The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-10-25
PUT EMIO SLEEP
HIS CROWD WAS WEARY
From Tuesdays Daily.

From Tuesdays Daily.
Peter M. Ringdal, democratic can
didate for governor, gave his audi
ence sleeping potion last night.
He talked and talked and to make
matters worse he read a lengthy
statement" following this with
some more talk. Those of the audi
ence that remained in their seats
dozed on while Peter droned his
doleful song.
1t is understood that the boys had
Peter at the democratic headquar-
tiers just before last nights meeting,
and they told him that he must in
ject more "yinger" into his speeches.
Peter promised them that he would
use the hypodermic to the best of
his ability and advised the bunch to
come to the meeting and they would
see enthusiasm run riot. Peter proved
to be a disappointment. He would
shine at a Quaker meeting, but as
a campaigner he is a decided failure.
He does not inject the "yinger" into
his speeches. He talks like man
who is ,treading on eggs. He is so
mild-mannered that even the most
radical democrat is convinced that
he would not harm a trust or com.
pei a railroad company to 'head in. .
Peter is impossible.
The Democratic Meeting.
The democratic rally was held last
night in Mankato Theatre. About SOC
people were in attendance. V. j.
Griener introduced G. A. Morrison
as chairman of the affair. The first
number on the program was Peter
M. Ringdal, who talked like pessi
mist for some time.
Mr.. Ringdal began by mentioning
the rising influence of his party in
Minnesota and traced the feeling OF
antipathy for the democrats back tC
the Civil war when the republican
party, as he said stood for what was
right. Now, on account of the
change in political issues, different
methods of handling the questions
ct the day must be inaugurated and
an adjustments must be made of the
constitution to properly provide fol
the new measures. Mr.. Ringdal gave
as the reason why the republican
party has been so strong that al
people who enter into politics fol
purely selfish reasons, naturally
drift to the majority party The
democratic party has been in the mi
nority since the Civil war but owing
to the split in the republican party
they are now on an equal footing as
far as numbers are concerned. q
Declaration On the Shelf.
The democratic party, Mr.. Ring
dal averred, has always stood fol
self-poyernment, but of later years
the Declaration of independence has
been put on the shelf, to be brougn,
down and expounded only as a sub
ject for Fourth of July addresses
This great document was made as
guarantee of the rights of self
government to the people. But by
controlling the necessities or life
the trusts have made the peoplt
their servants for the purpose o.
their own personal gain. Before the
advent Of the locomotive and othe'
labor saving machinery it was i'm
possible for any one company to con
troll any public service institution
because there were none to control
But, when railroads were built
mines opened which needed thu
railroads, factories started which alst
needed them, it is easy to see nov
one man or party of men could con
troll the lives of the thousands o
people. Thus, the Standard Oil com
pany and the railroads fixed things
,up for their mutual benefit and thu
destruction of any one who had tn:
unparalleled audacity to start an OF
refinery or a railroad OF his own
The mines also co-operated. in thu
same manner, killing off the small
mine owner. And Minnesota Il
greatly affected by this particula
piece of graft because she turns on
over one-third of the worlds outpu
of iron ore. When the railroad AM
warehouses commission ordered a re
duction of freight rates, to bench
the smaller shippers, the succeeding
commission promptly restored tn,
old rates, and the same thing befel
the passenger fares. Only. a weel
AGO a railroad company in Mime
! sofa was indicted for rebatln'
to a milling company in Valley CITY
N. d.
Good ROADS movement.
In some localities the good roads
movements are relieving the hlgi
freight rates to a considerable ex
tent. In New England good road
have made it possible to operate au
tomobile truck lines and traction en-
CINE trains which are able not onl.
to carry freight cheaper but taste
than railroads Another discrepanc;
in the railroad fares is the fact tina
even in Minnesota we can buy
1000 mile coupon book at the rat
of 2 cents per mile. Why can W.
not travel a short distance at tina
rate?
After this discussion, Mr.. Ringda
said that if he was elected the pee
pie would have the right to maxi
the demand "show me" and he thel
read a lengthy statement TELLING
what he stands for.
Mr.. Ringdal is in favor OF amend
ing the constitution so as to ALLOW
initiative and referendum. This i
simply conducting the business o
the state the same way that W
conduct our private business. i
other words when a business mai
hires a man to work for him he ha
the right to do the work himsel
if the employe does not DO his wor
as it should be done. That is tn
power that the initiative and refer
endum will give the people. Tn
initiative gives the people the RICH