St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-10-25
He Answers His SlandepepS
and Turns Their Charges
to Boomerangs.
Many Years Ago He Defeated
the Man Who Prosecuted
Him.
Since Then He Has Been Made
State Legislator, Judge
and Congressman.
Special TO the Globe


HUTCHINSON, Mimi, Oct. 24.-One of
the largest political meetings of the en-
tire season was held here last evening.
Tie announcement that Judge Mac
Donald was to speak brought the farm
ers in from all directions to hear the
tariff discussed, for they had confidence
III his statements. The hall was packed
full, and many were unable to gain adj
mission, and went away disappointed.
The meeting was organized with Judge
j. Y. '. Lewis as chairman,
who introduced our congressman as
one whom they all knew; and
the storm of applause which greeted
that gentleman's appearance proved the
strong hold which he has upon their
affections. Judge Macdonald began
speaking at eight o'clock and closed at
twenty minutes past ten. His audience
remained interested listeners to the end,
and showed no indication of WEAKNESS:
which is all that is nee eSSary to say as
to how it was received. He began by
saying that before engaging in discus
sion OF the great question of tariff re-
ductiOn and reform, he would brush
away the smoke and dust which
the Republican political leaders aud
speakers had raised, or were trying to
raise, to obscure their political vision
and conceal the real question at stake;
and would begin by diSposing of the
falSeboodS which his opponents, by his
tools and parasites, had put in circula-
ton to Willy and besmirch his charac-
ter. He first took up the falSehoOd that
he had been written to to introduce
bill to procure q pension for
A SOLDIERS WIDOW
in ShakOpee. and refused to do so, and
disposed of 1t by saying that it was "a
lie manufactured out of whole CLOTH"
without an apology for an excuse. and
challenged the production of any proof
to sustain the yarn" He then re-
ferred to the tissue of falSehoOds, Wifi
cation and SANDER which had appeared
in the Glencoe Register, and calling at
tentiOn to the fact that this had all been
answered and cOntradicted in that paper
by the letters of member of Glencoe
e. \. II. post and himself. said he
called attention to it to illustrate and
emphasize the character of the cam
paign that was being conducted
against him. He the passed to a con-
sideration of The revival by the Mime
apOlis Tribune (Which he designated as
the principal organ of D. S. HalD of
the thrty-year-old story of his being in
dicted for illegal voting, and showed
that the finding of it was the result of a
political feud, and a Republican con-
spiracy, which reacted upon all
who had a hand in it; as
its present revival would upon
ID. S. Hall. He gave full account of
the facts connected with that political
feud, and said that it was found by
grand jury, the foreman of which was
then unfriendly, aud. naturally, willing
TO listen to county attorney, who was
a Republican and then at war with him.
He said that his counsel Judge Chat
field, insisted upon demurring to the in
dictment, as necessary to characterize
the prosecution, and that he sought his
vindicatiOn at the hands of his fellow
citizens becoming candidate for county
attorney, at the very next election
against the county attorney who
procured that indictment. and. after a
discussion of everything connected with
that affair. he
DEFEATED Ills OPPONENT
by vote OF 3 to l. Since then he had
been reelected county attorney, and
later several times to the state legiS-
lature and senate, and then twice as
judge of this judicial district. and at
last to congress. the position he now
holds. He said that he had sup
posed that these old quarrels were
buried in oblivion, and he was con-
fident that the others who were ell
gagged in them, and who since had be-
come TecOnciIed. would denounce in I'M
measured terms this unwarranted and
unjustiliable digging up of what has
for years been considered. and desired
e, L. id l.
feelingly, and his audience showed
themselves to be in full sympathy with
him by the storm of applause which
greeted his denunciatiOn of this style of
electiOneering. But it still remained
for him TO explode another bomb that
carried diSmay into the ranks of Halls
(Of St. Paul supporters. This was in his
explanation of the grievance of Platt
Walker. whose ''interVieWS' foretell-
ing Macdonald defeat, etc. y are being
published by Republican papers in this
district. He said that Walker was a
candidate for dOorkeeper of the house,
and his claimed support did not materi-
alize. After the election he applied to
DOOrkeeper Hunt for a valuable posi-
ton under him, and sent Hon. Edmund
Rice to Mr. Macdonald with the state
ment that Mr.. Hunt would appoint
COL. BlAIT WALKER
to 4 good position if the Minnesota
Democratic members would unite in
asking for his appointment and ac-
cept that as all the patron
age from the dOorkeeper which
it could receive. He (MacDonald
informed Mr.. Rice that he could not
enter into such an arrangement. as he
had already applied for, and had the
promise of, the appointment of one
Charley Coffin, the orphan boy of
veteran of the old First Minnesota
regiment, and would not go back'' on
the boy. The climax of intense feeling
was raised when he said: MY friends,
while that bows father fought to pre-
serve this Union in the ranks of the
gallant First Minnesota, Plat Walker
was in the Confederate army fighting to
destroy it: and you can imagine what
my present enemies would now say if
had proved false to the soldiers
orphan. But Mr.. Hall and friends
are now using Plat Walkers
failure to have me do this to deprive me
of votes" Apologizing for taking up
so much time he proceeded to a discus
sion of the tariff. His remarks on this
we will not attempt to epitOmiZe. 1t is
enough TO say that he convinced many
who previously believed otherwise, and
mode his supporters enthusiastic. He
closed with an answer to the general
''bloody shirt speeches of Republicans.
and defense of President Cleveland's 1
administration. anti defended his vetOes
by reading what leading Republicans
had 70 say of them. The meeting was a
grand success.
RUDDICK'S RULINGS.