Reminiscences of Minnesota politics

REMINISCENCES OF MINNESOTA POLITICS.*

BY HENRY A. CASTLE.

I arrived in Minnesota in July, 1866, having left my old
home at Quincy, 111., on account of lung trouble contracted dur-
ing my army service. I had always been interested in politics
as a Republican. In May, 1864, I was a delegate to the Repub-
lican State Convention at Springfield, 111., which sent delegates
to the National Convention to re-nominate Abraham Lincoln as
President. In that convention I wore my uniform as a cap-
tain of Illinois volunteers, having just recruited a company for
my second term of service. This convention also nominated
Richard J. Oglesby for governor of Illinois and a full state
ticket. Returning from my army service in the fall of 1864, I
made speeches in favor of Lincoln's election and cast my first
presidential vote in November, for the great Emancipator.

I was thus, on coming to Minnesota, somewhat prepared to
take an interest in political affairs. This tendency was stim-
ulated by the fact that I brought with me letters of introduc-
tion to William R. Marshall, then governor, from his old friends
in Quincy, where he had spent his boyhood years. Governor
Marshall received me most kindly, and thus within a week after
my arrival in St. Paul began the acquaintance which lasted
during his entire life with constantly increasing respect on my
part for his commanding abilities, sterling integrity, and ami-
able character.

I spent the fall and winter of 1866-7 at Anoka, and attended
there in October my first political meeting in the state, which
was addressed by General C. C. Andrews, then just returned
from his prolonged and honorable army service. I was not
yet a voter, but, had I been, should undoubtedly have voted for

'Read at the monthly meeting of the Executive Council, May 13, 1907.

554 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

Ignatius Donnelly at what proved to be his last election as rep-
resentative in Congress.

1867.

On January 1, 1867, at the invitation of Granville S. Pease,
then and now its proprietor, I assumed the editorship of the
Anoka Union, a relation which continued for five years, al-
though I only remained for a few months a resident of Anoka.
In this capacity I helped organize the Minnesota State Edi-
torial Association at St. Paul in February, 1867. There I met
practically all the newspaper men of the state, only fifty or
sixty in number at that time, and formed associations, many
of which have lasted until now.

In April, 1867, I removed to St. Cloud, Minn., where I re-
mained one year. Soon after my arrival I became involved, at
the village caucus, in a political contest in behalf of my friend,
Governor Marshall. He was a candidate for re-nomination and
was opposed by the so-called Donnelly element of the party,
then specially represented in St. Cloud by L. W. Collins, after-
ward justice of the Supreme Court, C. D. Kerr, afterward judge
of our St. Paul District Court, and W. B. Mitchell, then and
long afterward editor of the St. Cloud Journal. Governor
Marshall's interests were represented by J. E. West, T. C. Mc-
Clure, and others, and my belligerent disposition carried me
into a wordy debate with Captain Collins, which afforded us
material for some amusement in after years. Marshall was
defeated at St. Cloud, but was victorious in the State Conven-
tion and was easily elected in November.

The state constitutional amendment granting equal suffrage
was voted upon at that election, and was an issue in the cam-
paign. I made some speeches in the northern part of the state,
especially devoted to that issue, and some others in Stearns
county in the interest of C. A. Gilman, candidate for state
senator, pledged to the re-election of Alexander Ramsey, United
States senator, which would occur during Mr. Gilman 's official
term. Gilman was elected, although Stearns county was
strongly Democratic, and I thus gladly contributed somewhat
to the election of Senator Ramsey for his second term.

During this canvass I heard, for the first time, Cushman
K. Davis deliver, or attempt to deliver, a political speech. It

REMINISCENCES OF MINNESOTA POLITICS. 555

was at the court house in St. Cloud where Captain Davis, as
he was then known, occupied the platform with Sam Beeman,
a well known political orator from southern Minnesota. Bee-
man was a fluent and vigorous speaker, with a tremendous
voice, and a remarkable gift of "continuance." He spoke for
more than two hours, greatly interesting the audience, and
when he closed two-thirds of those present left the hall. This
was embarrassing for Captain Davis, who bravely started in,
however, in a modest way, with a shrill voice to rehearse a
carefully prepared speech. Within five minutes half of the
people who had remained disappeared. Davis saw that he must
be brief and tried to jump to the conclusion of his speech, but
failed to land at the right place. He became covered with con-
fusion, stammered and repeated himself, but finally struck his
peroration and wound up what was admittedly a complete
failure. Contrasting this episode with the wonderful success
Senator Davis afterward achieved as an orator in many widely
divergent fields, one must arrive at the conclusion that, in some
cases at least, orators are made and not born. On my speak-
ing with him many years afterward, when multiplied successes
had made it safe to allude to this early failure, Senator Davis
told me that he had other discouragements nearly as bad in his
early career. During this same campaign he spoke at Lake
City, where things passed off smoothly, as he thought, and he
expected a glowing compliment in the local paper. Getting
hold of the next issue he was astonished to see that the only
allusion to his speech was couched in language something like
this: "A young man named Davis also spoke. In our opinion
this handsome young man would be more effective in address-
ing an audience of one with his arm around it."

1868.

I removed to St. Paul in April, 1868, and established my
permanent residence which has since remained here. This was
the year of the celebrated contest for the Republican nomina-
tion to Congress between Ignatius Donnelly, the then incum-
bent, on one side, and W. D. Washburn, General L. F. Hub-
bard, and General C. C. Andrews, on the other side. I had
formed the favorable acquaintance of General Andrews dur-
ing my year at St. Cloud, and had accumulated a growing po-

556 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL, SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

litical distrust of Mr. Donnelly. Consequently I opposed Don-
nelly's renomination in my editorials in the Anoka Union and
I went to the district convention as a proxy delegate from Ot-
tertail county (the first time that county had been represented
in any convention) in the interest of General Andrews. Don-
nelly bolted the convention and was nominated by his friends
with a pretext of regularity. In the anti-Donnelly convention,
Washburn withdrew and General Hubbard was nominated. A
little later, however, having been put in a false position as to
a matter of arbitrating the differences by some of his campaign
managers, General Hubbard resigned the nomination. The con-
vention was re-assembled and General Andrews became the
final nominee and made the campaign. The Democrats nomi-
nated E. M. Wilson of Minneapolis, who was elected in Novem-
ber, as the opposing Republican candidates divided the over-
whelming party vote of the district. There were then only two
Congressional districts in the state, and this district embraced
everything north of Wabasha county.

The fight within the party was bitter and unrelenting. I
made many speeches, winding up the night before election at
St. Cloud, where I occupied the platform with Governor Mar-
shall, and whence we sent to Mr. Wheelock's St. Paul Press,
which ardently supported Andrews, the cheering intelligence
that the prairies of northern Minnesota were on fire with en-
thusiasm for our favorite. . The returns a few days later showed
that he came out third in the race.

1869.

In January, 1869, occurred the second election of Alexander
Ramsey as United States senator, which was full of surprises,
criminations, recriminations, stratagems and strategies. I was
an interested observer, being heartily in favor of our distin-
guished senator, but not sufficiently on the inside to know as to
the truth or falsity of many of the serious allegations made in
connection with the affair. Ramsey's following then, as later,
while embracing unquestionably a very large section of the
party, was controlled and manipulated by a select coterie
of shrewd politicians, embracing Federal office holders and
wealthy contractors in St. Paul and elsewhere, who had grown

REMINISCENCES OF MINNESOTA POLITICS. 557

rich from post traderships and furnishing army supplies, In-
dian goods, etc.

While Ramsey was thus successful in his re-election, the
methods of his supporters had become somewhat unpopular
and the nomination of Horace Austin for governor later in the
year was distinctly an anti-Ramsey movement. Donnelly came
serenely to the front as a candidate for governor against Aus-
tin in the Republican convention, and McKusick of Stillwater
was another candidate, but Austin received a majority of the
delegates. He had lukewarm support at the polls, however,
from the dominating element of the party, and was elected by
an uncomfortably small majority over George L. Otis, the
Democratic candidate.

1870.

General John T. Averill of St. Paul, a popular and able man,
whom it was always a delight to honor, was the Republican
nominee for Congress in 1870, and again Donnelly appeared,
this time as an independent candidate with Democratic sup-
port. He announced that he would run solely on the platform
of " Ignatius Donnelly." The Democrats made no nomination,
and mostly voted for him, but Averill was elected. The St.
Paul Pioneer, then the state organ of the Democracy, was non-
committal and gave Donnelly little or no assistance. I hap-
pened to be present when General H. H. Sibley made a per-
suasive and almost pathetic effort to induce H. L. Carver, then
the proprietor of the Pioneer, to support Donnelly in his paper.
Carver said he would do so whenever the Democrats endorsed
Donnelly, but as they failed to do this formally he was never
called upon to fulfill his promise.

Mark H. Dunnell, who had for several years been State
Superintendent of Public Instruction, was elected to Congress
as a Republican from the First District this year, and began his
notable career of fourteen years' conspicuously able and useful
public service.

In 1870 I was appointed by Governor Austin a member of
the State Board of Trustees of Soldiers' Orphans, and held the
position by successive appointments for ten years or until the
close of the institution. There was no salary attached to the

558 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

office. Among my colleagues Col. H. G. Hicks and Maj. 0. B.
Gould were specially prominent.

1871.

The state convention of 1871 re-nominated Governor Austin
with little or no opposition. Mr. Donnelly came back into the
fold, making a characteristic speech at the convention, in which
he stated that he found the platform of "Ignatius Donnelly,"
on which he had run for Congress the year before, was alto-
gether too narrow. He pledged himself to support the ticket
this year and be a good Republican forever after. But the
next year he was to be seen shouting in the front ranks for
Horace Greeley, Democratic candidate for President, and dur-
ing the remainder of his long life he was found, as a rule, active
in the opposition.

One episode of this convention is significant as the first
entry of C. K. Davis as a candidate in state conventions. F.
R. E. Cornell, of Minneapolis, was attorney general and had no
opposition for re-nomination. At the noon recess of the con-
vention Captain A. H. Reed of Glencoe came to me and sug-
gested that we go to Cush. Davis and ask him to be a candidate
for attorney general as a representaive of the Union soldier
element. I willingly consented, though I doubted the success
of our mission as Mr. Davis was then United State district at-
torney, which I regarded as an equally important and more
lucrative position. To my astonishment, however, Captain
Davis, without a moment's hesitation consented to run, showed
much eagerness for success, and authorized us to get tickets
printed and muster all his friends to his support. The time
was too short, during the few hours that intervened before the
nomination was reached in regular order, to secure enough
votes to defeat Cornell. But the episode is interesting as in-
dicating Mr. Davis' laudable ambition to get before the people,
and as the beginning of a moulding of political events in his
interest, which during the remainder of his life commanded
my active support.

1872.

In 1872 General John T. Averill was re-elected to Congress
from the St. Paul district, and Mark H. Dunnell from the First
district. There was now, for the first time, an election for a

REMINISCENCES OF MINNESOTA POLITICS. 559

third Congressman, and H. B. Strait of Shakopee was elected,
thus inaugurating a total service of fourteen fruitful years in
the House of Representatives, — losing one intermediate term,
1879-81.

General Grant was renominated for President, and the St.
Paul Republicans organized a Grant and "Wilson club, embrac-
ing the entire city, which was a strong and energetic organiza-
tion, doing very efficient work throughout the campaign. I
had the honor to be unanimously elected president of this club,
with Frank Fairchild as secretary, "W. D. Cornish vice-presi-
dent, and H. R. Brill, now our esteemed senior judge of the
District Court, treasurer. At the November election, St. Paul
went Republican on the national ticket for the first time.

In October I was nominated as a Republican candidate for
the Legislature in the Fifth ward of St. Paul, embracing the
territory now covered by the First, Second and Third wards.
I was elected in November over James Smith, Jr., an old citi-
zen and prominent lawyer, the Democratic candidate, after a
spirited contest.

1873.

In January, 1873, began my service in the Legislature, which
then met annually and was limited to a term of sixty days. It
was, in some respects, the most notable session which the state
had then seen. It was specially notable for the large number
of members, who then were, or afterward became, distinguished
in public life.

In the Senate were W. H. Yale, lieutenant governor, S. S.
Beeman, Milo White, W. G. Ward, L. F. Hubbard, J. L. Mc-
Donald, D. M. Sabin, Edmund Rice, J. S. Pillsbury, C. H.
Graves, R. B. Langdon, L. L. Baxter, Henry Poehler, and others
almost equally distinguished.

In the House were A. R. Hall, speaker, George P. Wilson,
T. S. Van Dyke, S. P. Child, W. C. Williston, E. W. Durant,
George Benz, L. Fletcher, C. H. Clarke, A. Barto, F. E. Du Toit,
E. St. Julian Cox, Stephen Miller, J. V. Brower, J. W. Blake,
and others.

Of these men, two, Hubbard and Pillsbury, were afterward
governors, and one, Stephen Miller, had already been gov-
ernor; D. M. Sabin became United States senator; White, Me-

560 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

Donald, Rice, Poehler, and Fletcher, became Congressmen;
Baxter, Williston, Cox, and McDonald, became district judges ;
and several others occupied prominent positions in the political
and business life of the commonwealth.

One unofficial episode of the session was an intense excite-
ment created by the refusal of the Merchants Hotel to enter-
tain the colored orator, Frederick Douglass, who came to St.
Paul to deliver a lecture. ''Deacon" W. L. Wilson solved the
problem by taking Mr. Douglass to his home, but an indignant
legislator introduced a resolution removing the capital from
St. Paul on account of this insult to the colored race. The res-
olution went over under notice of debate and did not after-
ward materialize. Later in the session, Mr. George Benz and
myself, the only two Republican members of the House from
Ramsey county, secured an appropriation of $10,000 to extend
the old Territorial capitol, then in use by the State, after an
effort nearly equal to that required in 1893 to begin the con-
struction of our present capitol, costing nearly $5,000,000.

A notable official episode of the session was the impeach-
ment of William Seeger, state treasurer. I voted against the
articles of impeachment, and have never had occasion to regret
my action. They were overwhelmingly carried, but Mr. Seeger
resigned and the Senate proceedings which subsequently en-
sued were nugatory.

The year 1873 witnessed the nomination of Cushman K.
Davis for governor, an event of intense and lasting interest in
itself, with many far reaching influences on the politics of the
state. My own relations to this movement were somewhat in-
timate. It was the beginning of my separation from many of
those with whom I had worked harmoniously within the party
for several years. Hon. W. D. Washburn, of Minneapolis, was
the choice announced for governor by the Republican influ-
ences which had dominated from the beginning of the state
government, — the so-called Ramsey dynasty. Ramsey county
was expected to go for Washburn ; St. Paul had no candidate ;
Governor Austin was, in some quarters, talked of for a third
term ; and Augustus Armstrong, of Rochester, was put forward
by that part of southern Minnesota. The St. Paul Dispatch, then
an avowed Democratic paper, conducted by H. P. Hall, had, in

REMINISCENCES OF MINNESOTA POLITICS. 561

a spirit of supposed mischievous interference in Republican
plans, frequently suggested the name of C. K. Davis for gov-
ernor, but little attention was paid to it by Republicans in the
absence of any indication that Davis desired the nomination.
One Saturday afternoon in Rice Park, H. R. Brill, then pro-
bate judge and active in politics, asked me if I thought Davis
could be nominated. I replied that I had no knowledge that
he desired the nomination. Brill said, "Let's find out, and, if
he does, we can carry this county for him." The same day I
received a letter from S. P. Child of Faribault county, asking
me if Davis was a candidate. The next Monday I went to
Davis' law office to find out. At the door I met W. L. Wilson,
who was going on the same errand. We asked the question,
and, without giving us a direct reply, Davis inquired what we
thought about it. We told him that a good deal depended on
Governor Austin's attitude. If he were a candidate, it would
divide the anti-Washburn strength and there would be little
hope; if he were not, we believed the experiment was worth
trying, especially if we could get some assurances of a few
leading St. Paul men of their active help. Mr. Wilson and my-
self agreed to make some inquiries and meet in the afternoon
at Davis' office to report. Mr. Wilson saw D. W. Ingersoll,
General J. B. Sanborn, and some other leading men, who said
that they would support Davis. I went to the capitol to see
Governor Austin. He was absent, but his private secretary, A.
R. McGill, afterward governor, promptly assured me that Aus-
tin was not a candidate, was perfectly willing to retire, and
that he, McGill, would gladly see Mr. Davis enter the field. I
then went to former Governor W. R; Marshall, my mentor and
friend, and was surprised to find him ready to embark heartily
in the Davis movement. He had always been, and still was, a
"Ramsey" man, but he said he would fight Ramsey's battles
when Ramsey was a candidate ; we would not sacrifice so good
a man as Davis on the mere suspicion that his promotion might
sometime in the future injure Ramsey. This was a manly and
independent position to take, as was eminently characteristic
of Marshall ; but few of the other leading Ramsey men followed
his example, — we had them all to fight.

562 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL, SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

Mr. Wilson met me at Davis' law office in the afternoon as
agreed, and we made our encouraging report. Mr. Davis
promptly decided to formally announce his candidacy, and tak-
ing from his desk a letter from Liberty Hall of Glencoe which
inquired as to his position, he wrote a brief reply stating that
he would be a candidate and would be grateful for the sup-
port of his Republican friends.

In order to secure immediate publicity, it was decided that
I should take copies of these letters to the St. Paul Press, the
Republican organ, and ask their insertion. The Press was out-
spoken for Washburn, but it was hoped that its editor, Mr. J.
A. Wheelock, would print the correspondence as a matter of
news.

I wrestled vigorously with Mr. Wheelock for two hours that
evening. He did not refuse to print the letters, but labored
hard to secure a reconsideration of the decision. He foresaw
numerous political complications that would result, whether
the movement was successful or otherwise, and urged me
strongly to go back to Davis and induce him to change his
mind, — but I told him the decision was final. Next day the
letters appeared at the head of the editorial column, but were,
as was expected, accompanied by vehemently adverse com-
ment. That interview was the parting of the ways between
Mr. Wheelock and myself, the beginning of a political estrange-
ment that lasted twenty years.

The Davis men organized the city of St. Paul, and carried
it at the primaries, winning in four of the five wards, and also
in the country towns, and sending from the county convention
a strong delegation for Davis.

Meantime a vigorous correspondence was carried on
throughout the state, the time being very short, and the work
for Washburn having been quite thoroughly done. The men
largely relied on in the different counties to come down to the
state convention in Davis' interest were Republican members
of the last legislature and Republican editors of county news-
papers. We had no money to pay the traveling expenses of
delegates, but all these men had railroad passes, and then, as
afterward in emergencies, proved a valuable resource to draw

REMINISCENCES OF MINNESOTA POLITICS. 563

upon when their services were needed. The editors, especially,
were a practically solid phalanx behind Davis during all his
political career.

Personally I visited a few counties, including Goodhue coun-
ty. There I met General Hubbard, who, as soon as he was as-
sured that Davis had an earnest following, went to work ener-
getically in his own and other counties. General Hubbard had
a vivid recollection of some injustice done him five years be-
fore by the influences that were now supporting Washburn ;
this, added to his sincere personal admiration for Davis, made
him an enthusiastic and effective supporter. Gen. John B.
Sanborn, always zealous, unselfish and faithful, was another
tower of strength in this and future battles.

When the state convention assembled, it was found that, in
spite of Governor Austin's announced declination, a good many
county conventions had instructed their delegates to support
him. Many of these delegates were now anxious to vote for
Austin, unless he formally absolved them. Austin seemed
afraid that Davis could not beat Washburn and hesitated to
positively decline. In fact, he stated that, if nominated, he
would be obliged to accept. This, in effect, made him a candi-
date and threw cold water on the Davis enthusiasm. If, on the
first ballot, Austin should show more votes than Davis, our
forces would be expected to go to him. At Davis' request I
went to Governor Austin early in the morning of the day of
the convention and frankly stated our position. I told him
that Davis never would have gone into the race had not Sec-
retary McGill positively assured me that he, Austin, was not a
candidate ; that now things had so shaped themselves that Aus-
tin's candidacy would be bitterly resented by the earnest
friends of Davis, and that in this state of feeling Washburn
would win the nomination. I asked Austin to write a letter to
the convention, explicitly stating that he was not in the usual
sense of the term a candidate, and had not been ; that no dele-
gates were there at his request, and that he would be satisfied
to have either of the candidates, aside from himself, receive the
nomination. He promptly agreed to write the letter and at
once did so, sending one copy to General Hubbard, represent-

564 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

ing Davis, and another to Levi Butler, representing Washburn,
and the letter was read to the convention. This letter accom-
plished the object of releasing some Austin men to Davis, so
that on the first ballot Davis and Austin each received 77 votes ;
and thereafter Davis constantly gained, while Austin steadily
lost. Years afterward I was told by one of Austin's friends
that most of them considered he made a great mistake in writ-
ing that letter, and that they blamed me for suggesting it to
him. But I have always considered it a manly and proper
thing for Governor Austin to do, — furthermore, that but for
this letter Washburn would have been nominated, many Davis
men preferring him to Austin under the circumstances.

The convention met July 16, 1873, and in the preliminary
skirmish the Washburn forces seemed to have a victory over
the combined opposition in the election of William H. Yale of
Winona as temporary chairman by a decisive majority, but
subsequent events failed to justify this promise. The final bal-
lot gave Davis 155 and Washburn 152 votes, thus by a narrow
margin nominating our candidate and changing the entire po-
litical history of the state. Many interesting and exciting epi-
sodes occurred during the convention. A disputed ballot for
Davis was found under the lining of General Sanborn's hat,
used as a ballot box, and was counted, no doubt properly ; if it
had not been counted, Davis would still have had a majority.
The excitement over the result was almost painful in its in-
tensity. Davis appeared on the platform and made, as would
be expected, a splendid acceptance speech.

A very influential personage in the Washburn ranks at this
time, and in the ranks of the Ramsey element at all times, was
General R. N. McLaren of St. Paul, United States marshal. He
was an intelligent, systematic and tireless worker against us,
and had many admirable qualities and was as generous and
honorable an opponent as one ever meets in political warfare.
One of his good qualities was a graceful, manly acceptance of
defeat. He knew when his side was whipped. General Mc-
Laren came to me on the floor of the convention as soon as the
result was known and said: "You must be chairman of the
Republican State Committee; you have earned it; Davis'

REMINISCENCES OF MINNESOTA POLITICS. 565

friends are entitled to it in making his campaign, and I will
try to see that you get it." I had no desire for the position
with its responsibilities, and I told him I would not be ap-
pointed, as I knew the dominating influences of the convention
operating through Chairman Yale too well to believe that this
concession would be made. I was correct in my judgment. C.
H. Pettit of Minneapolis was made chairman of the committee ;
it had little interest in Davis or the ticket; it raised a consid-
erable campaign fund, but spent very little, turning over about
three-quarters of it to the committee for the ensuing campaign.
Davis made speeches throughout the state, and was every-
where received with enthusiasm. The people were with him,
but the machine was against him. It was desired that his ma-
jority should be small. Ara Barton was the Democratic nomi-
nee, and Davis' majority was something like 6,000, as against
three times that number for Grant as President the preceding
year.

One thing which dampened the enthusiasm of the Ramsey
Republicans who had opposed Davis, was the fact that his en-
thusiastic young friends, immediately after his nomination,
raised the cry of ''Davis for Senator in 1875." Davis himself
looked with favor on this proposition, but was doubtful about
the expediency of mixing it up with his current gubernatorial
campaign. Still, as the state senators to be elected with him
in November would hold over and have a vote in the United
States senatorial election in 1875, it was necessary to make at
least some preliminary movements in that direction. As one
of those movements, Davis requested me to become a candi-
date for state senator from my district in St. Paul. I was an-
tagonized by Hon. E. F. Drake, capitalist, railroad president,
successful in business, able and experienced in politics, who
was an avowed Ramsey man. The district embraced the Fourth
and Fifth wards of St. Paul and the county towns. There were
twenty delegates in the district convention, and when they
went into secret caucus, I had twelve of them pledged and Mr.
Drake had eight. But Col. John L. Merriam was a delegate
inside, and when the doors were opened it was announced that
Drake had received twelve votes to Castle eight, and that

566 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

Drake was nominated. This was a sample of the vicissitudes
of politics to which we had already become accustomed and of
which we were all to learn more later on.

1874.

Cushman K. Davis was inaugurated governor early in Jan-
uary, 1874. Shortly before his inauguration I was requested
by Adjutant General Mark D. Flower, who like myself had
been one of his ardent supporters, to go with him and ask
Davis to appoint A. R. McGill as his private secretary,— McGill
having served four years in that capacity for Governor Austin
with distinguished ability. Governor-elect Davis promptly told
us that he had already decided to appoint "Deacon" Wilford
L. Wilson to that position. This was an unthought of thing to
both of us, but I promptly recognized its wisdom and emphat-
ically endorsed it. Davis was then under thirty-five years of
age and had the reputation of being, to draw it gently, a little
"wild," which reputation was very largely undeserved, but
which made it especially appropriate that the antechamber of
his official home should be occupied by a man twenty years
older than himself, of the highest character for purity of morals
and dignity of bearing as well as sincere religious faith and
practice. Mr. Wilson's appointment was at once a guarantee
of correct politics and dignified administration.

Senator Hoar of Massachusetts, in his eloquent memorial
address after the death of Senator Davis, used this language :
"He met every occasion with a simple and quiet courtesy. There
was not much of deference in it ; there was no yielding or sup-
plication or timidity in it. ' ' The aged and dignified Massachu-
setts senator, accustomed for years to deference from every-
body, showed in this phrase a tinge of disappointment that he
had never received such from this stalwart young colleague
out of the west. I never saw Governor Davis show much defer-
ence to people in all his career, but must make an exception in
the case of Mr. Wilson. He showed him unquestioned defer-
ence and respect from the beginning.

When it was discovered that Davis could not make McGill
his private secretary, Governor Austin, in the last days of his
administration, appointed McGill insurance commissioner, in

REMINISCENCES OF MINNESOTA POLITICS. 567

the place of Pennock Pusey who resigned for that purpose.
Davis was not consulted about this and resented it as an in-
fringement on his prerogative. He was naturally sensitive and
somewhat suspicious ; and though he then admired McGill, and
years afterward learned to trust him implicitly, to lean on him
unreservedly and to confide his highest interests to his keeping,
he was dissatisfied with this procedure. As a means of check-
mating it, if found advisable, Davis went before a notary pub-
lic and signed an oath of office immediately after the Legislat-
ure had canvassed the vote, and two days before the public in-
auguration. He thus became legal governor, and the appoint-
ment of McGill, which was promptly sent in by Governor Aus-
tin, was of no validity. The Senate held up the appointment
until after the inauguration; but a few days later Davis per-
sonally requested the senators to confirm it, and from that time
forward he was one of McGill's warmest friends. The fact of
his taking the oath of office in advance was probably never
known to more than three persons, and is only narrated now
as an unwritten incident of politics which throws a side light on
the relations and motives of the parties interested.

Soon after his inauguration, Governor Davis became an
avowed candidate for United States senator to succeed Alex-
ander Ramsey at the election to be held in the winter of 1875.
W. D. Washburn and Horace Austin also entered the field as
candidates, and the autumn of 1874 was largely devoted by
their friends to securing the nomination of candidates for the
Legislature in their interest. It was the field against Ramsey,
and the three gubernatorial rivals in 1873 were now allies. In
Ramsey county the conflict raged with great bitterness. Hor-
ace Thompson, president of the First National Bank, secured a
nomination for the Legislature in the fifth ward, and though
after his nomination he recognized Davis sentiment in St. Paul
to the extent of pledging himself to vote for Davis for senator,
enough Republicans in the fifth ward had become alienated to
join with the Democrats and elect F. R. Delano as their repre-
sentative,— although Flower, McCardy, T. S. White, myself, and
many other Davis men, vigorously supported Mr. Thompson,
relying on his promise which, no doubt, would have been ful-
filled and might have been decisive in Davis' favor.

568 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

This year W. S. King of Minneapolis was nominated for
Congressman; he was bitterly opposed by the St. Paul Press,
under the management of Mr. Wheelock, who lavished his
choicest morsels of invective in voicing his hostility. The peo-
ple were warned against ''The strumpet of corruption which
strides in naked horror through the land," and were told how
deeply they would be disgraced if King were allowed to suc-
ceed. He was nominated, however, and elected, but the pre-
science of Mr. "Wheelock was apparently justified. The Pacific
Mail scandal came to the surface and Mr. King spent a consid-
erable portion of his official term in Canada, evading the serv-
ice of a subpoena to appear as witness in a Congressional in-
vestigation,— on the alleged ground, believed by many to be
absolutely correct, that he was thereby protecting the precious
reputations of many unsullied senators and congressmen.

1875.

The winter of 1875 witnessed, during the legislative session,
the memorable senatorial contest which resulted in the defeat
of Alexander Ramsey and the election of S. J. R. McMillan,
then Chief Justice by recent appointment of Governor Davis.
The leading candidates against Ramsey were Davis, Washburn,
and Austin. The mooVn'ne. that is, the Federal office holders
and the railroad and capitalist element, carrying what we
younger men called the "barrel" with them, presented a united
front in favor of Ramsey. Davis was then leading candidate
in opposition, and many of his sanguine friends believed he had
the certainty of ultimate victory. There was no specially valid
reason, as appears from this distant perspective, why Ramsey
should have been displaced. He had served two terms in the
Senate after creditable records as Territorial and State gov-
ernor. But we were impatient and really thought he was too
old to longer perform efficient service. The shortness of our
vision and the irony of fate were vividly presented to my mind
twenty-five years later, when I saw ex-Senator Ramsey, still
hale and vigorous at the age of eighty, on a front seat at the
funeral of Senator Davis, worn out and stricken down at the
age of sixty-two.

When the legislature of 1875 assembled, active work began
and the adherents of the different candidates were rounded up.

REMINISCENCES OF MINNESOTA POLITICS. 569

A secret caucus to nominate for United States senator was
called for a certain evening, and the preceding night a confer-
ence of the friends of Governor Davis was held in his room at
the capitol. Twenty-nine or thirty senators and representatives
were personally present and each solemnly pledged himself to
support the governor in the caucus. Two or three more were
vouched for, so that we fully counted on a minimum of thirty-
two votes. When the caucus met the next evening, Davis re-
ceived twenty-one votes on the secret ballot. His real friends
then saw how they had been deceived and resolved to expose
the treachery. Senators L. F. Hubbard and Thomas H. Arm-
strong, who led the Davis forces, demanded a recess for con-
sultation. They finally secured it and called on the Davis men
to go to the governor's room. Twenty-nine men responded to
the call, gathered around the governor and looked each other
in the face. Senator Hubbard said, "Who of us are the trait-
ors? The only way to find out is to abandon the caucus and
appeal to the vote in the Legislature, where each man must be
recorded." The result was that the caucus was adjourned and
never again reassembled in force. Ramsey's adherents held
what we called a "rump" caucus and nominated him. But
this was not considered binding on those who did not partici-
pate, and the friends of the other candidates carried the fight
into the open session of the Legislature. Here Davis received
his twenty-one votes ; he discovered who his true friends were,
and was enabled to give a pretty good guess as to who were the
traitors. After many weary days of caucusing and balloting
and criminating, a compromise was effected by which all the
other candidates were dropped and Judge McMillan, whom
nobody had thought of at the beginning, least of all himself,
was elected senator. He was re-elected in 1881, served cred-
itably but not conspicuously for twelve years, and then in 1887
Davis came into his own.

