Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-02-27
Col. VIM. s. King Trying to Get at the
Bottom Facts" Of History.
HIS MEMORY SADLY AT FAULT
The BlackmailerS Confess the Crime He
Endeavers to Explain.
AN INTERESTING $4,000 CHAPTER
Which Leaves the P. P. RascalS and
Mr.. Window Badly Stranded.

To the Editor Of the Globe:
Some twelve or thirteen years ago there
appeared in the Minneapolis Tribune-a
paper OF which was then one-third
owner, but over whose editorial columns
had no control-a lengthy editorial state
ment, charging the proprietors and editors
of the St Paul Press with having received
$4,000 from me, IN consideration of which
that paper "came out for Window with the
zeal of new convert" ETC., etc The gen
eral purport Of that article of the Tribune.
quite lengthy and ably written, was that
the st. Paul Press, its editors and pro-
prietors had made certain demands upon
me as consideration of their support
Of Mr.. Window for senator; that dis
agreement had resulted which was finally
adjusted by my paying to those parties
tha sum of $4,000, thus corruptly secur-
ing their support of Mr.. Windom's candi-
dacy. This article originally appeared as
the result of a not unusual newspaper war
fare, in which the Press and the Tribune
were the principals, war or controversy,
which I vainly sought to suppress, and
L
itor of the Press was unnecessarily goading
and prodding his naturally sensitive and
irritable opponent, and which l feared
might have an unfavorabls effect upon
Mr.. Windom's senatorial canvass with
which was at that time supposed to be
connected. When, therefore, this article
of the Tribune appeared felt justified in
remaining silent, so far as newspaper dis
cussions was concerned, and allowing the
editor of the Press to cotinue a contro-
versy which he had brought about by so
persistentIy nagging the Tribune man who
when his blood and temper was up was be-
yond the reach and control of all human
influences, and as bitter and remorssless as
death in his determination to resent a
wrong or punish an enemy.
Now then, for the real facts and
merits of this controversy. In the first
place, not one word of this whole matter
ever grew out of or in any way related to
the senatorial or any other political inter
est or question, directly or indirectly.
Between the editors and proprietOrs of
the Press and myself it was simply and
purely an honest and straight forward
business transaction from beginning to
end. The only question at issue between
the parties named and myself, was whether
Mr.. Nichols or L should be a director in
the Northwestern Construction COM
pany. The money interest in that
company-so far as it related
to that first contract was. by my own con-
sent and agreement TO go to Mr.. Nichols
and his Press associates. The dictatorship
I insisted upon holding myself. Upon this
one simple and comparatively insignif-
cant question was based our quarrel. Mr..
Nichols and Mr.. DriscOll, angry and excit-
ed declared they would have nothing to do
with the company in the way of profits
even if they could not be represented in
the board of management. My reply was
that they were welcome to all the
profits as arranged, but that would see
them 'blessed" before would yield the
dictatorship. When they had three times |
said to me, Every well, then, we resign all |
connection with this company and its bnsi- !
ness profts,' said, so it shall be-" and !
from that time treated their rights as at an |
difficulty between us soon became a matter
of interest to business associates and po-
litical friends. The fight promised to be
unusually lively and interesting, and mu-
tual friends sought to bring about re-
Cancellation.
Peaceful and aFectionate as my child
like nature is so we'll understood to be, I |
readily consented to friendly adjustment. |
Still holding firmly to that much coveted
dictatorship I proposed to divide the |
estimated profits, and so we compromised !
our disagreements, by Mr.. Driscoll and !
Mr.. Nichols accepting $4,000 of the first
earned profits, which was not one-haIf the
titled if they had held on to their monyed
rights and let alone the question of who
should be director. This, Mr.. Editor,
is the plain truth and moth
ing but the truth regarding this
$4,000 falsehood which has Travelled the
country at large for the last twelve years,
making its regular appearance in every
political campaign in which the editor of
the Press was taking part. 1t has gone
on its way uncontradicted by me, for the
heretofore stated, and because it
never came up with such an Endorsement
as you gave IT In this mornings issue of
the GLOBE, when you stated that the Tribune
article in question was inspired by
Col. Vim. S. King. On the contrary, 1
most earnestly and vigorously protested
against the original publication. as wholly
in many of its statements of
facts, as wholly false in others and as mis-
leading and calumnous in the conclusions
it urged of corrupt or improper action on
the part of the editor and publishers of
the st. Paul Press. For, whether that pa
per should or should not support Mr.. Win
dom for senator was never so much as
or talked of between US during
the whole Of the angry controversy, and
had no bearing upon or relation to the
question whatever. And these, Mr.. Editor,
are the exact facts, and this the truthful
story of that celebrated case," the memo
ry of which you revive in your issue of
this morning. Very respectfully Yours,
WN. S. KING.
Minneapolis. February 26th, 1888.