St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-01-19
PAGES OF PRECEDENTS.
Historical Allusions Under Dis.
cussion Among Members.

Historical AlIusions Under Dis
cussion Among Members.
When the ballot was taken in the
legislature on Jan. 81, 1875, G. H. Petit,
of Minneapolis, Zone of the active WASH
burn managers at this time), who had
been voting for Ramsey, changed his
vote to Mcmillan. and the newspapers
of that date contain this paragraph:
..Mr. Petit, in explaining his vote,
said that some, no doubt, would be sur
prised that he should change his vote
from the gentleman for whom he had
formerly voted, and an explanation
was due from him. For reasons which
he deemed it unnecessary to mention.
he did not deem himself any longer
bound by the caucus nomination."
The following is an extract from the
Legislative report of Jan. %. 1875:
PERSONAL EXPLANATION.
"Mr. Petit rose to personal ey-
planation, reading the following eX-
tract from the Press of this morning:
The reason for the falling off in Senator
Ramsey's vote was not learned by bis friends
until late in the afternoon. 1t was then de-
clared that sinister rumor had been
whispered about in the morning Just in time
to afford convenient preteXt for the chair
man of the Republican state central COM
mittee to bolt the nomination of his party,
his adventuresome example. Until all the
facts are unaarthed about the matter
which Senator Ramsey and his friends
are now vigorously engaged in doing-lt
would be premature to make public or to
comment on one of the most preposterous
pieces of political trickery which the can
vass has yet developed 1t is sufficient to
say. that gentleman who left the city yes
terday, has been urgently telegraphed for by
Senator Ramsey and his friends, to make an
appearance to-day and explain his connec-
ton with an accommodating arrangement to
supply Mr.. Petit with pretext for opposing
Senator Ramsey, for which the chairman of
the state central committee has long been
keenly searching, and for kindly volunteer
ing to place the pretended evidence of cor
ruptlon, for which he has benn so long on
the lookout, right under Mr.. Pettit's inquisi-
tive nose.
"The insinuatiOn." Mr.. Petit said.
t'that preteXt was made in his interest
was unjust. unfair and ungener0us. for
every gentleman in the Hennepin dele
gat' on, and many others. knew that
Mr.. Ramsey WIS his second choice
when the legislature met, for United
States senator. though he reserved to
himself the right to object to any one
for that position should he believe that
improper influences were brought to
bear in his interest. Certain facts came
to his knowledge Yesterday morning
that caused him to take the
course he did, though. perhaps,
these Influences were extended without
Senator Ramsey's knowledge. He was
inclined to think such was the case. but
he did not wish to be called in question
in this manner and placed in false
light"
Two reports were made by the invest
igating committee, one simply submit
ting the testimony without conclusion.
and the other declaring the charge of
the attempt to use improper influences
proven. 1t is sufficient for present pur-
poses and precedent to state as his
torioal fact that Mr.. Petit never again
cast his vote for the caucus nominee
after his original desertiOn.