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

can be mustered up by the
interests to pass it, or to defeat it.
The discussions on the floor of the
house Of congress are more by plays
to the gallery, which have no more
influence on legislation than the cor.
ruscations of a tightening bug on the
solar system. The real business is
done by committees, and the house
is but mere assembling room for the
committee reported bills. This is par
TALLY through the very nature of the
body itself, and partly by reason of
the influences Of these great combi-
nations. The system has been extended
in part to the government, and the
people have double burden to throw
off. We are more intensely interested
in legislation which has to do with
raising revenue, and making appropria-
tions. Such legislation must originate
in the house.
System in the House.
! Under the present system the speaker
of the house of representatives has such
power that he is almost the absolute
dictator of how a nation of ninety
millions of people shall raise the rev.
enue to run their government, and
how they shall expend such revenue.
This power is greater than the power
of the King of England. / believe that
curtaied, and the power of the house
Co appoint its own committees should
be extended ] believe that on matters
of vital Importance the house should
be made a purely a deliberate body.
In this connection / desire to state
that il elected to congress / will not
vote for Joseph G.. Cannon Tor speaker
of the house. There is in this day a
strong tendency among men to exercise
their rights of franchises regardless
of party lines. There are times when
this balance of power which we may
term as independent vote is a safe
guard to the government, and a regu-
lation of good party politics.
Questions Before American People.
"There are always great questions
coming before the American people. All
great questions and issues arise on a
conflict of opinion. Like a mighty
war, a political campaign is q contest
of opinion between two contending
forces; the one sustaining a position
the other opposing it. One party is
for, the other against. There is ne
mid ground and consequently but little
room, and little occasion for third
parties.
''If all political lines could be Oblit
Grated tomorrow morning, two new
parties would spring up representing
the views of the contending factions
on the great political questions before
the day within ten days, and we would
again be returned to the inevitable
plan of a government by a responsible
party.
"There have been contentious in the
ranks of both parties, and in the last
year there has been a partial read Just
ranks of the parties.
''The two parties come before the
people this fall as they came before
and during the administrations OF
Lincoln, Grant, Garfield, Mckinley ant
Roosevelt, and before and between tn,
administrations of Buchanan, ant
Cleveland.
81 have full faith that when tn,
verdict is recorded on election day TN,
people of these United States, and o.
this district, will have declared thei
confidence in the progressive republ
can principles, and / desire to say
once for all that if the voters of thi
district indicate that l shall represen
them in congress, my earnest endeavo
shall be to prove by my acts that
am the representative of the will o
the people of this district, and read,
to strive persistently and consistent,
to carry out such WILL"
; Senator Frank Putnam delivered /:
minute speech.