St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-10-05
LOOKING ON IN VENICE.
Perhaps he Was Looking for an
Interview Instead-A Mysteri-
Gus Man on the Corner.


People passing up Nicollet avenue
during the past summer have often no
ticed a smalI-sized man with heavy
black mustache standing in front OF the
basement entrance of the NicollGt Ma
tional bank building. watching the peo-
pie crossing the street. He always was
standing alone, and none OF the
passers-by appeared TO know him.
Consequently one can imagine the
surprise of strangers whentheir atten-
ton was called TO him and they we're
told that he was not a masher looking
for victim. as one would naturally
suppose, but that he was no less per-
sOnage than Andy MeGill, a former
governor of the state. Of course, after
learning who he was, and after noticing
how every one passed him by as a stran-
ger, the general suppositlOn was that he
must have been one of Minnesota S
early governors and that most of the
people passing by must have come TO
Minnesota since he dropped out OF poll
ties. But when, however. they were
informed that it was scarcely a year
since he occupied the gubernatorial
chair. and that he imagined he might
again be the Republican candidate for
the former position, they would
imagine that they were being made
a victim Of practical joke,
Nevertheless the gentleman referred
TO was the identical Andy McGill
who was elected governor in 1856 and
the same man who is spoken of once in
while in joking manner as a posi-
bic candidate TO succeed Gov. Merriam.
Yesterday afternoon a newspaper re-
porter, noticing how lonesome ne looked,
stopped and talked with him.
He did not appear 10 want 10 be dis
turbed at first. and SAID that he was out
OF politics. but finally. when the subject
of DR.. Ames and the Irish question was
touched on, he frightened up and talked
quite entertainingly. His conversation
on this subject was as follows:
Whether the doctor made g bad break
OF 'teu-strike' politically in his interview on
the Irish question. shall not pSss judgment:
but that ne is wrong in his conclusions 1
have no more doubt than have that he gave
me lively chase for the gOvernorshlp IN
1886. Doubtless his opinion is an honest
one, and have no fault 10 ind with him
tor expressing ii. as he had g right TO;
but OF course | differ from him, radically
and Numerically, as l think the
majority Of cur people DO. II is good deal
TO assert that the Irish are not 1T for home
they are not fl for any other kind. They are
an INDEPENDENT imperioUs race. who fret and
chafe under denial to them OF rights which
other men are permitted 10 enjoy more than
would almost any other people. Being proud
ana spirited. they naturally enough re-
sent this insult 10 their manhood. l should
say that of all people 10 whom the right OF
government is denied they are the best
qualified to exercise It Who ever saw an
Irishman who had been in this country six
he NJ N u
game OF American politics. People OF or
binary intelligence the world over. whatever
their nationality. are, from my standpoint
capable of self-gOvernmenI. l do not eX-
actly see how an American can dany this
ana De a consistent friend Of his own coun-
Try and its free institutions. The Irish are
notorious lovers OF liberty. the very word is
inspiration to them. Freedom has been
their hope and guiding star for generation
upon generation. Yes. whatever is 70 be
said of the rest Of the world the Irish en-
phatically are qualified for nome rule. To deny
IT longer is 10 perpetrate a cruel wrong,
not only on Ireland alone, but on
humanity. l haYHt the remotest doubt
OF their capaDility 10 govern them
selves and TO make most excellent Job of it,
How any one can doubt their capacity in this
direction beats me. Their quick intelligence
is the subject OF universal comment. There
are no brighter people anywhere. How ab-
surd TO say theV are not nj for home rule
is that of civilization. and that It will be sue
ceSsful it seems to me there can no longer
Dc & reasonable doubt. My hopes and pray
ers go Tor the liberty Of Ireland.
What about their being oriest-Tiddens
oh. guess the doctor was joking about that
II is rather late in the day-in the date of
the worlds histOTy-t0 make that charge
stick, especially in Ireland. l know but
little about their religious matters. but II
their priests are of the ssme stamp some
Irish American priests we have in this state
vide Ireland. McGOlrick. Shanley-the peO-
pie won't suffer materially from the con-
tact"
What have you to say about Minnesota
politicss''
Nothing absolutely nothing. I'm in
business now and tending TO IL and DO not
know what moves are being made on the
political checkerboard- I'm not chewing
the cud OF disappointment either, blt am
meditatively looking on in Venice as it
were"
McGill then relapsed again Into his
meditative mood. and the scribe de-
parted, leaving the ex-governor ''lo0k-
ing on in Venice" as it were.