One of the first acts of Senator McMillan, in the spring of
1875, was to recommend to President Grant the removal of J. A.
Wheelock, editor of the Press, from the position of postmaster
of St. Paul, to which he had recently been reappointed after
serving four years. Frederick Driscoll, his business associate,

570 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL. SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

was assistant postmaster, both salaries, aggregating about
$7,000 a year, thus going to the support of the Eepublican
organ. The President demurred, but Senator McMillan insisted,
and since by long precedent the local postoffice is considered
the personal perquisite of a senator, he finally had his way.
Dr. David Day, his brother-in-law, received the post office which
he held nearly fourteen years and administered with marked
efficiency. But the iron entered the soul of the party organ.
The defeat of Ramsey and the loss of the post office absolved
the Press from its party fealty; having about that time con-
solidated with the old Democratic Pioneer, it became an inde-
pendent newspaper with all that the name implies. It freely
criticised Republican administrations, state and national, and
for some time gave little support to party candidates, state or
local. But Mr. Wheelock was too loyal a Republican, and too
ardent a controversialist, to remain long in a position of neu-
trality. Within a year or two, the exaltation of Pillsbury in
the party measurably consoled him for the occultation of Ram-
sey. The Pioneer Press donned its war bonnet and plunged
into the midst of the fray, on the Republican side.

Governor Davis declined the re-election which he could have
had for the asking in spite of some hostilities within the party,
caused by the so-called "bolt" of his adherents in the Legis-
lature. As a matter of fact, that movement never injured the
political status of any who participated in it. Senator Hubbard
was elected governor a few years later, and all the other friends
of Davis in the Legislature had honorable political careers dur-
ing the next decade. None of them was willing to give up his
heritage as a Republican or surrender his prerogatives of local
leadership. During the few years preceding, some of the ablest
Republicans in the state had been driven from the party, after
more or less serious defeats for nominations, etc., by the dom-
inant faction, — among them Thomas Wilson, James Smith, Jr.,
Morton S. Wilkinson, Ignatius Donnelly, and William L. Ban-
ning. But the "Davis men" swallowed their defeat, justified
their insurrection, and stood by their colors.

John S. Pillsbury was nominated for governor by the Repub-
lican State Convention of 1875, his opponents being Dr. J. H.

REMINISCENCES OF MINNESOTA POLITICS. 571

Stewart, of St. Paul, and Ex-Governor Horace Austin. Pills-
bury was elected in November and served six years, through
three terms, — the only governor of Minnesota up to this time
who has enjoyed that distinction.

During Governor's Davis' term he tendered me several offi-
cial positions which I declined, as I was then practicing law in
St. Paul and preferred my professional work. Finally, on No-
vember first, 1875, he offered me the position of adjutant gen-
eral, which Mark D. Flower resigned, for the brief remainder
of his term. As this would not interfere with my plans, the
duties of the office alluded to then being somewhat nominal
and the salary correspondingly low, I accepted, and held over
several months under Governor Pillsbury. I then voluntarily
retired and Gen. H. P. Van Cleve, one of the recognized heroes
of the Civil War, succeeded me.

1876.

The year 1876 was made memorable by the Hayes and Til-
den campaign for the presidency. At the convention which
elected delegates to the Republican National Convention, I was
made a member at large of the Republican state central com-
mittee. When the committee organized, George A. Brackett of
Minneapolis was elected chairman and I was elected treasurer.

Dr. J. H. Stewart of St. Paul was nominated for Congress
to succeed Col. William S. King, whose service had been neither
creditable to himself nor acceptable to his constituents. The
Pioneer Press was lukewarm in its support of Dr. Stewart, and
the Dispatch, the only other daily paper in the city, was
avowedly a Democratic organ. Finding that H. P. Hall, the
owner of the Dispatch, was willing to sell it at a reasonable
price, a movement was inaugurated in the special interest of
Dr. Stewart to purchase the paper. Many leading Republicans
promptly subscribed to the stock of the new concern, among
them Senators Windom and McMillan, Governor Pillsbury, ex-
Governor C. K. Davis, Postmaster Day, Russell Blakely, D. M.
Sabin, General McLaren, General Hubbard, and others. Some
of these subscribers made it a condition that I should take
editorial charge of the paper, at least until after the Novem-
ber election, to which I consented. We took possession of the

572 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

Dispatch September 13, 1876, and in one day transformed it
from a belligerent Democratic to an equally aggressive Repub-
lican sheet, to the great astonishment of many members of both
parties who were not in the secret. The remaining six weeks
of the campaign were made as lively as possible, and at the
election Dr. Stewart was successful, and the State went for
Hayes by a large majority.

After election there seemed to be a unanimous desire on
the part of the Dispatch stockholders that I should continue
as editor-in-chief of the paper, which position after delibera-
tion I finally accepted. This terminated my professional work
as a lawyer and began a career in daily journalism which I
continued, except a short interval, for about nine years. The
Dispatch under my direction warmly advocated the re-elec-
tion of Senator Windom, and no formidable candidate ap-
peared against him. The tremendous excitement succeeding
the election, as to whether Hayes or Tilden had been chosen, is
a matter of history and need not be detailed here. Suffice it to
say that Minnesota had her share of the excitement and par-
ticipated freely in the criminations and recriminations which
were indulged in.

1877.

The first important political event of 1877 was the com-
promise at Washington by which the electoral commission was
established to pass upon the electoral vote as between Hayes
and Tilden, which resulted in the victory of Hayes by the nar-
rowest possible margin, 8 to 7.

When the Legislature met at St. Paul no opponent to Sen-
ator Windom appeared, nevertheless he left his important du-
ties in Washington and came here to look after his interests.
Even after the Republican caucus had unanimously endorsed
him and Windom had ostensibly returned to Washington, it
developed that he tarried in Winona until he had actually been
elected, thus betraying a nervousness and lack of confidence in
his friends or in himself which was entirely unjustifiable.

John S. Pillsbury was re-nominated and re-elected gov-
ernor; the state central committee of the previous year was
continued, Mr. Brackett remaining chairman and myself treas-

REMINISCENCES OP MINNESOTA POLITICS. 573

urer during the years 1876 to 1878. I was furthermore secre-
tary and treasurer of the state central committee (C. K. Davis,
chairman) from 1881 to 1883, and chairman of the committee
from 1884 to 1886. In 1884 our committee conducted the
Blaine and Logan campaign, giving the ticket the then unprec-
edented Republican majority of 42,000 in this state. During
all these campaigns I handled or was cognizant of all moneys
collected and disbursed by the committees. It is a significant
fact, in view of some heavy expenditures of campaign funds in
this state during subsequent years, that the largest sum dis-
bursed in any of these campaigns was the fund of 1884 which
amounted to exactly $850.

1878.

At the Congressionl Convention of 1878, W. D. Washburn
of Minneapolis defeated Congressman J. H. Stewart for the
Republican nomination in this district. Ignatius Donnelly suc-
ceeded in getting the Democratic and "Granger" nomination.
Then followed the celebrated "Little Brass Kettle" campaign,
which created great excitement throughout the district, then
embracing practically the whole of Minnesota north and west
of St. Paul. Washburn was elected by over 3,000 majority, but
Donnelly contested the election on the alleged technical irreg-
ularity of a few. votes in Minneapolis, relying on a Democratic
Congress to seat him. Donnelly came very near succeeding in
this attempt, and the contest which was kept up during the
entire two years of Washburn 's term largely neutralized his
influence.

I favored Stewart for the nomination, but ardently sup-
ported Washburn for the election both in the Dispatch and on
the platform.

1879.

Previous to the Republican State Convention for 1879, it
was announced that Governor Pillsbury would be a candidate
for nomination a third time. There was no precedent for this
proposition, and it was strongly opposed by many strong party
men. Lieutenant Governor J. B. Wakefield and Gen. L. F.
Hubbard were candidates for the nomination, and both had
extensive support.

574 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

The Dispatch, under my control, vigorously opposed the
renomination of Governor Pillsbury, although he and many of
his supporters were still stockholders in the paper. Consider-
able bitterness was engendered during the pre-convention can-
vass. Pillsbury was nominated by the convention, and al-
though the Dispatch supported him loyally as the party can-
didate, and although he was elected by a comfortable majority,
I personally incurred his lasting enmity. The ill feeling be-
tween us lasted for twelve years, when it was finally termi-
nated through the intervention of our mutual friend, Ex-Gov-
ernor Marshall.

Pillsbury was nominated by the convention, as stated; but
the remainder of the opposition "slate," which our friends
made up, was victorious in the convention, namely, for lieuten-
ant governor, C. A. Gilman, secretary of state, F. Von Baum-
bach, and treasurer, Charles Kittelson. Mr. Gilman here spe-
cially displayed the qualities of political astuteness and stead-
fastness, which were often seen later.

As a result of experiences in this pre-convention contro-
versy, the Dispatch thenceforward assumed an independent
attitude within Republican party lines. It adopted for its own
guidance a platform of civil service reform and the elimina-
tion of state and federal officeholders from active manipulation
of party politics. We thus antedated by more than twenty-
five years the current Roosevelt policy which now commands
practically universal approval. In this course I was sustained
by stockholders owning more than a majority in amount of the
capital of the paper, although a numerical majority of the
stockholders, comprising officeholders and adherents of what
we called the "old machine," were arrayed against me.

1880.

The lines were again drawn early in 1880 between the two
elements of the party. The Republicans of the state were, ad-
mittedly, overwhelmingly in favor of nominating James G.
Blaine for President. The officeholders and the machine were
in favor of U. S. Grant. As a means of taking the state away
from Blaine, the device of carrying it for Senator William
Windom of our state as a candidate was adopted. C. K. Davis

REMINISCENCES OF MINNESOTA POLITICS. 575

was put forward in the Elaine interest for delegate at large to
the Republican National Convention. A spirited campaign fol-
lowed; Ramsey county was carried for Elaine and Davis, but
the combined influence of the officeholders and of state pride
resulted in the selection of a Windom delegation by the state
convention.

The Republican National Convention met in Chicago and
was one of the most notable in the history of American politics.
The splendid oratory of Garfield, Conkling, and others, in their
nominating speeches was in itself sufficient to signalize the as-
semblage. Its notable achievement was the abolition of the
unit rule which resulted in the nomination of James A. Gar-
field. Minnesota's alleged candidate, Senator Windom, cut a
sorry figure in the proceedings; he never received a vote out-
side of our delegation, and the phrase "Windom 10" became a
matter of national ridicule. At Chicago, before the conven-
tion met, General McLaren of St. Paul, one of the enthusiastic
Windom boomers, said to me : "I am astonished in talking to
men from other states to find how few of them know anything
about Senator Windom. ' ' I replied : ' ' General, who are the
two senators from Nebraska?" "I don't know," he said.
* ' Neither do I, " said I, ' ' and that shows how local the reputa-
tion of a supposedly great man may be."

The Democrats nominated Gen. W. S. Hancock for Presi-
dent, and a campaign ensued which on national issues was
quite tame in Minnesota, since there was no question as to how
the vote of the state would stand.

In June, 1880, with the consent of my associates in the own-
ership of a majority of the Dispatch stock, I sold my interest
to Ex-Governor W. R. Marshall and Gen. C. C. Andrews, who
soon acquired the entire ownership. I thus retired for a short
period from the active work of journalism. I engaged actively
during the early autumn in the speaking campaign in the north-
ern part of the state, for W. D. Washburn, the Republican
nominee for Congress against Gen. H. H. Sibley, the Demo-
cratic candidate. Later, I went with Gen. J. B. Sanborn into
the First district, the southern part of the state, where we made
a thorough canvass for Mark H. Dunnell, the Republican can-

576 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL, SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

didate. There was a triangular fight in this district and a close
contest; W. G. Ward was an independent Republican candi-
date, and H. G. Wells was on the Democratic ticket. Dunnell
was successful and continued his useful career in the House of
Representatives.

1881.

When the Legislature of 1881 assembled, one of its first
duties was to elect a successor to Senator S. J. R. McMillan.
Ex-Senator Ramsey, then serving as Secretary of War in the
cabinet of President Hayes, appeared as a candidate against
McMillan, having the support of the Pioneer Press and many
of the old political associates. Ex-Governor C. K. Davis also
entered the lists, but as no preliminary organization in his
favor had been attempted, he did not make a conspicuous show-
ing. Senator McMillan was re-elected, and Davis' ambition
remained ungratified for another six-year period.

When President Garfield was inaugurated March 4th, he
appointed Senator Windom Secretary of the Treasury. This
created a vacancy in the senate which Governor Pillsbury filled
by appointing Gen. A. J. Edgerton of Dodge county as senator.

In the summer of 1881 an active canvass began for the nom-
ination for governor. I warmly espoused the cause of Gen. L.
F. Hubbard, and was entrusted by him with the management
of his campaign throughout the state. A systematic organiza-
tion of his friends was effected in nearly every county, and
there was from the beginning an almost uninterrupted series
of favorable reports. Hon. A. R. McGill, insurance commis-
sioner, announced his candidacy and accumulated a very cred-
itable support in certain directions. To the astonishment of
everybody the Pioneer Press, at a late period, announced the
candidacy of Governor Pillsbury for a fourth term. A some-
what exciting canvass followed in several counties. The Pills-
bury and McGill forces combined in Ramsey county, carried
the county convention by a small margin, and secured the
county delegation to the state convention. When the state con-
vention met, Clark Thompson of Houston county also appeared
as a candidate, but General Hubbard was nominated over all

REMINISCENCES OF MINNESOTA POLITICS. 57?

by a handsome majority. A new State Central Committee was
selected, whereof C. K. Davis was made chairman and myself
secretary and treasurer.

One of the incidental results of this convention, which I
always lamented, was the defeat of my friend Greenleaf Clark
of St. Paul for justice of the Supreme Court, a position to which
he had been appointed a few months before by the governor to
fill a vacancy, a position which he was qualified to dignify and
adorn, and to which his numerous friends desired to see him
formally elected. But the committal of the Ramsey county
delegation to the Pillsbury interest in the state convention,
which interest was in a minority, neutralized their influence,
and, as matter of practical politics, naturally involved the de-
feat of Judge Clark. It was a lifelong disappointment to him
and he always seemed to blame the Hubbard element in the
party, whereas in reality he only had his St. Paul friends, who
identified his interests with those of Pillsbury, to thank for his
discomfiture.

At this convention, Gen. James H. Baker was nominated for
railroad commissioner, under circumstances which vividly il-
lustrate the fortuities of politics.. General Baker had served
as secretary of state, as colonel of the Tenth Minnesota regi-
ment in the Civil War, and as United States commissioner of
pensions ; he was a popular and effective campaign orator, with
a wide state acquaintance. He had come up to the convention
from his farm in Blue Earth county to support Col. Clark W.
Thompson for governor, and with no thought of office for him-
self. The night before the convention I was talking with Gen-
eral Baker at the hotel and incidentally remarked that Ex-
Governor Marshall apparently had no opposition for renomi-
nation as railroad commissioner, an office which he had then
held for eight years. The general remarked that he supposed
this position came by appointment from the governor, as had
formerly been the case. I replied that it was now elective, and
would come before the convention.

Next day, General Baker in a remarkably eloquent speech
presented the name of Colonel Thompson for governor. After
Hubbard 's nomination, Gen. Baker announced himself a can-

I?

578 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

didate for railroad commissioner. He had many personal
friends among the delegates ; his ringing speech had favorably
impressed many others; Governor Marshall, anticipating no
opposition, had made little or no effort in his own behalf, and
General Baker was nominated. He was, of course, elected, and
held this important position five years.

In the midst of the Hubbard campaign I purchased the St.
Paul Dispatch from Ex-Governor Marshall, and on September
17, 1881, resumed control of the paper as its editor and sole
proprietor.

In the fall of 1881, the Minnesota Supreme Court rendered
a decision which opened the way for a settlement of the old,
repudiated State Railroad bonds, and Governor Pillsbury at
once called an extra session of the Legislature to act upon the
question. Although I had come to the state long after this
largely fraudulent indebtedness had been contracted, I had
always favored any fair adjustment that would relieve our
commonwealth of the stain attached to its repudiation. But
when this extra session convened, I saw so much of the dis-
graceful methods employed to secure votes for the settlement
proposed, heard so much of the shameless bargaining and sale
going on, that I aligned the Dispatch with those who opposed
the plan; demanded that the people be heard, and that there
be, at least, enough delay to thwart the plans of those who
expected and finally did reap rich harvests from the fields
of corruption opened before them. But Governor Pillsbury
wanted to signalize the close of his administration by wiping
out the stigma, and helped to "jam" the measure through.
Selah Chamberlain, the principal bondholder and popularly be-
lieved to be a party to the original fraud, secured his unearned
millions. The outside credit of the state was restored and the
incident was closed.

This extra session was, by law, required to elect a United
States senator to fill Mr. Windom's unexpired term, vice Gen.
A. J. Edgerton, holding the place ad interim by appointment.
Windom had retired from the cabinet after Garfield's death;
he now wanted to go back to the senate, and General Edger-
ton declined to contest the position with him. Some little op-

REMINISCENCES OF MINNESOTA POLITICS. 579

position was mustered, under the lead of C. A. Gilman, lieuten-
ant governor, but Windom was elected. It was generally con-
ceded that Senator Edgerton would have been successful had
he consented to make the race.

1882.

The important political events of 1882 were the nomination
and election of our increased Republican Congressional dele-
gation, and preparations for the senatorial election to be held
in January of the succeeding year.

Under the new apportionment Minnesota was entitled to
five representatives in Congress instead of three, which num-
ber had been our allotment for ten years. The exciting con-
tests were in the first and fifth districts. In the first district
Mr. Dunnell, the incumbent, was defeated for the nomination
by Milo White. Dunnell attributed his overthrow to Windom,
a conviction which produced important consequences a little'
later.

In the fifth district one of the liveliest contests in the politi-
cal history of Minnesota ensued. C. F. Kindred of Brainerd, a
wealthy and ambitious young aspirant, entered the field with
the avowed purpose of spending money freely to secure the
nomination. There were several other candidates, the most
formidable being Knute Nelson of Alexandria. The district
convention assembled at Detroit on the Northern Pacific rail-
road. As a representative of both the Dispatch and the State
Central Committee, I attended this convention and witnessed
its turbulent proceedings. There were many contesting dele-
gations, and the indications of a split were numerous from the
beginning, the only question being as to which side should
gain the most points in favor of regularity. It was Kindred
against the field, all the other candidates having combined in
opposition to him. The history of that riotous convention has
often been written; its scenes of disgraceful confusion cannot
be exaggerated ; it was for a considerable period nothing but a
howling mob, and bloodshed was narrowly escaped. The Kin-
dred forces held the convention hall, while their opponents
withdrew in a body, proceeded to a tent which had been pitched
in a vacant lot as a precautionary measure, and performed

580 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

their duties in a standing position but with much harmony and
enthusiasm.

The convention in the hall unanimously nominated Kin-
dred as the alleged Republican for Congress from the fifth
district, and the convention in the tent unanimously performed
the same distinguished service for Knute Nelson. Impartial
observation on the ground thoroughly convinced me that Mr.
Nelson had a decisive majority of the bona fide delegates
elected to the convention, and I promptly decided to support
him in the Dispatch. Governor Davis and many other friends
favored Kindred. There were abundant financial inducements
to newspapers which would advocate Kindred, and a campaign
of great bitterness as well as of liberal financial disbursements
on the Kindred side ensued. The Democrats nominated a can-
didate and hoped to elect him, owing to the Republican divi-
"sion. But Mr. Nelson was elected by a considerable plurality
and thus began a career which has been followed by his elec-
tion three times to Congress, twice to the governorship, and
three times as United States senator.

The issue of general interest throughout the state centered
in the coming senatorial election. Mr. Windom only remained
in the cabinet a few months, and when the Legislature met in
extra session during the autumn of 1881 he was, as we have
seen, chosen to fill his own unexpired term, General Edgerton
having temporarily succeeded him. But a very serious opposi-
tion to Windom 's re-election for a third term had now devel-
oped throughout the state. The Dispatch took strong ground
in opposition, and the Republican press of the state was ar-
rayed with almost entire unanimity against him. In addition
to conducting the Dispatch actively along the anti- Windom
line, it was my duty to superintend an organization in all the
legislative districts to secure the nomination of state senators
and representatives committed to our policy. We had no
avowed candidate, but simply demanded the defeat of Win-
dom and an open door for all competent Republicans. Mark
H. Dunnell, the most tireless political worker I ever met, threw
himself energetically into the anti-Windom contest, giving it
his undivided attention for several months. As a result of the

REMINISCENCES OF MINNESOTA POLITICS. 581

efforts thus put forth we were fully convinced, when we
scanned the names of Republicans elected to the Legislature
in November, that Mr. Windom would not return to his long
occupied seat in Washington.

One of the incidents of this lively contest was my arrest
for criminal libel, the only instance of a suit civil or criminal
being brought against me during my strenuous journalistic
career. An active and zealous Federal official, an inspector of
the post office department by grace of Mr. Windom, was
alleged to be very busy looking after the senator's interests,
to the neglect of his official duties. I took occasion to criticise
his conduct in the paper, applying to the derelict official some
semi-humorous epithets, without a particle of malicious feel-
ing, for I had no personal acquaintance with the gentleman.
Feeling aggrieved, or incited thereto by some of Mr. Windom 's
Winona friends, the inspector went to that city and swore out
a warrant for my arrest, charging me with publishing lan-
guage regarding him which was calculated to humiliate and
degrade him in the eyes of the public. The Winona county
sheriff served his warrant on me in St. Paul; I went before
Judge W. T. Burr of our municipal court, as permitted by
statute, and gave bonds to the amount of $500 for my appear-
ance in court at Winona, in case an indictment should be found.
When the court met, the election had passed, the excitement
had subsided, and the grand jury saw fit to ignore the case;
hence I had no further trouble therewith. It is interesting to
note that the post office inspector alluded to is still in the pub-
lic service after a long and highly creditable career, having
been entrusted by his official superiors with many important
functions far beyond the grade to which he has attained.

1883.

