St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-08-20
SENATOR IN THE SOUP
There Is Where Gil Pierce
May Ultimately Wind
Up, :
If Jud La Moure Chooses to
Pull the String on
Him.
An Interesting Conference
Held at the Merchants
Yesterday.
North Dakota Politics Again
Transferred to st.
Paul.

One of the most interesting figures in
North Dakota's picturesque politics is
Hon. Judson La Moure, Of Pembina.
''Jud," as he is popularity known, is an
all-around good fellow and power
with the boys who do the voting in his
section of the new state. This influ-
ence has long been recognized as potent
by the best politicians of the old terri
tory, and for nearly twenty years they
have been accustomed to bend their
knees in Difference to the Pembina huSt-
Ter.
But. many and pronounced as have
been Jud'S triumpbS in politics, he met
the greatest in all his experience in
Room 10 at the Merchants yesterday
afternoon. 1t was the first time in his
life that real, live United States seDa-
tor had bowed down before. him and
prayed for mercy. The senator in ques-
ton is Hon. Gilbert A. Pierce, of North
Dakota. who came on from the Montana
hot springs yesterday. For several days
Senator John E. Haggart, of Fargo, and
Senator La Moure have been at the
Merchants, presumably awaiting the
arrival of Senator Pierce, who was eX-
pected to reach here last week. When,
however, Saturday came and 1t brought
not Senator Pierce the patience of the
Pembina statesman was exhausted and
he is said to have given utterance to the
statement that
''Gil Pierce must tote fair from this
time on OF his name stands id poor
chance of ever being mentioned at Bis
marck this fall for United States sena-
tor"
1t will be remembered that less than
one short year ago Gilbert A. Pierce
was chosen to represent North Dakota
in the American house of lords practi-
cally without opposition. and the legiS-
lature which elected him even went so
far as to demand the long term for him.
Better, far better, would it have been
for Senator Pierce had this recommend
alton been needed by the august sena-
tors, for. as cruel fate would have it, in
the little senatorial lottery run at
Washington when the influx Of new
Republican senators came last year the
ex-governor drew the short term, while
his colleague, Mr.. Casey. got the long
term. For many years "Jud" La
Moure has been one of Pierce's staunch-
est supporters; but, on being asked
about the latter's prospect of election
last Saturday he spoke as follows:
mighty poor. / should judge. Pierce
has never taken the right tack to make
himself solid. He has got to get in
touch with the boys who do the work in
North Dakota now OF his chances for
reelection will be mighty slim. You
see the senator has been unfortunate in
dealing out his political favors. For i'll
stance. he secured the appointment OF
E. A. Williams, of Bismarck, for sur
veyor general. Williams has never done
Pierce bit of good. The same is true
of Asa Fisher, who was given fat land |
Office appointment at Bismarck. Then |
we move down to Fargo. There he filled |
the land Office places with Potter and |
Davis-two old fossils. Potter is moss |
covered and couldn't swing one vote In
the entire state. Another unfortunate |
move that Pierce made was the appoint |
ment of Johnson Nickeus, of James |
town, to consulShip. NickeuS |
has given it out now that he
won't leave North Dakota this fall
until he has secured the defeat of
Bailey Fuller, of Jamestown. who is
candidate for state senator this fall. He
has said he would spend $4,000 to &C
complish Fuller's defeat. Now, l want
to say that every id man Of the Nick
Gus ilk in that section will be bankrupt
if they attempt to beat Fuller with
money. Do you suppose, now. that
Fuller will feel like supporting Pierce
for senator when one of his federal APP
pointees is trying to beat him in any
such manner? He won't support him
in thousand years. Neither would l.
1.-The only appointments Pierce has
made that will do him any good are
Baugh as Indian agent at DEVILS Lake
and Percival to the land Office at the
Do4I |
cal workers and will be able to do Pierce
some good this fall, if they feel like it.
want to add that Pierce has named
some men for federal appointments who
are fully competent to fill the offices ac-
ceptably The majority of them are
not workers, however, and the senator
will find that out before he wins a re-
election"
AS soon as Senator Pierce reached the
Merchants yesterday afternoon from
the West, where he has been with Mrs.
Pierce, he asked for Mr.. La Moure, and
on being told that he was IN Room IS.
the pair was soon cloSeted together. A
very lengthy con ference ensued, at the
for Washington. La MouIe looked as
though he knew great deal, but pos
itively declined to state whether he had
come to an understanding with the
United States senator. Senator Hag-
CART also had talk with Pierce, but. if
he had a grievance he didn't allow the
men to get an inkling of it.
The source of the whole trouble is that
Senator Pierce seems to have totally
ignored the men who elected him since
he went to Washington, and unless he
squares" things very soon, the old
leaders will be found backing some one
else next winter.
ssDo you know why Pierce secured a
foreign mission for johnson Nickeus, of
asked a prominent North
Dakota politician yesterday.
Of course the GLOBE reporter gave ZIP
the conundrum and asked for infOrma-
ton.
because he was afraid of him." said
the gentleman, land that is why he
sent him off to country where they
have yellow fever and cholera the year
round. He is evidently in hopes that
Nickeus is now out Of the way"
The North Dakota Democracy was
we'll represented in the Capital City
Yesterday also. Hon. M. l.. McCor-
D. Benton, of Fargo, spent the day at
the Merchants and enjoyed the Repub-
lican love feast immensely. Mr.. Benton
is the Democratic candidate for congress
in North Dakota this year, and is a
splendid looking man, rather tall
with iron-gray beard and hair. He is
great campaigner, and predictions are
being freely made that he will succeed
Hansbrough in the house. Col. Benton
makes no sanguine predictions as re-
cards success, but ne has work, energy
and enthusiasm stamped all over him,