The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-10-25
B.FAY MILLS AND P.V.
COLLINS SPOKE PIECES
From Thursdays Daily.
WHERE COLLINS STANDS.

WHERE COLLINS STANDS.
P. V. Collins, third party candi-
date for governor, was visitor at
the Free Press office today. In the
course of his conversation he said:
Il used to be republican; ] am
not one now" Under the circum-
stances how can Mr.. Collins expect
the support of republicans? 'ar
Mr.. Collins is now lending his eff
forts to the destruction of the re.
publican party. He is not entitled
TO the votes of republicans.
AS an elocutionist, Benjamin Fay
Mills showed remarkable talent in
the delivery of his progressive
speech last evening at the Roosevelt
rally in the Mankato theatre. At the
beginning of the Grafton Mr.. Mills
complimented the chairman and the
committee which had made arrange
ments for his address and explained
the significance of the little envel.
opes which were handed to all who
entered the theatre. He said that
IS the progressive party was yet
young, they were badly in need of
funds and all were invited to con-
tribute as much as they could afford
for the good of the cause. In re-
turn for the contributions a certii-
cate will be given to each contribu;
tor, which, Mr.. Mills says may be
the means of keeping some one out
of the poor house in later years, as
the certificates which were given for
the like contributions to Lincoln for
his campaign are now worth 1000
piece. He named Roosevelt as the
. greatest man in America today and
p. V. Collins, who he announced,
would have the floor at the conclu.
sion of his address, as the greatest
man in Minnesota. The progressive
party, he announced, was not a pro-
Sressive republican party, neither
was it a progressive democratic party
but it Is something new and original,
and the only solution for the needs
of the American people.
Predicts Smash of Republicanism.
After November 4, however, Mr..
Mills says that there will be no re-
publican party, because he declares
there is no possible show for Presi.
dent Taft to be reelected, and wheth.
or Roosevelt or Wilson are elected,
the old republican party will cease
10 be. - VT. -. .s...s ~
At this juncture Mr.. Mills compli.
mented the ladies present who had
removed their hats and also those
who were about to do so. The pro.
gressive platform, he stated was, un-
like the democratic platform, a pro.
gram. 1t is a contract with the peo-
.ino thor 30
government and a program of how
this will be brought about. The rea.
son for the fact that there has been
no democratic government is that
there are so many people in, the
United States that it is impossible
for all OF them to get anywhere near
together in order to make and en-.
force laws for their own welfare
This necessitates the election of
men of justice and integrity to see
that democracy prevails. Mr. Mills
is not satisfied with the present way
OF maintaining the so-called democ-
racy OF the United States, and says
that even Switzerland is far ahead
Of us. He proposes to remedy the
conditions in large measure, by the
initiative, referendum and recall. A
successful business man has to use
Initiative in his business, why not
use it in the business of our coun-
try. ..--.... .. .-......-.
The Referendum.
Referendum is short cut to
amending the constitution to suit the
needs of the people today. He main.
tains that when the constitution was
written, 1t was compromise, be.
cause it was made by people who
had not entirely gotten away from
the aristocratic manner of govern.
ment. The recall of public officers
when they fail to do their duty is
only common sense method of
handling them, for when a contrac-
tor hires laborer, he fires him II
his work is not satisfactory.
The progressive party is the only
party which makes any allowance
IN its platform for the social and
economic relations of the common
people. Mr. Mills challenged any
one to show a single line in any
other party platform which had any,
thing to say about the economic wei.
fare of the classes. A gentleman In
the back of the house arose and
challenged Mr.. Mills to prove that
the democratic platform did not adj.
yocate the initiative and referen.
dunn. Mr.. Mills informed the gentle
man that these were clearly politi.
cal issues that had to do with the
government of the nation and of no
economic significance
Advised Woman SUFFRAGE.
Mr.. Mills advised woman suffrage
and protested strongly against class
ing them with criminals, idiots
and the insane. In this he
says, Minnesota is behind the
times and will remain so until equal
suffrage is granted Ben B. Lindsey
cleansed the city of Denver and the
state of Colorado when it was one
of the rottenest states in the Union,
but he could not have done this
without the aid and the cooperation
of the women voters. He declares
that the best man in the Colorado
legislature today is a woman.
Mr.. Mills declares that the carry
ing out of the plans of the new pro-
gressive party was more like reli-
gion than anything else, because it
was system of doing good to all
men. The progressives believe de-
voutly in the brotherhood of man,
and as the tramp asked of the
preacher who was going to feed
him, will "cut the slice little thick.
o,sbc e.. -.