The winter of 1883 was signalized by the prolonged and
acidulated contest in the Legislature over the election of a
successor to Senator Windom. Those who received the larger
number of votes in opposition were ex-Congressman M. H.
Dunnell, Ex-Governor Davis and Governor Hubbard, though
scattering votes were cast for many others.

The popular sentiment among Republicans against Win-
dom was based on the fact that he had measurably withdrawn

582 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

himself from interest in and sympathy with state politics, dur-
ing his long absence in Washington, as well as the fact that he
was believed to be largely in the hands of the same coterie of
officeholders, contractors, etc., which had assumed to control
the party since its organization. This feeling of hostility
seemed to justify his opponents in resorting to radical meas-
ures for his defeat. It was consequently decided that they
would not participate in a Republican senatorial caucus, which
would probably be under machine influences.

EnWts were therefore directed toward securing the concert
of all anti-Windom members of the Legislature to abstain from
the caucus. Numerous consultations were held by the anti-
Windom leaders, Mr. Dunnell, Generals Sanborn and Averill,
C. A. Oilman, C. K. Davis, and others, with legislators, and
finally a conference was called one evening at the law office of
General Sanborn to which all the anti-Windom members of the
Legislature were invited. The attendance was encouragingly
large, and the reports from reliable absentees indicated that
the movement to defeat a binding senatorial caucus would be
successful.

After attending that conference I went to the Merchants'
Hotel, where I met Hon. D. M. Sabin of Stillwater, a member
of the Legislature prominent in the Windom councils, who had
just come from a meeting of Mr. Windom 's friends. I called
Mr. Sabin aside, told him that Windom was doomed to defeat,
and said that I hoped influential Republicans of both factions
would fix their minds on a generally acceptable candidate who
could be elected and be a credit to the state. Without admit-
ting my deductions, Mr. Sabin inquired whom I had in view.
I told him that in my opinion Governor Hubbard, although he
was not in the field and evidently did not desire the office,
could get more votes in the Legislature than any other man
now mentioned. Besides his official prestige and his acknowl-
edged merits, he would have the support of many friends of
Lieutenant Governor Gilman, who would succeed to the gov-
ernorship. I also spoke of several other available names as
alternatives. To each of these suggestions Mr. Sabin made
some mild objection, but did not indicate any preference of his

REMINISCENCES OP MINNESOTA POLITICS. 583

own. This interview is significant from the fact that Mr. Sabin
himself was ultimately elected senator as the outcome of the
movement. It was afterward charged by Windom's friends
that Sabin had been in the anti-Windom " conspiracy" from
the beginning, and was therefore treacherous to his chief. I
believe that I was cognizant of every important move through-
out the state for the defeat of Windom, and I did not know
of a single place where Mr. Sabin 's influence was thrown in
our favor. We always classed him as a Windom man and I
thoroughly believe today that down to the moment when I
told him the outcome of our conference, he was faithful to
Windom and expected to see him elected.

The senatorial caucus, as we had planned and predicted,
was a failure. Of 110 Republicans in the Legislature, only 62
went into the caucus. This was not a majority of the Legis-
lature and the caucus could not make a nomination that would
be binding on those Republicans who did not participate. The
contest was thus thrown into the open Legislature where after
balloting many days, for numerous candidates, the anti-Win-
dom Republicans mostly concentrated their votes on Mr. Sabin,
who then by preconcerted arrangement received enough Dem-
ocratic votes to secure his election.

Mr. Windom, who had come from Washington late in the
day to look after his interests, which had been personally neg-
lected through his supreme self-confidence, left St. Paul the
moment Sabin was elected, without even thanking the two
score or more devoted friends who stood by him to the last.
Mr. Windom thus practically disappeared from Minnesota
politics, only appearing here afterward to feed his revenge in
trying to defeat the aspirations of some of those who had con-
tributed to his downfall.

At the Republican state convention of 1883, Governor L. F.
Hubbard was re-nominated without opposition. Meantime a
constitutional amendment providing for biennial elections and
sessions of the Legislature had been adopted, by means of
which his second term was extended to three years. Governor
Hubbard thus served five years in the executive chair, with a
success which demonstrated in civil life the same high quali-

584 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL, SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

ties that had won for him honor and promotion as an officer
in the civil war. It is a noteworthy circumstance that at the
outbreak of the Spanish American war in 1898, thirty-three
years after the close of his previous military service, he again
tendered his sword to the Government, was appointed a briga-
dier general by President McKinley, and commanded a division
of troops of the new generation of patriotic Americans.

Early in 1883 I was appointed inspector of illuminating oils
by Governor Hubbard. The emoluments of the office were not
so large at that period as they afterward became, but the
duties were important and I held the position during the re-
mainder of the official term.

At about this period there began to appear in state con-
ventions and in the Legislature a new generation of militant
Republicans who affiliated, as a rule, with the progressive wing
of the party, and soon gave evidence of the qualities which,
in the next decade, were to lift them high in the councils of
the state and the nation. As examples it will suffice to men-
tion Moses E. Clapp, J. A. Tawney, John Lind, R. G. Evans,
Frank A. Day, H. Steenerson, F, C. Stevens, G. S. Ives, Tarns
Bixby, Frank M. Eddy, F. B. Kellogg, and Joel P. Heatwole.

1884.

In May, 1884, there arose in the state, and especially in
Ramsey county, a peculiar contest over the delegation to the
Republican National Convention. Minnesota was, as always,
for James G. Blaine, and C. K. Davis was universally recog-
nized as an exponent of Mr. Blaine 's candidacy in this state.
Meantime Senator D. M. Sabin had been made chairman of the
Republican National Committee, a position of honor and influ-
ence and a credit to our state. Mr. Sabin expressed a desire to
be elected one of the delegates at large to the National con-
vention, and I believed with others that it was due him as a
proof of the confidence and endorsement of his constituents.
But Governor Davis joined with Mr. Wheelock, Mr. Driscoll,
W. R. Merriam, and some other St. Paul Republicans, in a
movement to carry Ramsey county against Sabin. I, here, for
a second time, parted company temporarily with Governor
Davis. I joined with General Sanborn, General McLaren, W.

REMINISCENCES OF MINNESOTA POLITICS. 585

B. Dean, Mark D. Flower and others, in carrying the county
for Sabin, as against Davis, Merriam, and their following. We
elected a delegation to the state convention which was in-
structed to support Sabin for delegate at large, but I person-
ally reserved the right to vote also for Davis as another dele-
gate, believing that there was room in this state and on the
delegation for both these distinguished men. After the county
convention I had a stormy interview with Governor Davis, who
felt crushed and humiliated by the outcome. I consoled him
by quoting Lincoln's telegram to Richard Yates: "Possess
thou thy soul in patience; stand by, and see the salvation of
the Lord."

When the delegates to the Republican state convention
assembled in St. Paul, it was manifest that the sentiment in
favor of Elaine was duly represented, and that the long time
favorite of the outside counties, C. K. Davis, was their choice
for one of the delegates. In the forenoon before the conven-
tion met, a Blaine caucus was called at the Merchants' Hotel,
in which I, alone of the Ramsey county delegation, partici-
pated. It was here decided to present Z. B. Clarke of Swift
county as our candidate for chairman of the state convention,
and C. K. Davis as one of the delegates at large to Chicago.
When a motion was made to support D. M. Sabin as another
delegate, Hon. Frank A. Day of Martin county, later private
secretary to Governor Johnson but then an ardent Blaine Re-
publican, moved to send a committee to Senator Sabin and
secure his pledge to vote for Blaine. The motion was about
to be carried, when I vigorously protested against submitting
our senator to this inquiry. I expressed my belief that he
would vote for Blaine as the unquestioned choice of his state,
and argued that whether he did or not we could afford to show
our confidence in him and our appreciation of the honor which
had been conferred on Minnesota by his exaltation to the lead-
ership of the party in the nation. My appeal was successful,
and Mr. Sabin was endorsed without the exaction of a pledge.
The event proved that I was wrong in my supposition, Mr.
Sabin having previously pledged himself to vote for President
Arthur and feeling obliged to carry out that pledge, — but it

586 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

fortunately made no difference in the result ; Blaine was nomi-
nated at Chicago, but was defeated by Grover Cleveland.

When the state convention assembled, Z. B. Clarke was pro-
posed for chairman by the Blaine side and Gen. John B. San-
born by the opposition. My vote was the only one cast for
Clarke from the three leading counties of the state, Ramsey,
Hennepin, and Winona. Mr. Clarke was elected chairman by
a small majority, and I was immediately made secretary of the
convention without opposition. Mr. Clarke, on assuming the
chair, made a very brief address which for several years was
quoted with amused approval throughout the state. He said:
' * This honor is unexpected, but I promise you to discharge my
duties as your presiding officer honestly and impartially — in
the interest of James G. Blaine." He did.

The further proceedings of the convention were without
special incident. My plan of sending both Davis and Sabin to
the National convention was now satisfactory to all parties,
and two other delegates at large were selected. Davis and
Sabin sat fraternally in the great Chicago convention; Sabin
presided over its preliminary organization, and Davis made a
memorably brilliant address, proposing the nomination of Mr.
Blaine.

At the conclusion of our state convention I was named as
the member of the state central committee from the state at
large, afterward being elected chairman thereof. From my
affiliation with the majority I was able td secure the selection
of Mark D. Flower as district member of the state committee
and W. B. Dean as presidential elector, although both of them,
as delegates from Ramsey county, had voted against the organ-
ization. General Flower, being the incumbent of a Federal
office, soon resigned from the committee ; Major John Espy of
St. Paul was chosen in his place and elected secretary. Major
Espy and myself conducted the vigorous campaign for Blaine
which ensued, and which, as before stated, resulted in a ma-
jority of 43,000 for our candidate with the expenditure of only
$850.

The next important political event of the year 1884 with
which I was connected was the contest for Republican nomi-

REMINISCENCES OF MINNESOTA POLITICS. 587

nation of Congressman in this district. Hon. Loren Fletcher
of Minneapolis, long an aspirant, was now in the field with the
backing of his own county and several others. Albert Scheffer
of St. Paul was also a candidate; Ramsey county supported
him, and I was one of the delegates to the district convention.
There was a contested delegation from Washington county, and
the forces were so nearly equal that this delegation would de-
cide the result. On the question of the admission of delegates
from Washington county the convention was so evenly divided
that one delegate, H. F. Barker of Isanti county, had the cast-
ing vote. Mr. Barker was opposed to both Fletcher and Schef-
fer, but expressed a willingness to join the Scheffer delegates
in nominating Hon. J. B. Gilfillan of Minneapolis. As the
only other alternative seemed to be a split in the convention,
two candidates, and a Republican defeat in the district, Mr.
Scheffer and his friends consented to the arrangement. Mr.
Barker came into our camp; Washington county was neutral-
ized, and Mr. Gilfillan was nominated. Mr. Fletcher was great-
ly disappointed, but eight years later, when Hennepin county
became a district of itself, he was elected to the coveted posi-
tion and served an aggregate of twelve years in Washington,
greatly to the benefit of his admiring constituents.

1885.

Under the operation of the Constitutional amendment pro-
viding for biennial sessions, the year 1885 was the first year in
the history of the state when no election was held. There was
consequently a rest from political conflict, the forerunner of
similar grateful periods of political repose which have since
been enjoyed on alternate years.

. In the spring of 1885, finding my health seriously threat-
ened by the laborious duties of editor, proprietor, and business
manager of the Daily Dispatch, and having a satisfactory offer
from Mr. George K. Shaw of Minneapolis, I sold the property
to him and retired from daily newspaper work. One year later
Mr. Shaw sold the paper to his associate, Mr. George Thomp-
son, who has retained the ownership until this time and has
built up the magnificent institution to which Minnesotans point
with pride, the St. Paul Dispatch of today.

588 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

After passing through a period of serious illness resulting
from overwork, I occupied such leisure time as I could spare
from the development of suburban property to the formation
of an organization throughout the state for the election of C.
K. Davis to the United States senate by the legislature of 1887.
The sentiment was overwhelmingly in his favor, the old guard
of Republican editors was everywhere alert and active; the
accession of Cleveland to the presidency had broken down the
oligarchy of officeholders which had been the nucleus of the
strength of both Windom and McMillan; in a word, the coast
was clear and it only needed concert of action to insure suc-
cess.

. 1886.

The year 1886 was what is denominated an "off year" in
politics. The Republican party suffered accordingly. Three of
the five Congressional districts in the state elected Democratic
representatives, Thomas Wilson, John L. Macdonald, and Ed-
mund Rice, — the two Republicans elected being John Lind and
Knute Nelson.

At the Republican state convention, Hon. A. R. McGill was
nominated for governor, the opposing candidates being C. A.
Oilman and Albert Scheffer. My name was presented to the
convention for lieutenant governor, and I received over 100
votes, notwithstanding the fact that the previous nomination
of Mr. McGill, also a resident of St. Paul, precluded any pos-
sibility of my success.

Mr. Windom appeared in this convention as a delegate from
Winona county for the avowed purpose of helping his friends
and punishing his enemies. Notwithstanding the fact of his
presence, his special protege, Samuel H. Nichols, was defeated
for clerk of the Supreme Court, an office which he had held for
eleven years. Mr. Windom was subsequently appointed Sec-
retary of the Treasury by President Harrison, and died in
office. He was credited to Minnesota notwithstanding the fact
that he had some years before become a permanent resident of
New York city. His interference in Minnesota appointments
while a member of Harrison's cabinet was the source of much
friction between himself and Senator Davis, who naturally re-
sented it.

REMINISCENCES OF MINNESOTA POLITICS. 589

The systematic canvass for members of the Legislature
friendly to the election of C. K. Davis as United States senator
was continued this year, and after the election in November it
was easy to predict from the complexion of the returns that
victory was assured.

1887.

The legislature of 1887 passed a bill creating the Board of
Trustees of the State Soldiers' Home, and Governor McGill
appointed me a member thereof. I was elected president of
the Board when it organized, and served in that position, with-
out salary or perquisite, for twelve years. The labors of the
Board, including the responsibility of building and adminis-
tering the Home, as well as the disbursement of the outside
relief fund, were very exacting, and an undue share of them
naturally devolved on the president. But there were pleasant
incidents and associations connected with the service that to
some extent recompensed the effort.

When the legislature assembled in January, 1887, Senator
McMillan came home from Washington, announced his can-
didacy for a third term, and energetically sought support. It
was soon revealed, however, even to him, that C. K. Davis was
the predestined Republican nominee. Senator McMillan grace-
fully withdrew; Davis was nominated at an open Republican
caucus with substantial unanimity, and was elected by the Leg-
islature with the enthusiastic support of a united party.

This result was the fruition of twelve years' effort on the
part of the annually augmenting fraternity of Minnesota Re-
publicans with whom I had been closely identified. We had
now placed our favorite in the arena where we believed his
splendid natural gifts and his wide range of acquirements
would lead to a career of conspicuous usefulness to his state
and his country.

This ended, in an aureole of success, the first twenty years
of my experiences of and participation in the political affairs
of this state. My activities were thenceforward less pro-
nounced, although I did not cease my interest, nor abstain
from work. The later field was more circumscribed. I had
served my turn on state committees, and I no longer controlled

590 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

a daily newspaper. The chronicles of the second twenty years
will therefore permit a briefer and less detailed treatment.

1888-1907.

At the Republican state convention of 1888, Governor A.
R. McGill was a candidate for renomination. He was entitled
to this endorsement, both by uniform party precedent and by
the excellence of his administration. But W. R. Merriam, an
ambitious young banker of St. Paul, could not restrain his im-
patience for the coveted prize, and appeared as a candidate.
This led Albert Scheffer, also of St. Paul, to enter the field, and
a contest of great animation ensued. I favored Governor Mc-
Gill, and worked earnestly for his success. Scheffer and Mer-
riam fought desperately for Ramsey county, and Scheffer won.
With his consent three avowed McGill men, including myself,
were placed on the Ramsey county delegation to the state con-
vention. I was made one of the McGill managers, and was
selected to deliver the nominating speech. Mutual friends had
arranged that Scheffer should withdraw in favor of McGill, if
the latter developed the greater strength ; but Scheffer, hoping
to gain, failed to withdraw in time to effect a winning com-
bination, and Merriam was nominated. The result caused some
political and personal bitterness that was never sweetened.
One humorous episode relieved some of the somber features.
After the final vote, a friend asked Scheffer how many dele-
gates he had to buy. "Ah," said he, "from the rapidity with
which my vote shrank, I fear I'll be accused of selling dele-
gates."

In the legislature of 1889, Senator D. M. Sabin was a can-
didate for re-election, with Hon. "W. D. Washburn as his op-
ponent. Although on the friendliest terms personally and po-
litically with Sabin, I had incurred no obligation to him, and
my deliberate preference was now for Washburn. I therefore
did all in my power to aid him. Washburn was elected, and
during the single term to which his service in the Senate was
limited, he made, as was to be expected from his high char-
acter and long public experience, an unblemished record.

The year 1890 was another decidedly "off year" for Minne-
sota Republicans, due to the reaction against the McKinley

REMINISCENCES OF MINNESOTA POLITICS. 5Q1

tariff bill, just enacted and not yet tested. W. R. Merriam was
re-elected governor by a plurality of 2,200 over Judge Thomas
Wilson, the Democratic nominee. But as the "Alliance" can-
didate, S. M. Owen received 58,500 votes, and the Prohibition
candidate over 8,000, Mr. Merriam lacked nearly 65,000 votes
of a majority. Worse than that, four of the five Republican
candidates for Congress were defeated, the only successful
nominee being John Lind in the second district, who turned
Democrat shortly afterward. A notable event of this year was
the election of Kittel Halvorson, Farmers Alliance candidate
for Congress, in the fifth district. A. J. Whiteman, of Duluth,
was the Democratic nominee, and S. G. Comstock, the then in-
cumbent, the Republican. Mr. Whiteman induced Halvorson, a
farmer in Stearns county, to run on the Alliance ticket, with
the expectation of reducing the Republican vote, Whiteman
paying all Halvorson 's campaign expenses. To the astonish-
ment of everybody, especially Whiteman, Halvorson was
elected. He served one term in Congress; lived, it is said, on
his "mileage;" saved the $10,000 salary to improve and en-
large his farm, and retired on his laurels. Whiteman devel-
oped into a criminal of the deepest dye, and is now an inmate
of the New York penitentiary.

In February, 1892, I was appointed postmaster of St. Paul
by President Harrison, on the recommendation of Senator Da-
vis, and held office until November 1, 1896, or eight months
beyond the allotted four years' term, although after the first
year I served under the second Democratic administration of
Grover Cleveland. After Cleveland came in, some hostile Dem-
ocrats sought to secure my removal on the ground of ' ' offensive
partisanship, ' ' but failed. They were told that removals would
only be made on a defective official record, and as I was per-
mitted to remain in office eight months after my time expired,
it is fair to assume that the record was satisfactory. I admin-
istered the civil service law as to the 200 employees of the post
office in good faith, and made no attempt to use them for par-
tisan politics. But I did not surrender my political convic-
tions, nor cease working for my party in all proper ways. I
made speeches in every campaign, as usual, and participated in

592 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

Republican conferences and conventions, unmolested. What-
ever may be said adverse to President Cleveland, lie was cer-
tainly sincere and consistent in his civil service policy.

In 1893 Senator Davis was a candidate before the legis-
lature for re-election. The state convention of 1892 had unan-
imously endorsed him as the party candidate and in most of
the counties Republican senators and representatives had been
instructed to support him. The legislature of 1891 had been
controlled by a combination of Democrats and Populists ; hence
the efforts of Senator Davis' friends were principally directed
to securing a Republican majority, trusting to these endorse-
ments and instructions, undoubtedly backed by public senti-
ment, to ensure his election. The majority, on joint ballot, was
about twelve, but when the legislature assembled it developed
that a secret campaign of debauchery and corruption had been
inaugurated to defeat Davis, with the hope of electing an un-
avowed, but well recognized Republican aspirant in his stead.
No more brazen, defiant, and demoralizing movement was ever
inaugurated in any state. Votes were shamelessly trafficked in,
and so recklessly that the price paid in many instances was
well known, in advance, to the Senator's supporters, who had a
detective force systematically at work and kept advised of
every movement. Enough Republican votes were bought and
actually paid for to prevent a majority for Davis on the first
joint ballot, but several of the bribed members weakened at
the last moment and Davis received precisely enough votes to
elect him, not one to spare. I was cognizant of all the details
of the contest ; held at one time, for possible use as evidence in
criminal prosecutions, a considerable sum of the corruption
fund paid to one of the members ; and I yet retain interesting
correspondence and memoranda, which, for the credit of the
state, it were better to consign to oblivion. The miserable con-
spiracy failed ; Senator Davis was re-elected, and most of the
persons who betrayed him were effectually reckoned with by
their indignant constituents.

Early in 18.96 a very strong sentiment was manifested in
certain portions of the country in favor of the selection of Sen-
ator C. K. Davis as the Republican candidate for President.

HEMINISCENCES OF MINNESOTA POLITICS. 5QB

His eloquent speeches in the Senate on several important ques-
tions had made him a national reputation, and his ringing tele-
gram to the Duluth labor leaders in 1894 had evinced the pos-
session of qualities too rare in public men. Not only did hun-
dreds of newspapers in many states express favorable opinions
of his candidacy, but volunteer offers of support were received
from influential Republicans in various sections. In addition, a
considerable number of his colleagues in the Senate and House,
who were powerful political factors in their respective states,
were ready to assist if there was any hope of success. A num-
ber of Senator Davis' friends, including myself, formed a cor-
respondence bureau in St. Paul which brought encouraging
news from all quarters. But, a little later, the popular senti-
ment for McKinley became so strong that it was evident no
. other aspirant could make headway against it. Senator Davis
promptly acquiesced in the proposition to give our state dele-
gation to McKinley, who had no more effective champion in
the campaign, or more loyal, trusted counsellor during the try-
ing crises of his administration.

