Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1854-09-26

BLUNDERs OF THE SENIOR"
Our correspondent M has corrected only
ew of the historical and political blunders of the
s.Senior,' and is ready to correct few more
We shall take occasion to pay our respect to the
sSenior' at the earlist opportunity.
M For the Times.
THE CONVENTION OF 1853:
Mn. EDrroR:-In an article published in the
Minnesotian of this morning, headed ellis
torical Facts Again at ISSUE" there are so many
falsehoods, both positive and implied, that deem
it proper that few facts not generally known,
together with some that may have been forgotten
should be spread before the public at this time.
l allude more particularly to that part of the
article in question reviewing the political cam
paign of 1853, which fully entities the author to
the station sometime since awarded to him by the
Pioneer in a learned disquisition on liars.
In speaking of the House ticket for that year
the editor says:
came within eight or ten votes of being elected,
and would have gone straight in-aided as it was
by strong force of independent democrats-had
it not been for reckless system of swapping,
introduced by few ardent friends Of a certain
independent candidate for Congress, who is now
small owner in the Times establishment"
Owens here charges his own villainy upon MIR.
Wilkin, for had Wilkins friends swaped off the
House ticket they must have traded with the OPP
posite party for votes for their man, and conse-
quently he, Wilkin, would have outrun his ticket,
whereas the reverse was the case, Rice carrying
the entire democratic strength, and large body
! of whig mercenaries, at the head of which band
hoo MIA fho
ssSenior,' as but two or three days before the
election he was heard to remark, that the wings
could not elect their delegate and had better con-
ce,trate their strength the Legislative ticket and
let Wilcin drop!
| As to an s'independent candidate,'' know Of
none. A short time before Mr.. Wilkins an
nouncement in conversation with MIR. Owens he
informed me, in reply to a suggestion that con-
| vention should be called to nominate candidate
for delegate, that all the aspirants had soitdrawn
their claims IN favor of Capt. Wilkin and no
| Contention acas necessary, he being the only
| Wing Candidate in the field. Again, when Col.
| Wilcox sought an expression Of a preference for
his nomination, Owens expressed his qualification
at his failure, denouncing the course of Col. W.
as disorganizing, as the Wings already had one
candidate in the field. Did he then know Of
any ssindependent candidate?"
| The defeat of the Legislative ticket was caused
by the arbitrary and unjusti6able means resorted
| to by John p. Owens tc secure the nomination OF
| portion of that ticket.
| For some time after the call for Wing Con-
vention the editor of the Minnesotian kept very
dark, he would say but little in public about the
matter; it soon became known however, that he
had selected his ticket. A respectable portion
of the party preferred that some two or three
men should be nominated whose names were not
on that ticket and the Convention being called to
express the preferences Of free men they thought
themselves entitled to the privilege Of voting for
those they preferred. A ticket was printed with
the names Of all the persons, as they supposed,
who would be upon the other ticket, also the
name of C. II. Cakes, for the Council and VIM.
Hunt, F. E. Collins, and another gentleman, all
true men and wings. On that ticket was the
name of j. w. Furber for counsellor from the
Fourth District. Was this unfair? Was this
taking an undue advantage? Certainly not. On
those tickets were the name Of every man spoken
of at that time by thewhg party.
| When the voting commenced 1t became appa'
rent that the Owens party were determined tc
carry their particular favorites at all hazards
They rudely insulted and browbeat any man who
refused to acknowledge their right to dictate to
the Wings. Owens himself denounced the men
who had the ticket printed and the men whose
names were upon it as democrats, and declared
that had he been applied to he would have refused
to print them! He also threw off the man who
| bv tact consent had been conceded to Little Can.
ada, and substituted man whose name had MOI
been spoken of in public in that connection til
| the convention met. When warned that this
would drive off whig votes he denounced all such
as factionists, declaring he could elect his mar
without their aid.
When the votes came to be counted the judges
refused to count the votes for Furber, and finally
just before the Convention adjourned, and wher
there were not Is men in the room it was moved
to nominate LOOMS for the Council, Owens saying
that he had arranged that matter at Saltwater
The motion was put and carried by small ma
iority, there not being over half as many men il
the room as had already voted for Mr.. Furber.
This was the reason the ticket was defeated
Does Mr.. Owens wish to hear more about sshis
torical facts!" If so, he can be grati6ed.
| M.