The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1888-09-20
One of the most fragrant exhibitions of

Kilt SoNCluo1 bcti ~, VI lhiS SothCy ttI
the late Republican State Convention.
He had been elected delegate from Sank
Centre to the county convention as a
supporter of Gov. McGill; he had been
elected delegate to the state convention
as a supporter Of Gov. McGill; he had
pledged himself in the strongest manner
to give Gov. McGill his honest support
in the convention; and even after his ar
rival in St. Paul had expressed himself as
on that side, in the following interview
in the Pioneer Press of Tuesday, the day
before the state convention:
"A. Barto-The Stearns county delega-
ton stands five for McGill and one, John
Cooper, for Merriam. The chances are
very favorable for the denomination Of
Governor McGill."
Yet, in the face of all this and without
a word of warning or explanation to the
friends of Coy. McGill on the delegation,
he made speech on the floor of the cen
yention, seconding Mr.. Merriam's nomi-
nation and from that moment became
one of his most active and vociferous
workers.
The above extract from a halfcolumn
article in the Journal Press of last week
condenses as much malicious misstate-
ment as could be conveniently compressed
into equal space. Aside from the final
clause it is absolutely and unqualiiedly
false, and the editor of the Journal Press
penned the above in irexcusable ignor-
ance or wanton malice-he knows which.
So far from having "been elected dele
gate to the county convention as sup
porter of Gov. McGill," the leader of the
opposition to him in a largely attended
caucus, openly then and there declared
that the wing headed by him was for
Coy. McGill, and while he didn't know
much about the governor, yet he showed
his good sense in not appointing Barto
for district judge, and that was sufficient
to win his support. That venomous al
fusion, emanating from a professed sup
porter of Mr.. McGiil, lost him the Sank
Centre delegation to the county conven-
ton, and probably the Stearns county
delegation in the state convention. In
reply Mr.. Barto openly declared that he
had no particular choice among the cam
didates then prominent, and if selected
would be mo mans man." but should go
unpledged and unfettered-free to exer-
else his Judgment and cast his vote for
the candidate who appeared best calcula-
ted to lead the party to victory. These
are notorious facts here. St. Clouds in
fuence was thrown against Gov. Barto
in caucus, and the politicians who now
assume to be so horror-stricken at his
action attempted to run Sank Centres
caucus, but did not have the nerve to
run the county convention at Paynes-
vile. The Sank Centre and other west
srn Stearns delegations at Paynesville
were ertreated to enter into a bargain
that meant McGill first and Gilman Sec
ond, and steadfastly declined any such
alliance. They were then Threatened,
only to laugh at the threats, and defiant
ly invited the St. Cloud schemers to de-
prive them of representation on the state
delegation by defeating Barto and Whit
ney. The POSITION Of Gov. Barto was
well knoM. He was an anti Gilman
man, as were the solid twenty-five dele
gates from western Stearns, and Mr.. Gil
man and all his friends knew it, They
knew what to expect. Mr.. McGill's
friends in that convention could have had
a solid McG;ll delegation from Stearns
county if they had controlled even less
than ten votes from eastern Stearns and
had had the will and the courage to use
them. The editor of the .JournaEPress
knows this-and another ardent St.
Cloud McGill man knows it and declared
with emphasis that he would have given
a hundred dollars if he had known it a
week earlier. Mr.. McGill's friends might
have had Gov. Barto with ther1-but not
so long as they werein alliance with MIR.
Gilman. They deliberately made their
choice, and they have no occasion to
find fault with nor misrc present the re-
suit of it,
Gov. Barto went to the state converl-
ton an anti-Gilman man, prepared to
use his influence in Lehalf of the caAdi-
date which developed the most strength
and seemed best calculated to prevent a
dead-lock-a condition which Mr.. Gil
man strenuously labored for as his only
hope for nomination. He had openly
and repeatedly said that while not OPP
posed to Mr.. McGill, if it seemed best for
the party to renominate him, yet he had
hoped a new man would be taken up and
nominated, but as among the candidates
then prominent he preferred Mr.. Merri-
am.
So far as the interview quoted is con-
cerned the Governor saw no reporter of
the Pioneer Press, and did not use the
language attributed to him, nor any
thing akin to it.
OUR GOVERNOR.
THERE is an incident in the public rec