The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1919-05-02
HE STANDS FOR TONNAGE TAX;
MAKES FACT KNOWN
BETTER SCHOOL SYSTEM
Workmen's Compensation In
surance; State G. O.. P. Has
No easy Boss"
Congressman F. F. Ellsworth of

'didacy for the nomination for COVER.
nor on the republican ticket. He is
sued the following statement:
Il shall file for the republican
nomination for governor.
81 have reached this decision after
a careful study of the political situa
tion in Minnesota and fully regarding
the fact that / am now intensely in
terestsd in the absorbing work of my
'position of representative in congress
and that most thoroughly appreciate
the whole hearted confidence shown
by my constituents in three elections
and feel justified in the indulgence OF
a pardonable pride that in my coun-
try's greatest emergency have been
able to be of some service. The de-
cisiOn is made in the face Of>the very
brightest prospect that my incumb
ency as a member of congress would
have been maintained for number OF
years during which time it seems al :
together likely I would have been
diverted but little by serious political
opposition and that ! would have been
thus enabled to devote my full ener-
gies to my official duties and reason
ably to have expected to be able to
be of considerable service in future
congresses.
81 have turned aside from the per-
sonal considerations and stepped from
the path of the lesser resistance, into
a political forum strewn with the
cockpits and jugsernauts of class dis
elimination, bipartisan confusion and
worn out political methods, because
and only because l have an abiding
faith that by SO doing | can be of a
greater service to a greater number.
Minnesota is peculiarly situated. 1t
has a greater proportion of its social,
commercial, industrial, transportation
and public utilities activities con-
centrated in one metropolitan center
than does almost any other state. The
richest soft iron ore deposits, con-
trolled actually or sympathetically by
the most powerful corporation in ex-
istence, is within it's borders. It's twin
city press furnishes the only state
wide circulation medium for news
publicity. Notwithstanding, Mime
sofa is an agricultural state preem-
nently
Varying Political Stages.
These conditions naturally have
resulted in several varying political
stages, viz. First, too fierce PARTISAN
ship existing for many years in both
the republican and democratic part
les; second, a feeling of too great a
security by the majority party and its
consequent yielding to machine con-
troll followed by occasional clusters in
the office of chief executive with
divided responsibilities between ex-
ecutive and Legislative a super i'm
posture of bipartisan control articu-
lating the reactionary forces of both
parties; and finally, complete aboli-
tion of all party lines in the legisla-
tive branch.
"The result is candidates. of legis-
lative aspirants upon individual and
localized platforms and issues, which
means an election in which there are
absolutely no state wide issues and
therefore no opportunity for the ex-
preston of the will of the voters of
the state. The net result then is.
necessarily, that special matters and
those of minor Importance and per :,
tanning to local interests, through
legislative trading" class prejudice,
and personal political considerations,
receive attention and the great cues
lions affecting real fundamental
policies are lost in the chaos.
There is no we'll organized political
party in the state to stand sponsor for
any issue or policy to be determined
IN the coming election. The republi-
can party in Minnesota appears to
to have ceased to function. 1t cannot
even boast of or decry an Easy Boss
Leading party members throughout
the state whose names are connected
with its organization, So called, feel
little or no responsibility and the
party's sole tangible semblance of or
ganizat1on is the degenerate residum
OF card index or list of names in the
Office OF the private secretary of the
governor who is quasi eX- officio re-
publican state chairman of certain
scraps of paper which he marshalled
into platoon of battling ghosts to
win the last election while men of
flesh and blood of all political parties
fought fight which incidentally re
suited in great personal victory for
the governor; fight made necessary,
however, as a reaction against a con-
dition which the governor, more than
any other contributor, helped to.
create and foster when he DELAYED for
more than four long months after
America entered the war to take a
positive position on it,
Democrats Little Better Organized.
THE democratic party in the state
is but little better organized. Like
China, politically pacific as a whole,
1t contains many virule militant seq.
ments and offers no hope Of assuming
any real responsibility or furnishing
"a strong opposition to unite its op.
ponent.
Without responsible organizations
therefore no comprehensive platform
can be contemplated. Such proce.
dure brings about confusion of con-
nlcting interests of localities and of
of relative preferences and results in
failure of accomplishment.
AS now situated Minnesotans can
settle but one predominant issue at a
single election, and this, provided only
some candidate offers his candidacy
and stands ready to sponsor such pre-
dominant measure, and fail or succeed
squarely upon 1t.
i desire to announce that my can
didacy is not the result of conSllta-
lions with, or the obtaining of pledg-