St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-09-22
That Has Stained the Hon.
or of a Fair
State.
Scenes at the Time 1t Was
Taken and When Honor
Fled.
Republican Leaders Scored
and Forced to Act on the
Defensive.
D. Aberle Nails a Pioneer
Press Fake to the
Cross.

Jusac1 has never yet been done to the
manner in which the balloting in the
late Republican convention was carried
on after the delegates had decided that
their votes should be secret. Up to that
time such skullduggery as may have
been committed was not conspicuous,
and McGill and Scheffer each felt as
confident of being nominated as
Merriam did. The chair had
hardly declared that the balloting would
be secret before there poured on to that
part of the floor where the delegates
were seated host of men, not dele
gates, but who carried in their hands
Merriam ballots. They took possession
of the aisles or worked themselves into
the center of delegations; crowded
around the balloting box or stole away
toward
THE VACANT ROOMS
and Railways III the front of the build
ing. To the moment of their appear
ance the convention had been per-
vaded with St eming spirit OF fairness.
The contest had been one of apparent
honesty, and delegates and their lead
ers were cordially agreed. But moth
ing could be more sudden or
remarkable than the change that swept
over them as the secret proceedings
began and the troop of Merriam work
ers tiocked in and settled upon them.
Conventions, like many other things,
have atmOSphereS of their own. TO
some the auras of honesty and principle
are attached, and over others settles the
pail of dishonesty and corrupt practices.
This Republican convention had its own
peculiar atmosphere, and it was one
during the last two ballots that was sur
charged with treachery, deceit, the
traitorOuS conduct of friend to
friend and the betrayal of
party and self. Some unseen and feared
force began to play on the delegates sit
ting nervouSly in their seats. They
looked blankly at Loren Fletcher when
lie beseeched them to vote for McGill.
and the
APPEAL OF HIXsON
to stand true for Schetfer fell upon deaf
ears. Their heads were down, aud
their minds far away. Perhaps they
were thinking of the instructions that
stituents; mayhap the mortgage
on the farm bothered, or they
fretted over hotel bills unpaid. What
ever it was they sat like dumb cattle
waiting some final blow. From point
TO point flew the Merriam managers.
The chairman of delegation after dele
CATION was seen. 1t was the laying of
light hand Oh his shoulder, whispered
word or two. OF maybe the penciling OF
a few figures on slip of paper, the slip
passing rapidly from one member of
the delegation to another and being
carefully held so that peeping eyes
should not descry. These whispers
or the little slip of paper produced
marvellous facial changes. Eyes be-
came sharp and keen, heads went up,
and where McGill or Scheffer bal
lots had been. Merriam arms appeared.
But often the willy entrappers working
in Mr.. Merriam'S interests failed to see
a delegation until it had nearly reached
the ballot box. What scurrying there
was then. Before the vote had been
cast the delegates were seized and
HURRIED AWAY.
Some to the secret corners, others
into Railways. The county'S vote was
passed in the roll call until the secret
conference should be over. When these
delegates, who had been led to dark
places, returned, there was a CLEAN of
satisfaction in their eyes, but
their heads hung down, there was
a false color in their faces, and as if by
perfect betrayal their hands were close
to their pockets. No artist has left for
us the portrait of Judas IScariOt when
the thirty pieces of silver were handed
to him, but if there was such a picture
in existence there were delegates there
that day who have borne a resemblance
to the picture. Delegate after delegate
pledged by what is commonly considered
to be an oath of honor to vote for
McGill or Scheffer went up to the ballot
box under circumstances such as these,
and cast their vote for Merriam. No
discerning God stood there to accuse
them of treachery, and yet they trem-
bled; no one liSped that their
HONOR HAD BEEN SOLD,
and yet they bowed their heads, Sneaked
back to their seats, looked wildly about,
as if all the world knew, and the finger
of scorn were pointing at them. How
do men act when they vote by cOnvic-
ton. or for the redemption of a pledge?
DO they cast their ballot in the dark,
hang heads, turn eyes down. make lips
tremble, deny fraud before fraud is
charged? In the Democratic state con-
ventioh 359 men openly declared how
they voted and for whom their ballots
were cast. In the Republican state
convention 10 men did not dare to re-
veal how their choice was given. Oh,
it was curious to notice the skulking in
that convention; more curious still to
see how, with Merriam nominated. the
delegates got away from one another as
if afraid that inward knowledge might
steal away.
s'Bought!" said Gov. McGill.
'Boughtv' said Albert Scheffer.
''Bought!" said Mr.. Gilman. And ITO
pairs of eyes in the Republican state
convention on the night of Sept. 6
famed forth until their blasting bright
ness made bar sinister On the honor of
the state. Bought" was the echo.