Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-10-31
WindOn's Appedls ia s. Lf-Defense.

Wtndon:'s Appeals ia s Lf-Defense.
Especial Correspondence of the Globe.
MANKATo, Oct. 3O.-The fences of Will
liam Windom in this county have been in
pretty bad shape generally, and last night
the boss himself was here and inflicted the
people with speech at Union hall. He
s.ckly attempt at applause was made. He
commenced by telling his audience (by the
way it consisted of a number Of men and
boys, the latter predominatirg, that the
Republican party had saved the country
from disruption and put down the great
rebellion. He went on trying to make
out that the Republican party
had reduced the expenses of the govern
ment, and gave lot of figures of Repub-
lican economy, when at the same time the
Democrats had control of both houses of
congress, which branch of government is
the only one that can make appropriations
for any purpose whatsoever. His next eio-
quence was displayed on the question of
civil service reform. He said he was a
civil service reformer and made the absurd
remark that the Republican parry
wanted to reform the civil service.
He said the civil service of the United
states was never in better condition than
it is to-day and gave his old, old story of
his preparing civil service rules, when in
the treasury which would make it necces-
sary for competitive examinations to Sc
| cure any clerkship in the treasury port
folio. Somebody in the audience called
| upon him for his opinion on the river and
hardor steal and he tried to make out that
| the steal was good thing for the country
and that the people of Minnesota above
all other states should not complain.
He said 'few' Objectionable measur IS
were sneaked into it but
that the good greatly overbalanced tine
evil. The great then tried to make
| out that he was an anti-monopolist by
| reading an eighteen-months-ol letter
written to some anti-monopoly organiza-
ton to secure their support, but we imas,-
inc he will be badly left there. He says
his selection as secretary of the treasury
was opposed by the mOnOpOlists but prob
ably Dorsey had more influence than they
had. .ir
His next attempt was at the tariff ques-
ton in which he tried to
make his hearers believe that the
Republican party is the friend of
the working man. He said that since the
repeal of the tariff on quinine by Demo
cratic congress the price had advanced and
remained so. This last statement we be-
lieve to be absolutely false, as quinine has
been cheaper since the repeal than ever
before. It is true that it advanced a little
some time after its repeal, but this was
only temporarily and not on account Of
tho tariff, but on account of the scarcity
that season, but it rapidly went down
lower than ever under the tariff and is
to-day cheaper than ever under the tariff.
He then spoke of J. B. Wakefield and not
much to the credit of that gentleman,
said he believed him to be in accord with
him (Windom) on the issues of the day.
The rest of the speech was devoted to him
self.
He commenced part II by saying that
he was much abused by certain newspa-
pers without just cause, and denied his be-
ing worth seven millions, which we do not
know he was being charged with, and said
that his house in Washington was
not as large as represented and
that it was nobody's business if he did
have good house in Washington. He
then paid his respects to the st. Paul
Dispatch, (which for good, square, mus
cular lying beats any paper in the world"
Said he never saw Miss Fletcher's money
nor heard of her until suit had been
brought upon him, and saddles it all upon
poor brother-in-law Douglass. He ended
by denouncing libel as the worst crime on
the calendar and saying anything against
his integrity and honor was false. and adj
vised Republicans to vote straight.
Some of the Window strikers, aided by
few boys, got up what they called an ap
plause, after which the meeting closed.
We examined the floor and walls of the
building, but failed to find the floor ripped
up or the wall cracked by its effects.