The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-11-04
Judge William r. Geddes writes a
follows to The Amboy Herald:

Judge William r. Geddes writes as
follows to The Amboy Herald:
"The democratic nominees for the
legislature in this county have over
worked the Moses E. Clapp ruse a
little. 1t has been so persistently put
forward by them, especially by Senator
Works and Mr.. Kelley, since John
Lind threw it out at Albert Lea, that
republicans have begun to diagnose the
symptom to see just what it all means
As I have said before in this CORE
spondence, it is nothing less than an
attempt to gain little republican sup.
port by confessing loyalty to Clapp
who, as they well know, the people
wish to have returned to the senate
for another term.
'This being true, does any republican
suppose for a moment that if the dem.
ocrats should have majority in the
next legislature, and John Lind, James
Gray. Frank A. Day, or some other
democrat of recognized ability should
become candidate for the United
States senate and it required one OF
two democratic votes to land him
there, and thereby give that party Sc
much more power in congress, that
Mr. Works or Mr.. Kelley would desert
his party so far as to defeat the demo.
cratic candidate, and throw the cleo.
ton to Senator Clapp? This very pol.
icy of whipping their partisans into
line would prohibit such course on
the part of a democrat or of republi.
can either.
"The great solution of these demo.
Gratis for the return of Moses Z. Clapr
to the senate is born of the conscious.
ness that it is an absolutely safe posi-
ton to take, because the outlook is
that the legislature will be overwhelm-
ingly republican, and those of the
democratic minority might as well
throw their votes to Clapp as not, be-
cause their party has nothing to gain
by voting for democrat, and nothing
to lose by voting for Clapp. This be-
ing true, they see that they are not
jeopardizing their party interests in
any way by clnging to Clapp's popu-
larity in the campaign to win little
republican support. They are putting
forth this siren song with timbre OF
voice that sounds delicious to the un.
trained musical ear, but little analy
sis of the situation shows the farcia
side of it.
"But why should any republican see
fit to vote 70 rthese democrats for the
purpose of helping Clapp, when their
own party have four men in the field
for election to the legislature who are
pledged to support Mr.. Clapp and who
if elected, will not be in danger of 60
ing over to serve democratic interests
Before doing SO, republican voters
should stop and think where Works
and Kelley would be at in case the
election of senator would be so close
that one or two votes might elect
Clapp or might elect a democrat in.
stead. 1t is not hard to guess where
their votes would 60 under such a con
tihgency when the party lash were ap
piled, and republicans should not take
the risk of making that contingency
possible.
"Another will-o-wisp song that thu
democratic nightingales are singing, ant
this is especially true of the demo
cratic nominee for governor, is the ap
peal to republicans to be Independent,
and vote for a democrat because there
are no party lines any more. The very
fact that the democrats of the state
have constructed one of the strong
est party organizations ever known
and are putting out their very best
talents to advocate its interests is in
disputable proof that party lines art
drawn, and mighty taut at that. Wher
Mr.. Gray makes his plea for non
partisan voting, he bellies the acts O.
his party, who put him on the ticke
and are using large quantities of talen
and money to elect him, as democrat
pure and simple.
"The funny thing about this plea fo
non-partisan voting is that it is all ad
dressed to republicans. Why do no
Mr.. Gray or Mr.. Works, or any of tn,
Others pleading with democrats to de
sert their party and go over and vot,
with the Philistines in the republica,
camp. It is a loud bugle call to dis
quieted republicans to come over ant
give them aid and assistance. A rea
Macedonian cry for the republicans t,
come out of Italy and help to demo
craize their land. 1t is unadulteratet
political PROSECUTING, and there Is n,
sincerity in their plea, because they d,
not believe in it themselves.
"Around republican headquarters il
this city there is more confident al
than existed couple of weeks age
The candidates and the committeemel
have been out among the people more
and they bring in good reports. TIL
election of Taylor over Works is freel,
predicted, and so far as my persona
observation goes Taylor's chances ar
Improving. 1t is also claimed Wit
confidence by those in touch with tn
situation that the republican nominee
for the house will all be elected, al
though this is not so easy problem t
figure on as the senatorial race, wher
there are but two running. When tn
same vote has to be cast about anon
several results are not so easily fore
casted because some will, vote for onl
two, some for one, and some will d
wide their vote between the parties"