The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-10-06

of the voters can handle such mat.
tiers intelligently and they can be
trusted.
Advocated the Recall.
Mr.. Clapp advocated the recall
and claimed that if the legislature
made laws that were inimical to
the people. the people should. have
the right to recall the members of
the legislature ana select. men who
would represent the people fairly.
1.-The people should also have the
right to select candidate for the
presidency of the United States at
primary election instead of hav-
ing a few political bosses meet and
choose a candidate who will work
for their special interests only"
Mr.. Clapp continued in the same
trend, and said that he thought the
time would come when the state
of Minnesota would have laws of
this kind since these were funda-
mental truths.
He favored the recall at every
opportunity and said in refutation
to what others might say, that the
not do to trust the people with this
question.
"Those who are opposed to the
recall insist that it will not be safe
to trust the people with the recall
and the settlement of problems; but
who did this county trust at the
time of the Revolutionary war? Not
the speculative gamblers, but the
people. Who did this country trust
at the time of the Civil war? Not
the speculative gamblers of Wall
street, but the common people. They
can always be trusted in the time
of danger"
The President and the Courts.
Senator Clapp quoted the presi.
dent as having made the statement
in a speech at st. Louis that some
speedier method must be invoked
by the courts to reach the ends of
justice. The president confesses that
the courts are not performing their
function in a manner satisfactory
to the people, yet he is opposed
to the recall on the ground that the
judiciary will be made the object
of attack because of prejudice and
passion. If the people are pos
sessed of intelligence to elect judges
they are certainly intelligent enough
to use the recall in a national way
and can be trusted with such 4
wise instrument in their hands. The
enemies of the recall raise the point
that the courts are sacred; but the
speaker contended that no public
office is sacred.
Purpose of the Recall.
Mr.. Clapp told his audience that
the recall was not designed for the
good judges, but for those who vio-
lated their oaths by giving way to
the special interests" The recall,
the initiative and referendum would
be the means of educating the un-
intelligent voter up to the duty
which he owes his country. An ex-
PLANTATION of the initiative and ref
erendum was given by Mr.. Clapp.
The initiative permits the people to
lay before their representatives
those laws which they hope to have
enacted and the referendum gives
to the people the right to vote on
measures which the originate in
legislative halls. The people are
given the privilege to decide whether
these measures shall become laws.
Mr.. Clapp contended that there was
nothing wrong in either PROPOSE
ton. Both are instruments which,
he declared, should be placed in
the hands of the people so that they
can control the government instead
of permitting the Especial inter-
ests" to rule. eff the people are
not to be trusted then self-govern-
ment is a failure" declared the
senator. "The power to legislate
must come from the people if we
W nave IIcc
This is the only way that the peo-
pie can rule and take from the po-
litical bosses the power which they
have too-long welded to the detri-
ment of the people as a whole
Believes in Woman Suffrage.
Senator Clapp declared himself as
a firm believer in woman suffrage.
In closing, Senator Clapp said that
the people of Southern Minnesota
stood by him ten years ago when
he was first elected to the senate.
He believed he had served them
faithfully. He now appealed to them
to stand by him in the fight that he
and his associates were making.
at is your fight" he said, land /
ask you to stand by me with in
creased enthusiasm and assist me
in the settlement of these prob.
lens. ! shall go upon the theory
that you are we'll enough versed in
the questions which confront us to
do that which is for your own inter-
ests and not listen to the voice of
the political losses who are help.
ing along their own interests by
sz.ts