The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-10-21


in the pit. Flags and. portraits of Mr..
Gray comprised the decorations. The
bands from Mapleton, Rapidan, Am.
boy and Madison Lake had been
brought to help bring crowd to fill
the house, and q number from each OF
those villages and elsewhere came to
the city and were in the audience.
Many ladies and children were also
there, and some annoyance was caused
by the children and others going out
soon after the speechmaking began.
Mr.. Gray had spoken at Amboy and
Mapleton during the afternoon. The
band met him at Amboy and he spoke
there for fifteen minutes, and was es-
corted to Mapleton by eight automn
biles, and spoke there, returning to
Mankato at 6:40 p. m.
While the audience was waiting for
the curtain to go up, Major George
Sinclair of Minneapolis rendered sew
eral Scotch bagpipe selections in cos
tune, which with the singing by the
st. Paul quartet, another attraction
brought to hold the interest of the al-
dience, proved the most interesting
part of the program. Both did finely.
Judge w. l.. Comstock presided and
| thanked the audience for coming ont,
on behalf of the committee. and said
that it was gratifying to know that
the people of Mankato would turn out
again to listen to the issues. People
were getting away from party lines.
and it was now question of men
rather than one. Of party issues.
Talk BY McEwen.
William E. McEwen was introduced
as the first speaker, and took up much
time telling OF the beautiful sights
of nature that he saw on a trip to
Europe. He then spoke of the peculiar
political situation, with Lind support
ing Clapp. He sprung the old gag
about the trusts, and that everything
person eats or uses is controlled by
monopolies. The wages of the laboring
men alone were based on the law of
supply and demand. and out of lOO,-
600 wage earners in the state 1000
were earning So day or less But
the voice of the people is being heard
and that of the second district was
heard all over the country when Ham.
mond was elected. While in England
he had priced Singer sewing ma.
chine at $45, which he had ten years
before paid $55 for in Duluth. He
had bought a pair of kid gloves in
London for 3G cents that dealers in
this country say would bring $l.5O
The lowest kid glove maker in Eng.
land earns $3 a week, while the aver.
age wage in this country is S. week
The fight now is to stop the rule
of special interests, and let the people
rule, said the speaker. He did not
say that this is what the republican
party has been fighting for for six
years. r.
/ Spoke of State Issues.
Taking up state issues, Mr. McEwer
said that before Johnson went into Of
flee, there was systematic robbery OF
the peoples interests. Tho people had
said that this free booting must stop
and had elected Johnson, who had
steered the ship of state from the
rockbound coast, and whose admins.
tration still lives. Mr. McEwen told
what had been done to save money and
gain efficiency in the departments Of
lumber and oil inspection, insurance
bureau, etc. The state board of con
troll was now running the state insti
buttons cheaper than ever in spite OF
the high prices. He also recited what
the state labor bureau had done. Al
present $4,000 working men are killed
or crippled every year in Minnesota
and one-half of this is unnecessary
and if the present officials had q
chance for two years more they could
materially reduce this.
Mr.. McEwen spoke of Gray as q
man who was fearless, able and good
and who had moral courage, and sale
that he would make the same kind OF
a speech here as elsewhere.
Refers to Governor Johnson.
When death called away Governor
johnson, the lieutenant governor be
came governor, and had now held the
office for fifteen months, and he is 6
nice man. "As soon as Governor John
son had died, and before his body hat
become cold, your fellow townsmar
and neighbor went through st. Pau
without stopping and went to the of
lice OF Senator L. L. Smith, the at
torney OF the railroads, who escorted
him to the state capitol, and he has
relied on this mans advice ever since
and chose him as chairman of the stat,
central committee said the speaker
"A man is Judged by the company
; that he keeps. What is Governor Eb
erhart's political company? He is Sc
anxious to become elected governor
that he is willing TO sacrifice all thai
is dear to the people to become elect
ed" Mr.. McEwen then went into Sen
ator Smiths record and showed how
he had voted on number of measures
in the legislature, to try 10 show tina
he represented the interests of the rail
ways and had been allied with Senate
Dunn, who he said was the champion
OF the brewing interests.
Spoke of County Option.
Mr.. McEwen spoke of county op
ton, and said that Gray would recon-
mend such bill to the legislature
while Eberhart had said that he woul,
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