St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-09-21
Free Trade in Wheat and
High Tariff on Necessities
Their Portion,
And They Will Be Heard From
at the Ballot in No
Vember.
Indications Numerous That
the Democratic Vote Will
Be Very Large.
Special 10 the Globe.

Special to the Globe.
OwAToNNA, Sept. 2O.-Coming up the
valley of the Minnesota, the Eden OF
the North Star state, Republican
politician swept with his glance the
fertile rolling land, and remarked:
'"rhese farmers seem well OFF ana
happy; why should they be so set upon
a tariff reductiOn%
Observation and inquiry through this
section, which has never been set down
as wild on the tax reduction question,
leads ME to the conclusion that OF all
wears, the farmer will select the year OF
grace, 1888, to emphatically express his
demand for lower taxes. The crop,
which gave such abundant prom
ise in the beginning, was cut
off as by an interposition OF
Providence, and five bushels will be a
large average wheat yield. There Is
no money to the farmer in this, and If
he can keep up the interest on his mort
gage he will do well for the year. What
is more natural, then, than that he
should mediate the question OF lower
tariff and taxes. especially when he is
stared in the face by the assertion that,
on as good authority as State Treasurer
BObleter. the state levy must be in
creased next year? That is why so
many farmers came in here last night
to hear Hon. E. NJ. Wilson eXpOund the
Democratic idea and reasons for the re-
duction Of the tariff. There were
so MANY FARMERS
at that meeting and they came so early
that the tOWnSpeOple were unable 10
find seats, though the MoorhouSe Opera
house was used, from 800 to 400 were
unable to gain admission. Mr. wilson
made great speech. He suited the Oc-
casiOn. 1t was a mere talk, just as
though the next governor had half a
dozen farmers in his Office, quietly talk
TO them of suject very near to their
hearts. 1t had more effect than thou
sand ordinary Republican speeches,
such as have been delivered here.
whether they were the mOnOpoly-pald
Jokes of Roswell q. HOrr, the smutty
stories and lurid abuses of the shrieking
Jim O'Brien, or the imported Indiana
oratory of the obese Robert u.
Evans. 1t did not rattle over the
heads of those who heard it like
a pSssing thunderstorm, but sunk into
their hearts and carried conviction that
spoke through their eyes while they
listened. He illustrated the benefits,
ave. the necessities of lower tariff by
examples taken right here at home;
from the farmer, who sells his wheat
under free trade and worlds cOmpetl-
ton. getting the lowest price, ana VINO
buVS his necessities of life and labor at
the highest price monopoly tariff can
assess: from the seeder mills and car
Of nVVQ
wages are not affected by the tariff,
which only increases the cost Of wood
and iron: from tile implement works of
OWatonna. which competeS, tariff and
all. with the whole world. That was
the kind of speech it was, and the effect
NAV be imagined. 1t is the talk OF the
town to-day. | met a farmer named
GAM, from Medford township, who had
come in to hear the speech and re-
mained over night. He has always been
a Republican. =,
"You are surely for tariff reduction" :"
said l.
LOT course [ am,'' he replied, land l
ALWAYS have been, and my party has
been promising and promising it for
wears, but don't believe they mean it,.
See here" and he produced the plat
form of the Minnesota Republicans of
1856. Here is where stand and have
stood. but it seems my party has left
me. On that platform l could have
voted for Merriam, but last night | told
Mr.. Wilson he could
COUNT ON MY VOTE"
Now. when such StrawS as these may
be picked up all over this valley, what
will the aggregate do, when gathered
into the rick of the ballot boxes in No
Yember?
Il could tell you the names of a dozen
men who will vote with US this year for
the first time" said B. s. Cook, chair
man of the Democratic county commit
tee. but it would do harm. 1t was
stated here short time ago that GER
tain influential Swede would cast his
first Democratic vote this year, and
what was the result? A dozen Republi-
cans got after him with threats, per-
suasiOns and entreaties, and we nearly
lost him. Let the leayen work, but let
it work quietly"
A GLANCE AT THE COUNTY.
Steele county has never been very
promising vineyard for the laborer III
Democracy, but like every other cOun-
tv, it is undergoing the certain and sat
isfactOrv change. In 1884, out of a vote
of about $500, it gave Blaine 267 major
ity. Two years ago, with a total vote
of nearly 2,SOO, McGill had 40 majority,
while Judge Wilson turned it over and
got SO majority. Not only is the IN
creased vote largely Democratic, but
the old vote is slowly changing. The
ProhibitiOnists are slowly but surely
eating their way into the Republican
strength, taking its best and most prin-
cipled men. st. John got but II votes
in 1884, while Roberts for congress got
129 in 1886, and Hugh Harrison in
1883 will get 25O. HIS fliends
claim $50, and they are making
hopes, but 80 is a faiE estimate. The
result is not hard to figure. The county
grows but slowly and will cast about
$500 votes in November. If $50 go tC
Harrison 1850 are left for division be-
| tween Wilson and Merriam. Over 9s
per cent of the Prohibition strength
comes from the Republicans, and allow.
! ing an equal division of the new vote
| we have: Wilson, 1,315; Merriam
1,235; Harrison, $3.50. The Democrats
say Wilson's majority will be over 100
| and the PrOhibItioniSts say Harrison:
vote will exceed 800. The most san
guine Republican is only expecting tt
hold his own, so my average Is mOdes
| one.
Look at the complexion of the county
1t is very largely made up of Germans
Norwegians, Swedes, BOhemians anC
Polanders. Herman Schmidt, presiden
| of the county commissions, &. f. AL
bertus, one of Owatanna's oldest mer
chants, and j. A. Oppliger. prominen
cattle dealer, say the German vote i:
solid for Wilson. M. Swanson, who sa
on the stage last night, said the Seandi
nayians are all becoming either Demo