At the Republican state convention of 1896, Gov. David M.
Clough, who had succeeded to the seat of Gov. Knute Nelson
when the latter was chosen United States senator to succeed
Washburn a year previously, was a candidate for the nomina-
tion for governor. Hon. Moses E. Clapp of St. Paul was pro-
posed in opposition to Mr. Clough and commanded my earnest
support, as a matter of personal and political preference. But
he came late into the field, and although we made a vigorous
and measurably successful fight in Ramsey county Governor
Clough was victorious.

In the campaign of 1896, although still postmaster of St.
Paul under a Democratic administration, I spoke many times
in various counties for the Republican ticket, — as, indeed, I
have in every national and most of the intermediate contests,
since 1864.

In May, 1897, on the special recommendation of Senator
Davis, approved by Senator Nelson and the entire Minnesota
delegation in Congress, I was appointed Auditor for the Post
Office Department in "Washington. The bureau over which the

594 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

Auditor presides is attached to the Treasury Department, al-
though it is located in the Post Office Department building, and
it is exclusively engaged in adjusting and recording the ac-
counts of that great governmental institution, which employs
more men and handles more money than all other branches of
the government combined. The Auditor's office has over 700
employees; it settles and records, every working day in the
year, 3,000 accounts of postmasters, contractors and others, in-
volving about $8,000,000 daily, or two and a half billions of
dollars a year. The business is rapidly increasing, and the
strain on the faithful clerks and the experienced chiefs of divi-
sion, as well as on the head of the office, is tremendous. I held
the position until January, 1904, six years and eight months,—
a longer period than any other incumbent since its creation in
1836.

During my stay in Washington, I kept advised, through the
newspapers, through correspondence, and through frequent
visits to the state, of the general currents of Minnesota politics,
although I necessarily lost touch, to a considerable degree, with
the constantly changing personnel of the party.

In 1899, Senator Davis was re-elected without opposition,
thus securing the then unprecedented honor (since worthily con-
ferred on Senator Nelson) of a third term in the Senate from
this state. During the early months of 1898 there had been
some mutterings of coming hostility to him, which led his
friends to take some precautionary steps in his behalf. But
the events of the Spanish-American war, which brought our
Senator into such conspicuous eminence, which brought into
exercise on the highest plane of statesmanship his commanding
abilities and the special attainments he had, for years, been
cultivating, which made him the leader of the Senate as well
as the adviser of the President in international questions, and,
in great emergencies, the actual arbiter of national destiny, —
all this so augmented the pride of his constituents as to dwarf
to insignificance and banish from sight every trace of the me-
ditated antagonism.

In 1900 President McKinley was renominated, with Theo-
dore Roosevelt as his running mate j and Bryan, as in 1896, was

REMINISCENCES OP MINNESOTA POLITICS. 595

his Democratic opponent. In September I attended the great
Hamilton Club banquet in Chicago, where Senator Davis ably
' ' struck the key-note ' ' of the national campaign, making, as it
eventuated, his last important address, and pathetically evinc-
ing, could we have realized it, the fatal exhaustion of his phys-
ical powers. I came to Minnesota in October and devoted some
weeks to campaigning. Senator Davis was then seriously ill
at his home in St. Paul, and on election day, November 6th,
before returning to Washington, I bade him what proved to be
a final farewell. November 29th I came back to St. Paul and
attended his funeral; among the thousands of sorrowing citi-
zens of Minnesota who paid their tributes of honor as he lay in
state at the Capitol, I am sure there was no more sincere mourn-
er than myself.

This paper has sufficiently verified its statement that the
central figure of a large portion of the political activity in
which I have indulged during my forty years residence in Min-
nesota was Cushman K. Davis. I think no man who supported
him at any time during his career ever felt obliged to apologize
for that support. If there has been a series of clean political
combats in the history of any state, it was the Davis side of
the numerous battles fought by his friends in his interest.
When it was all over and I was privileged to speak some words
of appreciation at the unveiling of his monument at Arlington,
Va., I could truthfully place on record for his honor and that-
of our magnificent commonwealth this eulogium :

Honored for thirty years with his unreserved confidence, advised as
to the minutest details of his political contests, I here affirm with all
the solemnity these surroundings and this event can lend, that no un-
worthy suggestion, no dishonorable proposition, no device for improper
influence, no hint at undue advantage, ever came from him, even in
the most crucial stress of dangerous and doubtful struggles. In none
of his campaigns was an office promised or an unclean dollar expended
by him or for him, although in many of them he was confronted by
venal methods employed by unscrupulous rivals. Let others dwell on
the gifts and graces they discern, — this is my acme of encomium for
the politician and the man.

In May, 1903, having served six years as Auditor at Wash-
ington, having found my health seriously impaired by the sum-
mer climate, and having more lucrative business opportunities

596 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

offered, I tendered my resignation through the Secretary of the
Treasury to the President. An investigation of the Post Office
Department being then just inaugurated, I was asked to re-
main in office and assist therein. The inquiry yielded impor-
tant results and lasted until October, when on its conclusion I
again resigned. My resignation was accepted to take effect on
the appointment of my successor, which was not made for more
than three months. Finally on January 22, 1904, I turned over
the bureau to the new appointee, my old friend, Hon. Joseph J.
McCardy, of St. Paul. The long tenure, nearly seven years, of
this the most important position I have held, marks the culmi-
nation of my experiences in political life. The Auditorship is
a quasi-judicial position. There are six Auditors, whereof the
Auditor for the Post Office Department supervises more em-
ployees and handles more business than the five others united.
The direct official head of the accounting system, the appellate
officer for all the Auditors, is the Comptroller of the Treasury.
During all my service in Washington, Hon. R. J. Tracewell was
Comptroller, and he still retains that position. When I retired
from office, Mr. Tracewell wrote this testimonial, which I am
possibly justified in quoting as a political valedictory:

"It was with the most profound regret that I learned several months
since that you had tendered your resignation to take effect upon the
appointment and qualification of a successor.

"If the President had known, as I know, the difficulties with which
you have been surrounded during your term of office, and the fidelity
and integrity with which you have performed the many arduous duties
thereof, I feel confident that it would only have been for a considera-
tion of your health that he would1 have consented to your resignation.
Good Auditors for the Post Office Department are not made, but must
be born. Even though one could be made, the process would be long,
and in the making public interests would necessarily suffer more or
less.

"I shall always recall with pleasure your intelligent zeal for the
institution and carrying out of real reforms in your office, and the
cheerful assistance you have always given me in any matter connected
therewith. There is no officer in the Government service who is pos-
sessed of more information as to your true worth to the Government,
nor one who will realize the loss of its being deprived of your services
more keenly than myself."

In 1904 two of my friends and co-workers in the lively
political battles of twenty years before, Judge L. W. Collins

REMINISCENCES OF MINNESOTA POLITICS. 597

and Hon. R. C. Dunn, were rival aspirants for the Republican
nomination for governor of Minnesota. I preferred Judge Col-
lins, and supported him at the primaries. But Mr. Dunn re-
ceived the nomination, and knowing, from of old, his sterling
integrity and many manly qualities, I earnestly advocated his
election on the platform and with the pen. It was a cause of
keen regret to me that Mr. Dunn was defeated, even by so
worthy a Democrat as Governor Johnson, not only on account
of his personal disappointment but of the far-reaching disas-
trous consequences to the Republican party of this state.

All my activities of forty years in Minnesota politics have
been with and for the Republican party. During the greater
portion of this period, politics has been incidental, virtually a
recreation, not interfering with my business occupations. I
have not always agreed in every detail with the avowed poli-
cies of the party, but upon the whole its principles have seemed
to me best calculated to promote the honor and prosperity of
the state and the nation. Usually its candidates have been ac-
ceptable. The nominees have not in every instance been my
first choice, but in most instances have commanded my adhe-
sion.

I actively supported Marshall, Davis, Hubbard, McGill, Nel-
son, and Van Sant, for governor, also Averill, Stewart, Wash-
burn, Dunnell, Strait, Nelson, Wakefield, Stevens, and others,
for Congress, every time they were candidates for these offices,
and never had occasion to regret that support. I supported
Ramsey for one term in the Senate, Windom for two terms in
the Senate, Sabin for one term in the Senate, and Pillsbury for
two terms as governor, afterward opposing each of them for
re-election, not as a rule from any special hostility to them per-
sonally or politically, but because of a marked preference for
candidates who then stood in opposition. A few men who have
been candidates for governor or Congress on the Republican
ticket during the past forty years, I found myself unable to
support, either for the nomination or for election; they were
usually elected, however, but nothing in their official careers
ever caused me to regret my opposition.

On the whole, my political experiences have led me to
form a higher estimate of the personal integrity of party lead-

598 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

ers than the general public seems to entertain. I believe that
the average legislator is as honest as the average business man ;
that the business of the state and national governments is, in
the main, well conducted, and that the men whom the people
of this state have delighted to honor have been, with few ex-
ceptions, entirely worthy of their confidence. I have person-
ally known every territorial and state governor of Minnesota
except two, every senator and representative in Congress, and
nearly all the unsuccessful candidates for all these positions.
I am satisfied that, with few exceptions, the political victories
achieved have been honestly won, and that, in most cases, the
alleged corrupt use of money in Minnesota politics has been
greatly exaggerated.

In the aggregate, the public men of the formative decades
of the State have been able, far-sighted, and faithful to their
trust. The magnificent result of their labors testifies to their
wisdom and assiduity. If the generations which succeed them
show equal capacity and devotion, we may be assured that the
golden promise of the day in which we live will be amply ful-
filled by the prosperity and happiness of the coming years.

14

-op

RETURN CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT

202 Main Library

LOAN PERIOD 1
HOME USE

2

3

4

5

6

ALL BOOKS MAY BE RECALLED AFTER 7 DAYS

DUE AS STAMPED BELOW

Desk

LIBRARY USE O

MAR 9.

)N DE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY

FORM NO. DD6, 60m, "l 783 BERKELEY, CA 94720

®$

RETURN TO the circulation desk of any
University of California Library

or to the

NORTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY
Bldg. 400, Richmond Field Station
University of California
Richmond, CA 94804-4698

ALL BOOKS MAY BE RECALLED AFTER 7 DAYS

• 2-month loans may be renewed by calling
(510)642-6753

• 1-year loans may be recharged by bringing
books to NRLF

• Renewals and recharges may be made
4 days prior to due date

DUE AS STAMPED BELOW

APR 0 5 2007

1 8 2007

DD20 15M 4-02