apostoles of a tariff for
protection.
"The historic fact is that the adj
ministratiOn of James B. Buchanan,
bo ,-ty
| tions of Cleveland, stand out in strik-
ing contrast to the administrations of
Lincoln, Grant, Garfield, Mckinley and
Roosevelt. and it is undeniable that
this contrast has contributed to the
fortune of one political party, which
today points to record and the mis-
fortune of a party which Obliterates
the past, and turns to the future with
glowing promises of carrying out the
other party's politics better than it it.
self has done.
Present Day Conditions.
"The present day conditions admits
of no appeal to favoritism, or preju-
dice. II is an age of uniform develop.
ment; of system; of organization. The
complete system of transportation
travel, and communication has woven
us together into a gigantic force max
ing for a wonderful civic improvement
an astounding commercial development
and an enlightened and providentia
political progress.
with the uniform educational ia
cilities there is more uniformity in the
abilities and capabilities OF men. Like
wise with the broadening and extern.
ton of system in business methods
there is a consequent narrowing down
of the field of employment and bust
ness activity, and a lessening of in
centive for individual initiative.
"The American mind is controlled to-
day mainly by commercial instinct
The American people are money
making nation. They regard politics
as the practical adjuster of industrial
conditions, and so the candidate comes
before the people today with practical
remedies for wrong conditions.
81 am not one who believes that the
nation will always float along on the
crest of the tidal wave of prosperity
if my party is in power, and will be
instantaneously committed to the dem
milton bow-wows if the other party
prevail, but / do believe that in pro
gressive republicanism today lies the
strongest hope of the American people
for proper legislation and judicious ad
ministration.