The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1872-03-21
PEOPLES COLUMN.
ST. CLOUD, March Ii, 1872.

My DEAR S1n.-As you have seen
fit, in tho last number Of the Organ, to
address about two columns to "Mcssrs.
Kerr, Collins and Mitchell, Editors and
Proprictors Of tho St. Cloud JOUR.
NAL" I hope you will pardon me fer a
prompt reply to my third OF your scat
tering charges. In the first place, /
have not the honor of being an edito,
Of The JOURNAL, and you will excuse
mo if / reiterate what seems to DO the
prevailing opinion that, as yet, one ed
itor Of that paper, Mr.. Mitchell, ap-
pears to set out a dccently warm meal
for the six CT eight writing for the
Press. And I should not have fell
called upon to answer the very bilious
article Of yours, we're it not tor the
conundrums at the conclusion, which
you are pleased to designate as Store.
going interrogatives." You remark that
"Mr. Collins has been we'll provided fol
by county and city nearly ever since he
landed here" 1t is true, the people Of
Stcarns county, in which there is a
Democratic majority Of more than 100
have seer fit to elect me County At
torney in 1866 and again in 1869. ]
held that Office three years and was
paid a fair salary Unlike the Land
Office, there are no perquisites. Since
January LIST, l have been City Attor'
ney. My predecessor in that lucrative
position received about $500 per an
mum. To what extent I may be able
to increase that salary, will dcpcnd-as
you kindly intimate-upon my ability
to steal from under the eyes Of the City
Council a portion of that $4,000
You, IS taxpayer OF our city, would
suffer very little if I should steal the
whole of it.
You will forgive me if, right here, !
review little. You remember 1866
That fall, while I was out of the city
after two had declined-I was put on
the Republican ticket as candidate fol
County Attorney, and very unexpected
ly was elected. That event took place
shortly after you had gone over to An.
dy johnson, body and q vas about tc
say soul, but won't), shortly after you
had been obtaining an endorsement Of
soundness from all our leading Deuo
Gratis, and soon after you were sent as q
delegate from Minnesota to Johnson's
arm. arm Convention at Philadelphia
Have you forgotten that year,
Again I refresh your memory. II
was about the time you went to Wash.
iugton and was commissioned, as re-
ward for your apostacy to the Republi
can party in the hour of its greatest
danger, Receiver of the Land Office al
St. Cloud, and little before that very
unhappy moment, to you, in which an
indignant Senate, refusing 10 confirm
such appointments, announced to Andy
that they would not object to sound
and reliable Democrats, but despised
unto rejection renegadcs aud traitors,
and kicked you out of fat Office. 1t
was just about the time you, 10 COM
pany with Gen. Colville, another rene
gade and then johnson candidate for
Congress, and Gen. German, called at
my office AID offered inducements if I
would preside that night over the oDly
johnson meeting ever held in this city,
and which had for its chairman, Thos
G. Mcclure, Esq. Convinced that you
will now recollect the year, I PASS to
1867. 1t is memorable as tho year
Andy and his followers came to grief,
and very likely you remember it. 1t
is the year you crawled back into the
Republican ranks. In less than five
months after the Senatorial toe had
been applied to your official body, you
travelled all over this then extensive
Senatorial District, begging for mercy
and the Republican nomination for
State Senator. Perhaps you have for
gotten the nj ght before the Convention
of that year, when little class meet
ing was held in my Office for your purl.
ication. How you waited around the
corner until sent for how you came in
and were catechised On political faith by
L. Gorton, Esq. how you stated that
when the johnson movement commenc.
ed you we're poor aud 10 debt over
$4,000; how you were tempted by
Senator Norton, and how you fell, a
victim to your honest convictions-and
the promise Of Land Office; how you
discovered your error about the time
"my policy" became obnoxious, and
how strongly you had cndcavored to
seek and embrace the true faith since
that discovery. 10 fine, ny dear
Charles, how you ate dirt that night
until your friends crimsoned with shame
at the humiliating spectacle, and every
true Ean in the 1com pitied the self.
degradation aud abasement you so
greedi'y sought.
might 90 on in these little matters
Of history, Charles, for another column,
but !orego the pleasure for the present,
expecting that you will want to hear so
badly from me again as to write auoth-
er letter. You were elected Senator
in 1867, served two years, and were
present WHEN Hon. Alex. Ramsey was
nominated for U. S. Senator. Many of
his friends doubt your assertion that
you voted for him, but be assisted you
to the appointment of Register. That
| Office you held about three years and