Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-07-20
WASHBURN'S GANG.
THEY GO THROUGH TIE MOTION OF
MAKING NOMINATION.
A Lugubrious-Aff Gorgeous
Array and Chaffee's Temperance Plank
The Temperance Men Cavalierly Insult
ed-The Machine Runs Right Along and
Finishes the Job.

uhi ycstefuay uoon, CoInpflsinRs ali tOlu, III
Guiding spectators ard reporters, about sew
enty-fve persons. This body was the Fourth
district Republican convention, or more cor
rectly speaking, the "Washburn gapg." There
was a lack of that life and buoyaney SO mani
fest at Detroit last week. AS the GLOBE
representative entered the hall the first and
most conspicuous object he saw was tall, well
polished plug hat. which gave every appear
-ance Of having just been ironed over for the
occasion at Chinese laundry. The wearer of
the hat also possessed white neck tie, black
broadcloth suit and delicate feet encased in
silver-broLZed dancing pumps. II it had been
Democratic convention we should have
known at orce that it wss Presb yterian
clergyman, but 10 such a place we surveyed
the object with considerable curiosity aud
found it to be the Hon. q. P. Barnard, deputy
whisky and tobacco inspector (under Gen.
Bickel) for the United States of America
This accounted for the white neck tie and
corresponding attachments.
Charley johnson was on hand shade more
solemn and bookings trine older than he did
when he hoped to be appointed postmaster of
Minneapolis upon the death of DIR. Keith.
There wes even less spright!iness about him
than there was when he was getting up the
bogus census returns for Minneapolis. But
then he had to be on thu Jump about that time
to catch on the fly the imaginary chaps lifting
through his Uranium and get them enrolled in
time for the next troop copied from the Gin
cinnati directory.
The gallant Gen. McLaren was also on
deck, apparently glad that he was relieved of
wearing government moss and delighted that
Marshal Denny had removed al public bur-
deus from his shoulders, including the draw
ing OF his salary. In fact he looked younger
than he did when he was borrowing money
for the nj tn The nf
the United States courts and his airs were SO
jiunty that it looked as though he was play
| ing it for young man, hoping to have it
| forgotten that he had been in office
for fifiy-two years, five months, thirteen
dayq, four hours, fOriy-two minutes ard
| thirty five seconds, and thus get another start
| to keep his hand in. His voice, however,
| gave him away. When he arose to make a
motion the sepulchral tones came forth as
| from the vastly depths of a moss covered
cavern and some even did him the injustice to
think he had been in Office at least tifty-three
years.
There, too, was the jolly, good natured Major
Camp, of Minneapolis, wearing Janus-faced
fore and aft English cap. He says he never
has worn plug hat since that Opera house
convention where Washburn lost the
| nomination for governor by the
| ballots sticking in the lining OF
| the majors stove pipe. In fact, he declares he
| has no interest in politics, but turns up out OF
force Of habit.
Gen. Flower, steamboat Inspector; A. K. Nc
Gill, insurance commissioner; Sam Nichols,
clerk of the supreme court; Martin Nelson,
conveyor of heat to the state departments, and
numerous other parties engaged in running
the government machine, were prominently
oH deck. There, too, was Castle, the kindred
spirit OF the Dispatch, and Stanford Newell.
s1lx;
left of the mental wreck Of the late editor of
the Pioneer Press, sitting uis a vis, as though
they were about to fall on each others necks
and kiss aud make up.
In fact the scene was touching when Chair
man Petit called the convention to order,
with an air as much as to suggest that the
time had come for tying Grape on the left
clses began Loren Fletcher hove in sight at
the farther end of the hall. He showed his
while in the ante.room and came Ian in
with a sort of deprecatory air as
much as to say "Im little out of place to-
day, but two years hence l propose
to be the coming man." He took
a side seat at the extreme end
OF the little crowd and had created SO little
noise that if the committee on credentials had
not fished him out to fill vacancy in the
HeDnepin delegation, his presence might not
have been known until the GLOBE was issued.
One of the preliminary skirmishers was the
Rev. Chaffee, of Minneapolis, who was the
bearer of the temperance tbunderbolt. There
was troubled air upon the faces of delegates
as brother Chafiee fitted about thrustiDg his
pretentious document under their noses.
They would inspect the document and then
look about with an air of vacant thirstiness as
though they were seeking chance to slip out
and take drink. 1t was some time before
Chaflee found any one willing to present it and
when Chaffee took his hat and left the hall
there was a long breath of relief all along the
lint, (which was not o very encouraging feature
for the cause of temperance.
There was another resolution fitting about
seeking for father but found none. This
was resolution endorsing Knuty Nelson for
congress, in the Fifth district. There could
be no better evidence OF the fact that Knuty's
cause is desperate than this attempt to get
outside endorsement. As he is the Wash
burn candidate in the Fifth district they ap-
parently thought it appropriate to ask Wash
burns gang to endorse him, but the old heads
and bald heads of this convention calculated
that Washburn was as big load as they cared
to shoulder and they declined the proffered en-
dOrsement with thanks.
The lugubrious affair moved on with moth
ing to mar the solemnitY until the committee
on platform put in an appearance and declared
that temperance was not german Germany to
the Republican party. Chaffee had reappeared
with little temperance knot of compatriots
while the committee were out, and when they
received the slap in the face, Brother Chaffee
looked solemn, and whispered in an earnest,
excited manner to his crowd, who were ap-
parently running a little side.show of their
own.
The nomination of Bill Washburn was
dead affair-the deadest on record. No
one seemed to have any heart in the
affair but went through the motions mechani-
cally. DR.. Stewart In about a one-half minute
speech nominated WASH, and Barnard ap-
plauded with big cane. The Hennepin dele
cation gave no sign and did not even second
the nomination. In fact no one seconded it,
not even Fletcher or Charley johnson. They
gulped it down much as the small boy takes a
pill, because they had the job on hand and
couldn't help it.
AS soon as this was done motion was made
to adjourn and Barnard took mis- hat and went
out to return it to the man who had loaned it
to him.
R0Mine Report
The convention was called to order little af.
ter12 O'Clock noon By Hon. c. II. Petit, chair.
man Of the district committee who read the
call.
Charley Johnson, of Minneapolis, nominal
ed Hon. A. r. Mciill, of Ramsey county, as
temporary chairman of the conye ation, which
i ~ x~,-. al