The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-01-27

The Duluth News Tribune has new
er believed that reapportionment
would be secured, now or ever, with
out the stiffest kind of a fight. Fair
ness, a sense of justice, even public
desire, does not easily dominate sell
fish, or sordid political ambition and
the greed of interests.
"The opposition has come in just
the ways we fOretold," says The
News.Tribune. One place, however,
the tacticians of reaction have mis-
sed their guess. The time has pas
sed when tonnage tax can be used as
a club over Northeastern Minnesota.
That is a highwayman process that
will be met as highwaymen should
be met by men of honesty and cour-
age.
"The purpose Of such a measure at
this time is too patent; its object is
too barefaced the method is too
brutality coarse to cause anything
but repulsion. Northeastern Mime
sofa is through cringing before this
favorite weapon of selfish interests
and the grey wolves of politics.
at is even through arguing with
those honest, but deluded mortals
whom argument makes only more I'M
reasonable. If these prefer to fol-
low gray wolves, that is their priv
lege; if they prefer to ally them
selves with the worst elements in
Minnesota politics and be led by
them, that is their privilege.
"The Works amendment is Of the
same sort. 1t has no basis in law,
justice, equity or common sense. 1t
is wholly un-American, and Senator
Works is too able a man to be ac-
corded sincerity in offering it,.
That when a city passes the 100000
mark in population, it should at once
be penalized and placed in the class
of undesirables, Of the near-criminal,
by automatically losing half its legi.
innate representation, is preposter.
Gus.
1.-The ideals of Duluth, its fairness,
decency, loyalty to the state and its
patriotism will not change with the
adding of 10000 population. 1t was
not in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Column
bus or Toledo that wholesale de-
bauchery of the ballot was found in
Ohio, but in Adams county, the most
rural of the rural.
1T is not in Chicago, but in the
quiet little city of Danville and it's
agricultural surroundings that it is
now charged nearly 1000 voters sold
their SURFACES. Certainly the mem
bers of the legislature from Mime
apolis, st. Paul and Duluth are no
more amenable to dishonorable in
ducements than are those of Blue
Earth county.
"Nor can Senator Works, or any
one else, point out any instance
where the larger cities of this state
have stood against legislation that
was to benefit the state at large The
record will not show this, for in
stance, in the vote that raised the
gross earnings tax from three to
four per cent
"The fight against that measure
was led, rather, by members from
small communities. Go back similar
ly through the record and prove, if
possible, that the representatives
from the cities have so antagonized
measures for the benefit of the whole
state that the cities deserve to be
DISTINGUISHED
IF the iron interests are feared,
why disfranchise Duluth and accord
manhood suffrage to the range cities?
If the lumber interests are feared,
why give half vote to Minneapolis
and whole vote to Cloquet and
Little Falls? If railroad interests are
feared, why is ST. Paul voter but
half a man as compared to a st.
Cloud or Brainerd citizen?
If representation goes with taxa.
ton, why penalize the wealth of
cities? Is labor in the cities not as
honest as labor on the farms? Is
the city merchant a thief as CON-
pared to the village merchant? Do
men become disloyal and degraded
when they move from the country to
the city?
"This amendment hasn't single
excuse, save the unworthy one of
delay. Some men there are who
honestly fear the city influence. We
believe we can say for Duluth that
It's neighbors do not so regard it.
Duluth has proved and is proving
every day that it has no interests it
regards more jealousy, or will do
more to promote, than those of the
agricultural region of Northern Min
nesOta.
1.-THE twin cities, whatever else
they may be, are too wise, too selfish,
If you please, to hamper or not to
promote the growth and prosperity
Of the rural sections of the state.
Moreover, if Duluth ever acts in
harmony with the twin cities, it will
be because forced to do so by the
rural legislative members.
mo other community has suffered
as much, or is held back in it's de-.
velopment as seriously by the twin
cities as is Duluth. Nowhere else in