The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1920-03-19
PRAISElF0RL. v. v. OUTFIT
Van Lear Spoke In Behalf
Of These Followers
TALKED IN UNION HALL
George w. Lawson Made Plea
New State Workmen's
. ~. League

Thomas Van Lear former mayor OF
Minneapolis. and George w. Lawson,
secretary Of the State Federation of
Labor, were both in Mankato 'yester-
day and delivered addresses at the
Union hall. The speakers devoted
their remarks chiefly to urging the
workingmen present to join the
Working Peoples Nonpartisan Politi-
cal league, an organization formed as
they termed it, ITO get the right for
the common people of the state" 1.-THE
hope of democracy lies with the peo-
pie," this is the battle cry Of the Co.
ganization.
Van Lear devoted the main part Of
his two hour address to explaining
in detail TO his hearers the reason he
was called a PRO German" a "bOl-
shevik" and other pet Names" as he
termed them. Big business he said
was the cause of it all. Big business
feared Van Lear as mayor, hence Big
Business spent untold sums to be-
smirch his name, as pro German SO
liz UCODlS WOufu uOI totC lol biih at
election time.
The Great Big a."
| The former mayor punctuated his
remarks with ~" in huge, staring,
i capital letters at every turn. He told
of his gigantic battle against the
money interests, i'm behalf of the
common masses, of his fight on the
street railways. on the gas company
and against the daily papers at the
time of the newsboys' strike. Be-
cause he antagonized these Interests,
he explained, there was no stone left
untulned to keep him out of CT
fee. r. ~, 49,.
Il But I'd do it all again for the
common people, If was mayor Of
Minneapolis" he said. 81 always went
on the theory that it was better to hn
knocked than to be ignored and I
was never ignored when was mayor
Of Minneapolis"
Van Lear deviated from accounts
of his personal prowess and the
wrongs he had suffered long enough
to rap Governor "Bumquits," as he
termed him, for conduct as zip
patriot and flag waving hero" during
the war
Record Of His Father.
"They call me pro- German" said
Van Lear. 'and when it comes to pa
triotism the Van Lear family don't
even have to take their hats off to
the president of the United States.
No. sir, you bet we don't. Away back
! in the Civil war days my father was
fighting with the boys in blue for the
union, to keep the Stars and Stripes
in the sky, while if history is true,
the presidents father was fighting, on
the other side, to tear the Stars and
Stripes down. 1t is sad fact, most
unfortunate, but nevertheless it is
true and that's why / don't have to
take my nat off even to the president
of the United States.
Van Lear also related how he serv-
ed a term of enlistment in the United
States army and later served during
the Spanish American war in the
Campaign in Cuba. ~
Appeal to Join League.
Closing his address he made an
appeal for all wOrkingmen to stand
together and get into politics for their
own interests. He urged membership
in the Working Peoples NOnpartisan
Political league. Van Lear made a
tgarding his attitude toward his cOun-
try at this juncture.
! "They say this is the best country
in the world he said. "All well and
good but that isn't saying such an
awful lot, is it? And IL it is the
best country in the world after who is
it the best for-you or someone else
1--WE hear lot about the /. w. w.
and the bolsheviks these days. After
all an ]. w. W., is nothing more than
working man. the same as the rest
of us and the fact that he Is an l. w.
W., shows at least that he is think
ing about these great problems that
are confronting u.s." !.
Lawson Spoke ON Labor.
George w. Lawson. secretary of the
state federation OF labor. devoted his
remarks chiefly to the labor problem,
dwelling upon the present low wages
laborers were receiving as compared
with the ever soaring cost of living.
Lawson also reviewed the record of
all beneficial labor laws in the-cOun-
try and declared that the labor move
ment had always been the first to
sponsor these laws and fought them
through to success.
Turning to the political orgafiza-
ton that is being formed Lawson
urged those present to form nucleus
of the league in Mankato.
"We make no secret of the fact that
we are going into this state cam
paign,' he said, rand some of the
people in Minnesota are going to be
cleaned, absolutely cleaned this fall. =