The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-07-21
From Thursdays Daily.

at the cnautauQua last night, the
concert given by the White Rose
orchestra was a success. The audi
ence was large and attentive to
every word that fell from the lips
of the man who cleaned up things"
politically in Missouri and has been
in the public eye ever since.
Mr.. Folk spoke on "The Era OF
Conscience" He said:
"Will the movement toward high
er ideals go on? Will not the peO-
pie soon forget? Have not the peo-
pie already forgotten, and will not
things be allowed to go on in ethe
same old way as they were before
the awakening of the people? These
questions are being asked all over
the country today.
Should Not Give Up.
Reforms sometimes die but revo.
buttons never go backward, and a
revolution has been wrought in the
conscience of men. The awakening
is merely a determination to have
the government of city, state and
nation represent the public interest
and not special privilege. In the
battle against privilege some fights
must be lost. With each fight lost,
we should not lose courage, but
fight all the harder; with each fight
won we should not become apathetic
and think all has been won. If the
issues could be represented squarely
between public rights and special
privilege everywhere there would
be no doubt as to the outcome. For
the majority of the people here and
everywhere will do right when they
know right.
Representatives of Privilege.
The representatives of privilege
are too shrewd to permit a plain
issue between public rights and
special privileges to go before the
people. They adroitly manage to
complicate the main issue with 9th.
err questions so as to bewilder men
of even the best intentions. BY
confusing the issue the representa-
tives Of privileges divide the forces
in opposition. Those who object
to reform do not usually put their
protest upon the true ground, but
they seek some other pretext. They
ask why is not this or that done.
If one examines the source of a
complaint like this he will usually
find that it is not because of de-
sire that reform be made more
thorough but to discredit what has
been done. If one sincerely desires
progress in the way of better
things, instead of criticism he will
give his help in the accomplishment
of the things wished for. Reform
always progressed by degrees
everything cannot be done in a day.
Why Some Men Object.
Zone Of the obstacles to the prog
ress of righteousness everywhere is
the mistaken view that it Injuries a
city or state to prosecute wrongdU.
ing. / have heard men deplore the
exposure of public corruption be.
cause it hurts a city; / have seen
men oppose the enforcement of law
against gambling and liquor lawless
ness because it Injuries the state;
have heard men object to prose
cutting trusts and monopolies be-
cause it hurts business.
"Such views are entirely false
No city can be injured by the en-
forcement of the peoples laws; to
do otherwise is to substitute the
will of the official for the laws OF
the people, and that is tyranny. Nc
state can be hurt by opposing graft
ing; to do otherwise is to connive
at it. There is no secret remedy
known for evil of this character
They cannot be cured by hiding
them. The disgrace is not in theil
correction, but in submission tt
them with supine Indifference.
Should Not Forget Faults.
"It is well for a state to display
its virtues and not parade it's faults
but it should not be forgotten tina
the highest civic virtue is in the
overthrow of civic depravity. Graft
ers, whether in st. Louis, Philadel
phia, Chicago, San Francisco Of
Pittsburg, always endeavor to have
1t appear that fight against then
is SANDER against the city il
which they operate. Criminal wealth
when assailed always tries to hid
behind the skirts of legitimate bust
ness, and claims that business il
being attacked. According to thei
argument grafters should never b.
assailed lest some assume that al
in the city are grafters. and lawless
ness in business should never b
fought lest it be suspected that al
business is lawless.
Grafters Are United.
when the lawless get bad ma
in Office they support him in a.
the evil that he does; but when tn
law abiding get a man in office to
often they are ready to CRITICS
him, and leave him to fight the ba
ties without their active aid. Tha
is the trouble. Good men are divit
ed and bad men are united. If goo
citizens could only be induced t
join hands in patriotic endeavor b,
fore the election and stay joine