St. Paul daily globe., 1890-04-19
THE GLOBES
GALLERY OF
GOVERNORS
JOHN PATTERSON REA.

Minneapolis from early times been
the banner Republican city in the state
of Minnesota, and has, consequently,
held a very prominent place III the
councils of the party. From it have
always come the largest delegations, nu-
merically, to state conventions, and, un-
til recently, to Hennepn county and
Minneapolis have always fallen the
best plums in the gift of the party. 1t
has always been the home of many able
men. who would have achieved dlstlnc-
ton had they come from community
less friendly to them in politics. This
great prominence of Minneapolis men
has in times past been rather dis
tasteful to other portions OF the state:
But this feeling ought not to prevent
Republicans of all portions OF the State
from rallying to the support of man
like Judge John P. Rea. of Minneapo-
lis. were he nominated by the Repub-
licans of Minnesota for governor TINS
year.
Judge John P. Rea is a Pennsylvan-
ian by birth, having been born IN the
keystone state Oct. Is, 1910. The early
part of his life was spent in chester
county, near Philadelphia, where he
went through the common schools and
spent some time at Hopewell academy.
This was previous to the outbreak OF
the war; about which time he re-
moved to Ohio. and on April 16, 1861,
he enlisted as private in the Eleventh
Ohio infantry. He was commissioned
second lieutenant of Co. l, First ONO
volunteer cavalry Sept. %, 1861, and as
first lieutenant March II, 1862. lie be-
Ia
1868. and was mustered out Nov. %.
1864 as senior captain. For gallantry III
action, he was preveted major on Nov.
%. 1868. When the war was ended Capt.
Rea entered Ohio Wesleyan university
and started in to complete his education
where he had left off in 1861. He was
graduated with distinguished honors IN
1867, and was admitted to the par I'D
August of the next year at Lancaster,
Pa. In 1869 he was made assistant as
SCISSOR of internal revenue for the Ninth
district of Pennsylvania, which position
he held until May Is, 1878: Shortly
after this Mr.. Rea took the Northwest
ern fever and came to Minnesota, locat-
ing in Minneapolis, where he edited the
Minneapolis Tribune from Jan. 10, 1876,
till May of 1887, In 1878 he was chosen
Judge of probate of Hennepin county,
expiration of his term of Office as judge
of probate Mr.. Rea settled down to the
active practice of his profession, always
taking very active part in local, state
and national politics. On May l, 1886,
he was appointed judge OF the district
court of Hennepin county, and was re-
elected without opposition in the fall
elections of that year.
Judge Rea has been prominent in
Grand Army circles from the first Or
ganization of the order and was men,
Der of the first department encamp-
ment of Ohio. From 1867 to 1875 he was
prominent member of the society in
Pennsylvania, and was one of the COM
missoners selected by the Legislature
to erect a soldiers monument at Lam
caster. Since his coming to Minnesota
the judge has been quite as prominent
in Grand Army circles, and has filled
the positions of department commander,
senior vice cOmmanGer-in-chiefa and COM
mander-in-c n-chief of the order. The
mere fact that all these honors have
been conferred upon him by the SOL
dierS ought to be sufficient proof OF his
popularity with them.
Judge Rea is one of those gentlemen
who cannot help being popular. Ac-
commodating, and possessed of the big
geSt kind of heart, honors have come
to him with very little effort on his part.
He is man who believes in doing well
whatever he has to do, and whether in
civil or military life he has invariably
acted on this principle. During his en-
tire service in the war he was absent
from his command but seven days, dur
ing which he was held prisoner by the
Confederates. AS an officer he was
liked by his men because of his good
treatment of them at all times and un-
der all circumstances. AS Judge and
lawyer fellow attorneys, as well as liti-
giants, have never had reason to COM
plain that he was not disposed to ren-
der equal and exact justice to ALL"
Judge Rea also possesses another
quality not in the possession of some
gentlemen who have been governors of
MinneSota-he never ''slOps over" AL
though a member of the Grand Army,
he is not of the blatant order, and his
administration as commander -in-chief
was most happy. During thatyear prob
ably everything possible was done to
swing the organization into line for one
of the great political parties, but, owing
to the wise forethought of Judge Rea,
the rabid partisans were kept as far in
the rear as possible, and it was not un-
til the election of his successor that the
organization committed any serious in
discretions, politically speaking.
In character Judge Rea is the peer of
any man who has filled the Office of gov
ernor of Minnesota, and should he be
nominated and elected governor of the
state, his administration could not fail
to command the respect of all good citi-
zens, regardless of party affiliations.
TWIN CITY FOOTBALL.