The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-09-06
Progressive Candidates Cant
Find Way TO Shore.
NONE WILL STEP OUT OF RACE
w. o. CIure Issues Statement In Which
He Takes Rap at Third Party
Movement.

st. Paul, September Declining
to accept H. T. Halbert's proposal
that a committee of twelve deter
mine which of the three progressive
candidates for governor should with
draw, leaving the field to two, Sam
Y. Gordon's and w. E. Lees man
ayers prevented any agreement which
would tend to clarity the situation
this morning.
E. T. Young consented to submit
bunal and abide by it's decision. Mr.
Halbert's proposition was to have
each candidate select three men to
constitute a committee of nine and
these nine men select three more
The committee of twelve was to de-
eide which candidate was the weak.
est and that candidate was to with,
draw.
Another Plan Suggested.
The conference in Mr.. Halbert's
office yesterday morning resulted in
nothing.
There is the expectation, however,
that Mr.. Young, in addition to agree
ing to accept Mr.. Halbert's PROPOSE
also offered to let the committee of
fifty decide which candidate should
withdraw. Mr.. Gordon and Mr.
Lees managers objected to this also.
Then Mr.. Young offered to submit
the matter to the members of the
1911 legislature and let them decide.
This proposition was also rejected
w. o. Clure, who represented w.
E. Lee at the conference, would con-
sent to but one proposition and that
was that Mr.. Young withdraw, be.
cause he was the last to enter the
gubernatorial race.
Statement BY CIure.
In a statement issued after the
conference Mr. Clure explained why
he could not accept this proposition.
His statement follows in part:
l object to Mr.. Young's prop
osition, first because submitting
it to any body of men is an ad-
mission that the progressive prin-
ciple of the rule of the people is
fallacious; second, object to it
because submission to the
committee of fifty would be con-
sidered as an attempt upon the
part of the three candidates
involved to turn over the party,
whose suffrage they seek, to
third party; third, l object to
such submission to any other
tribunal because it could not be
constituted except of partisans,
and there would be no more
hope of their coming to an
agreement than there would be
of the candidates themselves
coming to an agreement.
Suggested Casting Lots.
When the conference of guberna-
torial candidates met last evening,
Mr.. Gordon stated his position in
an open letter addressed to Mr.. Lee
and Mr. Young. In brief this letter
proposed to settle the matter in one
OF two ways. Mr.. Gordon first Of
fered to draw lots or to meet both
the candidates before the committee
of fifty last evening and there be-
fore them as arbiters cast lots, the
man losing to withdraw from the
race.
This proposition was opposed by
Mr.. Young and Mr.. Lee. In his let
ter Mr.. Young said he was con-
vinced that he was the strongest
candidate.
Mr.. Young did not prepare any
formal statement. He said, however,
that the conference was not of his
seeking.
II intend" said Mr.. Young, ito
abide by the decision of the pri-
maries. The people are competent to
select their nominee and l will rest
my case with Them"
When the committee of fifty meets
this evening, Mr.. Halbert will give
an account of the conference. Sew
eral members of the committee be-
lieve some such plan as advanced by
Mr.. Halbert would simplify matters.