Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1859-08-20
Tempest In q Teap0t...DemOcrats I'm Z
Stew In Sibley County.

Stew In Sibley County.
HENDERSON, Aug. -, 1859.
Editors of the Mnmesotian:
There has been little family quarrel
among the unterrified" here, which shows
there is " screw loose" somewhere in their
party machinery. 1t seems that for Won
der there are a few Democrats in this vicinity
who claim the rare privilege in that party Of
thinking for themselves, and they rather kick
against the leading strings of the land officers
who have taken the interests of the party ex-
clusively into their own kind care and keep
ing, and manage things "accordin." This
does not exactly suit the other aforesaid indi-
viduals who wish to have finger in the pie
themselves.
At the late Democratic County Convention
to elect delegates to the State Convention
| there were two sets of candidates anxious for
the honor of going to St. Paul. AS it turned
out, the Land Office Candidates were elected,
the other candidates being just nowhere" in
the Convention. The delegates elected were
j. c. Dow, the Land Office Register, and M.
Donohue, Land Office Loafer. The defeated
candidates and their confederates were obi
lin over with righteous indignation, for they
were whipped so outrageously that it was
more than human "natur" could bear. The
cry was raised that "the Convention was
packed" that there was no fair play, that the
uhnlo thine hoco cro,,l o,>l
swindle.. A flaming article, portraying in Wv
id colors the outrages perpetrated, was writ
ten for publication in the Henderson Demo-
crat, whose editor was one of the whipped
party, and who threatened on his part to
come out with an editorial that would make
the names of Dow and Donohue an abomina-
ton in the nostrils Of all good Democrats for
the term of their natural lives, unless they
made an unconditional surrender of their ILL
gotten honors.
AT this alarming crisis Of affairs compro-
mise was effected. The result of the war did
not come up to the high sounding manifesto.
Dow, the chief offender, caved in, and ap-
pointed Graham, the Land Office Receiver,
his substitute! In other words, the Register
stepped out and the Receiver stepped in,
while the loafer, being of little consequence,
remained. The article was suppressed, and
the editorial did not appear.
But this compromise didn't suit all hands.
Some didn't like Graham any better than
Dow: both were in the same boat. They
thought it was making distinction without a
difference. So the confusion has grown worse
confoundcd.
Uncle Christopher, the Receiver, is good
fellow, but he has caused some dissatisfaction
to certain members of his party, because last
winter, achen lie aoent to Washington to hurry
up the land sale, he appointed NJ. j. Sever
ance, Republican, as Deputy Receiver in
his absence; also G. j. Reynolds, another Re-
publican, as Commissioner at Red Wing to
take testimony in land suits. Indeed, they
claim that he has generally favored Republi-
cans instead Of Democrats, and they seem to
have the mistaken idea that there are good
Democrats enough to fill these Offices without
going to the Republicans. There is also some
murmuring about their taking proofs in the
Land Office, and illegal fees from pre-emptors
contrary to express instructions from Wash
ington. '.
But this is of course all "sour grapes."-
1t is said Uncle Chris. is on the course for
Congress, and we rather hope he may get the
nomination, for we had as lief see him mis-
represent us at Washington as any other De-
mocrat, and then he is in the due order of
Land Office succession after Phelps. Two
years hence Dow may be expected to be for
mldable aspirant-indeed, this Land Office is
a great nursery for Democratic congressman.
The land sales furnish the elsctioneerinq
tss's'ss, and on the whole, it isn't a bad ar
If anything funny should again transpire,
you may possibly hear once more from your
somewhat amused friend. SPECTATOR.
8e Thros, b,,pdrol ,t~o,,r, ,,,o,> ,r~okol