St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-10-24
PALPABLE BLUNDERS
Made by the Republicans at
Rochester.
Special to the Globe.

Special TO the Globe.
ROCHESTER, Oct. 23.-The enthuSi-
asm of ward campaign pales into in
significance before the heat and fury of
such political battle as is now waging
in the First congressional district. / do
not know how to describe it except to
say that every man. woman and child in
The district who has the least concern in
politics has taken Il side, and wherever
Won GO. and 10 WhOmSOeVer you talk, 1t
is Wilson. Dunnell, tariff reform and
protection. Underneath this popular
wave of excitement is strong current
of partisan bitterness that L have seen
already find expression in blows and
savage words. This latter feature, it IS
true. is confined to the old line elements
of both parties. AlOOf from them stand
the independent, thinking element
studying with an earneStness that |
have never seen manifested before in
Minnesota, the issue of higher or lower
taxes. The Republican demonstration
at Rochester Saturday was int nded TO
hold to that party f1oating
vote that Olmsted county possesses.
But by series of absurd
blunders such as the manager of a
schoolbOy's battle would hardly be
guilty of. more votes were alienated
from the party than held. In the first
place. the spectacle of State Auditor
Braden. Merriam, BObleter. II. G..
Evans, F. +. Davis and other Republic
an Wire-pullerS marching in the mud
with torches was so palpable a bid for
votes that it stuck right out and shamed
Republicans who stopped to think of it
The streets were fearfully muddy, and
although the procession took to the
walks, it was impossible to keep out of
the dirt. Into the sluSh went Merriam,
and into the SluSh went BObleter, Evans
and the rest, and the kerosene from the
torches dripped over their fine clothes
and the mud OOZed into their footwear,
while the cold wind chilled them to the
marrow. Farmer Riley stood Oh the
walk as they passed and exclaimed:
You needn't put on your pOmpadOur
airs! Shure an if Oi had a plug hat |
could wear as much stole as the rest av
yees."
1t was this same Farmer Riley whom
Hank Richardson took up and intro
duced to Merriam. When Mr.. Riley
escaped from the august presence he
asked:
SIS that fellow with the monkey face
and the red WhiSkers on his chin the
Republican candidate for governors
lie was told that he was, at which he
exclaimed:
Doomed if I'll vote for him.
1nelegant as Mr. Riley'S expression
may have been. it but echoed the senti-
ments of many a tiller of the soil who
witnessed the farcical proceedings OF
Saturday night. Blunder No. 2 was in
permitting inmates Of the state insane
asylum here to march in the procession
It is estimated that as high as -four
ward, about $50 mem of the ASYLUM
were brought out and made to marcel,
They belonged to the harmless class OF
patients, but it IS a singular thing that
the wards of the state should be made
10 90 out on inclement nights to swell
the numbers in a Republican process.
sion. The thing was carried to that eX.
tent the citizens of Rochester were
aStOniShed to see in line an insane per
son from their owD community who had
been sent to the asylum only two
months ago. Blunder No. was i'm per.
uniting Merriam to speak. He said
only few words.
Fellow Citizens, Ladies and Gentle
men: l am pleased to meet you. and
pleased to see such a turnout. Some
years ago the people Of this state asked
for railroads. and ROW a network covers
the state. The gentleman behind me
will now talk to you"
He was talking to the intelligence
and common sense of OImsted county,
and so fiat did his words fall, such q
sense Of disappointment came with
them, that the chill could be felt in the
hall when he sat down. Succeeding
this were a number of other blunder;
that have made the Democratic cause
stronger than ever before. During the
afternoon Of Saturday the following cir
cular was distributed among the farm
ers in Rochester: