St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-02-23
Some Interesting Speculations as
to Sabin's Attitude Con-
occasionally.
His Personal Preference for Fletcher
but He Doesn't Mean to Interfere.
The Proteus Report Highly Recommends Lieut.
Colwell for the Greedy Relief
Expedition.
Keifer on the Stand and Cross Questioned
by Boynton.
Especial Telegram to the Globe

animation of the prosecuting witness, Mr..
Keifer. He is represented by one of the
shrewdest of Washington lawyers, and Gen.
Bovnton has made mistake of undertaking
the management of his own case. On the
stand Mr.. Keifer manifested a great deal of
nervousness by flushed face
and uneasy movement of the hands,
and by continually wriggling in revolving
chair. Gen. Boyn ton sat directly opposite,
and being very deaf leaned forward with a
hand to his ear and looked steadily at the
witness, while Keifer averted his head and
at no time looked Boynton steadily in the
face.
When the examiner-in-c had ended,
members Of the committee asked few ques-
tions, and Boynton cross-examined edat consid-
erable length. It was at this time that Keifer
seemed to be the most uneasy, twisting his
chair about, looking at the cell
ing and the pictures on the wall
and at everybody but Boynton. At first his
| answers were given in the same gruff and
| bullying tone that became SO familiar in his
bearing toward the leaders of the minority
during the exciting period of his term as
speaker of the house, but when he found that
Boynton's manner was courteous and re-
spectful, and he was not equal to his self
assumed role of cross-examiner, Keifer be-
came more gracious and even familiar in his
replies.
Boynton showed clear appreciation of the
salient points in the printed speech and
testimony of the witness, but not being
a lawyer and too deaf to hear distinctly all
that was said by the witness or members of
the committee he had frequently to bring out
points he wished to develop. His questions
were argumentative and leading, and often
such as would expose to a shrewd or corrup
witness the damaging effect of the probable
answer and enable him to avoid entangle-
ment. Many of the questions were ruled
out by the committee, although they evidently
appreciated Boynton's difficult situation and
were as lenient as they could properly be.
Mr.. Keifer positively reaffirmed the
account he had given in relation
to the alleged attempt of Boynton to bribe
him, but could not name the time of day nor
the particular day on which it occurred. His
statement was corroborated in part by his
word and former clerk. Gen. Boynton
showed by cross-examining Keifer that they
had been intimate friends; that Keifer fre-
quently visited his Office to furnish him with
information to support him for congress and
for the speakership; that after the alleged at
| tempt to corrupt him he did not use his
power of speaker to exclude Boynton from
the privilege of the press gallery hoI
expose him to the house or In the news
papers. He also sought to bring out the fact
| that it was improbable hat he would have at
tempted to bribe Keifer to secure the passage
of private bill within the last four DAYS of
| possible to get it through the senate, where
the tariff bill and six appropriation bills were
yet to be passed.
sABIN AND THE FOURTH CONGRESSIONAL.
From Another Correspondent
There is good deal of talk among Mime
sotians in Washington relative to the con-
gressional nominee in the Fourth. district, on
the Republican side. This talk is largely
engendered by the supposed mplications of
Senator Sabin, who has been counted by the
public, as favorable to Fletcher, but now
finds two other personal friends in the field
good many efforts have been made to draw
thel senator out, but he steadily declines to
be interviewed on the subject. He says he
does not propose to be interviewed until he
gets ready. As he is generally quite free to
talk with newspaper men, though not always
telling them what they wish, his reticence
now may be regarded as a little ominous, or
words to that effect. AS the senator's lips
| are clam-like for the present on this topic,
your correspondent pumped an intimate and
reliable friend of the senator, who, not hay
ing quite as much political discretion as Mr..
Sabin, was willing to talk. This friend
says Sabin feels considerably embarrassed
by having three such personal friends
as Albert Scheffer, Fletcher, and our own
VIII Merriam in the field for the nomin alton
While not positively speaking by authority,
this gentleman says he understands Mr.
Sabin's position to be that, while feeling
warm sentiments of friendship which even
his bitterest opponents recognize as one of
the peculiarities and strong traits of bis char
acter, for all candidates in the field, that his
(Sabin's) intimate, personal and political
friends in Washington county are unalter-
ably in favor of Mr.. Fletcher. They are also
personal and political friends of that gentle
man.
This proxy spokesman further says that
Mr. Sabin feels that with resident Senator
from st. Paul and himself the next thing to
st. Paul man, having so many warm
personal, political and business friends in
that city, that Minneapolis is entitled to a
representative in the national council, and
of course with these feelings his natural in
clination would be toward Mr.. Fletcher's
| success.
Another gentleman who is known to be in
close relations to Mr.. Sabin, tells the GLOBE
that he has heard casual, and perhaps signif-
cant remarks to the effect that he, (sabin)
does not feel called upon to attend ward eau
cuses or conventions in the interest of any
one, although he is not backward at all in
enunciating the principle that he knows no
dignity or nobility of position conferred by
the suffrages of the people which would pre-
vent his serving his friends. He has suffi-
cient confidence in the abilityof the people to
make their own choice, and while he
will freely express his personal preferences,
he does not propose to place himself in a
position where any fair-minded man can
make any charge of dictation or bossism.
Among the Minnesotians in Washington
there are Ansel Oppenheim and wife, P. 81.
Kelly, Aid. Joseph Robert, Richards Gordon,
Maurice Lyon and daughter, 81. A. Castle
and wife, DR.. Day, Nat Myrick, W. B. Jor-
dan and Capt. Blakeley.
Western Associated Press.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 22.-Morrison has Of
fered in the ways and means committee, a