St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-05-03
xiii,
JOSEPH BoBLETER.

nave Just UUlSllCU d GWO vi lulNS O"1 q
conference. called and held for the pur-
pose of devising scheme TO save the
German vote of the state to the party,
which has been alienateo by the now
celebrated Bennett law. The leaders OF
the Republican party of Minnesota have
not, nor are they likely to hold, such
conference. But, nevertheless, the
voters of German birth and descent are
fast leaving the Republican party OF
Minnesota, and at the rate they have
been going during the past few years
there will be none of them left in the
ranks of the party that in Wisconsin, at
least, is ready and willing to
legislate both the private schools
and the German language out OF exist
ence. Germans who have emigrated to
America have always been Democrats
by nature, and the bulk of them have
sided with that party as matter of
course. But in Minnesota and Wis
cOnsin. as well as in several other West
ern states, very large proportion OF
the Germans in some way or other fell
into the hands of the Republicans, and
it is only of late years that they have
seen thu error OF their ways. The re-
cent Democratic victories in Iowa and
the rumbling heard in the political skies
of Wisconsin are largely due to the
discomfort Of the German Republi-
cans of those states, and, while
the detection among the same
classes of citizens in Minnesota may not
be so evident, it is, nevertheless, going
on. Under the circumstances the next
Republican state convention may be
quite as anxious to cinciiate the Ger
man voters of the state as are the Re-
publican politicians of Wisconsin. In
such an event prominent and available
candidate for governor might he found
in a man who is now holding most i'm
portant state 0tfice--Col. Joseph Bob
Letter, of New Ulm, the present state
treasurer.
Joseph BOblcter was born in Austria
on April 10. 1916. At the age of twelve
years his parents emigrated to the United
States. In the fall of 1862 he enlisted in
the regular army, serving through the
balance of the war and until Nov. 5,
1868, when he resigned and located at
New Tim. in this state. From 1870 an
til the present Col. Bobleler has been
connected in different ways with the
state guard, being now the command
Ing officer of the Second regiment. He
founded the New Ulm Review a num-
Der of years ago. and soon made it one
of the leading weekly papers of the
state. In 1878 he was made postmaster
of New ,Iilm, and continued to hold this
until 1856. In the fall of this same year
he was nominated for state treas
urer by the Republicans, and
elected by one of the largest ma
jorities given any of the candidates
Oh the ticket in that election. In the
convention of 1888 he was unanimously
ren0minated and in the ensuing cleo
ton was again chosen state treasurer
by a very large majority.
While Col. Bobeler is a German by
birth. he is thorough American in
every sens OF the term, and has hosts
of friends among all elements and ma
tionaitieS. He is man OF the highest
integrity, and possesses the confidence
OF the people to degree that would be
flattering to man less susceptible than
the colonel himself. In the Second dis
trict he is perhaps the best known, and
there it is that his vote creeps up.
He is popular with the national
guard boys in all parts of the
state and has the rare faculty of making
hosts of friends wherever he goes. Dur
ing his four years residence in st. Paul
he has made friends Oh all sides, and, if
he really wanted Ramsey county's dele
gates in the next Republican state con-
ventiOn, he could come very near getting
them.
Col. Bobleter is prominently man
of the people. He is accessible to every
one and is always ready to do anything
in his power to accommodate the people
who may have business with his de-
partment. He doesn't believe in
the frills with which some
people insist on surrounding
their offices. This same dem
ocratic simplicity attends the colonel in
all departments, and especially in ma
tional guard affairs, where Col. Bob
Letter effectually sits down on those bud
ding military geniuses who would ape
the SnObbsh element among the officers
OF the regular army.
The nomination of Col. Bobleter for
governor would be decided tribute to
the Germans of the state, and would do
much to conciliate many who felt sore
at the ungraciOuS treatment extended
Hon. Albert Scheffer in 1888. 1t would
be all the more pleasing to the
Germans of the state. too, were
the nomination given to man
DccduSe lie was an American
citizen and not simply because of his
nationality. The nomination of Col.
Bobleter would be good one, aud, if
he were elected, he would give the peo-
pie of the state wise, honest and con-
sentative administration, and worthy of
the confidence and trust of the people
of the entire state.
He is Republican, but he is not a
bitter partisan. He can see good quail
tiles in an opponent as well as in diff
ferent party, and to this admirable
trait Col. Bebleter owes many of his
friends. From these remarks no one
should infer, however. that Col. Bob
Letter is not man of firm and decided
opinions; for he is; but they are in
most cases opinions based on judgment
and experience, and not on the grounds
of partisanship and prejudice.