St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-03-19
HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF.
Origin OF the Sly Boom Power Behind
tho Throne.
An Old Manipulation Tells How the
Alderman May Become Mayor.

Alderman May Become Mayor.
If there be one man i'm the city who cal
be always relied upon 10 attempt the i'm
probable and accomplish his purpose wheI
within the range OF possibility, that man is
Ed A. Stevens, 1.-THE power behind tn;
throne under more than one administra
tion." During the last fifteen years he ha:
been the active manipulation of many DO
litical enterprise, and again ''bobs up So
renly' in an unexpected quarter. 1t is now
an open secret that he originated the phe
nOmenal boom for Aid. Sly for mayor. anC
that instead of regrettng its onward strides
Is chucklng over its constantly swelling
proportions. Why this unlocked for boon
was started none knew, although many
gueSSes have been made. The few who
knew that Ed was ut the bottom of il sup
posed he intended perpetrating drive al
the alderman, and was glad 10 see him fall
so readily into the trap and receive the
bee" with such hearty welcome. The
GLOBE, which was the first to catch ON and
publish the fact that Sly was in the field
Tor mayor with host OF adherentS. wearies
not in well doing and is now able to throw
additional light upon the subject. Mr.
Stevens was in exceptionally good hum OF
last evening and more communicative than
is his wont, albeit that at times he was
| somewhat evaSive. In the main, however.
he satisfactorily explained what has been a
perpleXing problem. and the explana-
ton is promptly laid before a long-suffer-
ing public. On being asked the question
which had superseded weather inquiries,
''wHo WILL BE MAYOR"
he quickly responded:
81 shall be-if run; but the chances are
! that will not. You see, / have promised our
good friend w. II. DOnahue that il he failed
/ 70 get TO the front il would not be because
stood in his way. / never made a political
promise that did not keep, and so / cannot
/ consistently be candidate. Donahue don't
want it, Well, you don't know him-what is
| there that he doesn't want He doesn't really
| expect il, however, but may help pull the
| chestnuts from the fire. and will not be greatly
| disappointed. BE serious for once? Well,
| seriousness goes. Every thing is very badly
mixed, or seems to be. Mayor Pillsbury will
not run again-not even il unanimously re-
| nominated. After the pledges made by him.
publicly and privately, he could not honora-
bly, do so, and he is an honorable man. not
political trickster. Many Republicans think
he is playing the coy maiden and vowing he'll
never consent, will yield, but they do not
know the man. Others secretly expect the
lightning 10 strike them. and thinking they
see the gates ajar, are willing TO go through
the slough OF deSpond and mire OF a cam
To get there himself. They will have pri-
waite meeting of the faithful on Monday even
ing after the caucuses and before the conven-
ton, ana will probably settle upon a new
dark horse" about the color OF 5. W. Farm
ham, and nominate him the next day with a
rush. Camp is 4 strong man, but has bOlted
TOO many nominations and cracked too many
heads 10 please the old-lners, and in all prob
ability will be quietly laid away.
THE DEMOCRATS ARE AT SEA
also; that is they are not strictly OF one &C.
/ cord and a painful lack OF harmony exists
DIR. Ames is the choice of two-thirds of the
party, and would poll at least 1000 votes
more than any other man likely to be NOM
mated, but his friends will have to look sharp
at the caucuses or many of the delegates will
get away. 1t Is by no means certain that the
| doctor or Aid Morse will either of them be
| nominated. They may both get left and the
| Democratic party go of on a tangent-not
put its Foote in il, but nominate II man who
will sweep the city as Unexpectedly as Ames
first swept it, when George A. Bracket was
laid on his back and Charlie Pillsbury threw
up both hands before noon or election day
Mr.. Stevens evidently supposed he had
| finished his remarks, but warmed I'D again
when asked if the report that Aid. Sly and
himself had become reconciled was true, and
answered:
Now, what has that to do with washburn
and the motor! tell you that soda fountain
is SUGGESTIVE seidlitZ is so strong that il
sickened Gale. Corser & Co., and they may as
well knuckle first as last. Oh, that reconcilia-
ton? Well, a short time ago Glenn and Ames
buried their little hatchets where they could
find them, and yesterday Gov. Hubbard aud
Col. Bend fell upon one another's necks and
swore Hnd-suppose you ask Sly about il.
Thinking he wouldn't give down on that
subject, the reporter changed his tactics and
suggested that
THE SLY BOOM FOR MAYOR
hadn't been started without purpose, and
when Mr.. Stevens found il was likely to at
once become known who started it. he be-
came more dOcile and said:
IF you won't give me away, TN give you
front seat ticket" Being satisfied on that
point, he unbosomed himself as follows:
politics makes queer bedfellows and the
whirligig of time brings queer changes.
Washburn and Fletcher hobnob together;
Glenn and Ames, Lawrence and Barge and
Callaghan and Foote are said to do likewise
while Sly and myself never speak as we pass
by do not dote on the man, but have more
respect for him than for host OF pusillani-
nous sneaks who insinuate what they dare
not utter. However, i seldom carry INV per-
sonal likes and dislikes into politics, and the
Sly boom was started for q purpose and is
working well. You need not be surprised 10
propose the election will be a one-sided affair
L expect 10 20 for him myself and TO set
forth his claims in colors as vivid as those
with which he paints the town. 1 have col
lected the data for campaign history, and,
sinking all personal feelings for the common
veal, will endeavor TO let the people know
what manner of man he is. The Republican
nominee! Bless you, no; Sly is too outspoken
for their use. He is wide-open and cut bias
and would as soon break a city ordinance as
Taann Wa.nn
first let mo tell you what happened in this
same city in municipal campaign some
years since.
ABOUT DECADE AGO
brilliant young Republican alderman dared
TO aspire to a nomination for mayor and was
the evident choice of his party, but not hav-
ing secured the permission of the slate
workers to enter the field, a fitting rebuke
was determined upon and the blood and brains
or the Republican party in private caucus as
sembled, decided that George a. Bracket
should be nominated and the young reprobate
soundly spanked. The caucuses were packed
and the young Republican alderman was left
wounded and sore by the wayside. Many
passed by on the other side and there is no
telling what might have happened had it not
been for good Samaritan who bound up his
wounds and placed him over night in Demo
cratic hospital where the operation known as
TRANSMISSION of blood was performed, and he
was discharged cured OF Republcanism, and
given credentials which commissioned him TO
take the field against his late adversary. At
the head of the diuner-pail brigade he at
tackled the combined forces of Gems. Wash
burn, King, Bracket and others. and utterly
routed them. whereupOn he assumed the reins
Of city government and made a very accept
able young Democratic mayor. At the end of
a year he was taken sick and temporarily
placed upon the retired list, but has since
been a very active campaigner. Three days
before election his chances were not deemed
as good as are the chances OF Aid. Sly to-day,