The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-03-04
Addresses the Non-Partisan
Convention Called in
St. Paul Today
Must Not Use Office of Ex-
ecutive as Club Over
the Party
Nor Should He Dictate the
Legislation; Would En-
force the Law
Declaration Now a Play to
Galleries, Says Head
of the State
Especial to The Free Press.1

st. Paul, March 2.-In his address
before the county option convention i'll
this city today, Governor Eberhart
made this statement:
"The county option movement is
mon partisan movement and every dele
gate to this convention is commission
ed as non partisan delegate. l have
been requested to state to this con-
|vention what shall be my position as
to county option and consequently
what in my opinion should be the posi-
ton of the republican party with ref
ference thereto. Every fair-minded per-
son will admit that my declaration at
this time as to whether l shall or
shall not favor county option in this
state will force me to make that dec
aratiOn good in the republican state
convention or be eliminated from its
consideration. 1t means that / must
use the office, of the chief executive of
this state to force the republican
state convention to adopt my view, IL
respective of what the majority might
desire. In other words, it would COM
pei me to use the executive department
of this state to attempt to dictate too
the republican party its position OH
this question, which is neither right
nor in keeping with our ideas of pop.
ular or party government. The forcing
of the executive department of this
state into the county option contest
means even more than that Under
our constitution the legislative and cx
ecutive departments are entirely dis
tinct and independent, and any undue
interference on the part of the chief
executive i'll matters of legislation is
not only wrong i'll principle but disas-
that where a political party has
pledged itself to the enactment of GER
tain reforms, it is not only permissible
but proper for the chief executive rep
resenting that party to urge legislative
action to carry out such reforms, but
in advance of any such declaration by
political party or by the people at
large, the chief executive has no right
to use the influence of his office for
the purpose of debating legislation.
Would Be Play to the Galleries.
eff my declaration at this time for
or against county option does not mean
what l have stated, then it means
merely Il play to the galleries for the
purpose of satisfying one side or the
other. a position altogether unworthy
of any one occupying the highest office
in the gift of the people. There is
only one consequence which my en-
try into the county option fight would
make certain, and that is such d.
vision within the ranks of the repub
lican party as would rebound solely to
the advantage of the opposition. No
one has been able to suggest any bene-
fits to the county option movement
which my declaration at this time
would bring about, but, on the other
hand judging from past experience, it
is safe to assume that it would result
in the division and possible defeat of
a party which has given us all the
temperance legislation now on our
statute books. L have given this mat
ter very careful consideration and sim
cerely and earnestly believe that it is
my duty to await and support the
platform of the republican party, and
in case county option law is passed
by the legislature while / am governor
it will receive my approval and to.
gether with all other laws of the state
be enforced"
About $500 delegates are attending
the convention.