St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-08-15
"SOUIs GfsAPES.n

What am Amateur Reporter Saw at
the IL. of d.. Picnic.i
To the Editor of the Globe:
"Will you go up and take in the picnic for
us?" asked the managing editor of paper.
I am not shorthand reporter, and ex-
cused myself on that ground.
That is not what l want" replied the ed
itor; 81 want some one to mingle with the
crowd and look It over. see how they look.
hear what they say-nOt what the speakers
get of. for we know pretty near now what
that will be-the same old, old story. want
you to report the crowd, not the speakers.
All the Information you get from it write
it up
''lf that is what you want will CO." and
here are my notes:
/ found al the corner of Washington avenue
and First street train started every ten
minutes. Each train had four cars and all
were loaded with passengers. This was con-
veying 1000 per hour by this means alone.
1t was evident that vast numbers had found
their way TO Calhoun park, for there were
fully 10000 people there by II O'Clock, and
before o'clock the number had doubled.
Still they kept coming until it IS
possible that 10000 people might have been
on the grounds at once. 1t was this vast
crowd was TO take in? ana as 1t would be
preposterous to tell what was there, l
will tell what / didn't see. l saw not one
drunken maL not lake OF kaulDler WlInlu tue
grounds, not lewd woman-if there, they
must have been as Milton describes Satan
when he first beheld Eve in her beautiful in
nocence:
For a while stupidity good
Neither saw dude or dudess flashing vulgar
oStentation in the face of this crowd, for
even these soft senseleSs creatures were
either repeed by uncongenial feelings, or
had sense enough to know that their airs and
gewgaws would mash NO one there. did not
see one disorderly act. l saw more than
10000 men and women who labor for wages,
d large and representative body Of the class
who mainly have produced the wealth of
minneapolis, but who now hold but
small moiety of it. L saw far
rners and their families in very large
numbers from the surrounding country ex
changing friendly SITUATIONS with these me-
chanics. ] saw sages there, gathering
elements which he expects will aid him in
his efforts to solve the great problem of social
economy. l saw politicians watching the
straws to see which way the wind blows, and
/ am inclined to think some of them con-
Guided the adverse winds had been let out OF
the bag by somebody. | heard much-more
than this short article could contain of short,
sharp and emphatic sentences, one or two of
which must serve as sample for all:
They've legislated our wages out Of our
pockets long enough Wen stop this next
wiDter.''
Friend" said I, 1.-The logic of your remark
leads to socialism, to the overthrow of society,
to an interference with vested rights"
.'Hang vested rights. Ibelieve with Jetfer-
son that each generation should bear its own
The logic Of that idea leads to the
Adjustment of all such nonsense
as vested rights. My father was
killed in the late war. Can you
ind bondholder that did as much? Then
why should l be taxed to pay the son for
money the father loaned?"
1.-The nation lives" said I. "Your father
died on the battlefield, and the rich old bond
holder died in his palace; both common &C.
currences IN national life. Your father
would Indignantly repel the charge, If he
could, that his life's blood was given for
money, although he received, in common with
all other soldiers, his monthly pay. This
money was loaned by the bondholder, and the
faith and credit of the nation given to
pay it,
There's where you are mistaken. The
whole bond business, as it now Stands
| orig mated long after the war. and is no war
measure at al. / have no time to discuss
that now, nor do favor Reputation. But
we do intend to break rings, smash states
elect our friends'-yery emphatic-''stop
class legislation, change the supreme court,
stop this taX-tite nonsense, and lots of other
| nonsense, turn legislation iuto the
| channel Of the greatest good to the
| good for the greatest number, and keep it
| there, until each individual has the largest
possible liberty, until each town and county
| in the state has exclusive control of its own
local matters, and until the state condemns
| and controls by the right of eminent domain
| every railroad. telegraph and telephone in the
| state"
is not this going too far?'
mo farther than the supreme court has
| gone with our university domain in their zeal
! to serve the roads,
| There was bv this time a very large crowd
| constantly growing, SO I concluded to leave
| him. was satisfied that that crowd almost
| to man sympathiZed with my friend, and
was surprised that young man of not over
| TWENTY-FIVE should be so well posted and talk
| so forciby and logically. 1 thought of the old
| saying:
''Our fathers have eaten sour grapes, and
| the children's teeth are set on edge
| And concluded if this young mans pro-
| phetic utterances were realized we might eat
| sour grapes and set our own teeth on edge,
| but our childrens wouldn't be edged very
much.
This is fair sample of what I heard and
| learned. / heard another thing too-a wild
| yell Of enthusiasm when speaker mentioned
| DIR. Ames as the next governor of Minnesota
| Minneapolis, Aug. 1S. "ETCHER.'
! MINNEAPOLlS .sRED.HOTS.,,
Hardly drunken man was seen in the
| great crowd OF 10000 people at the Knights of
4 y