St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-09-20
And He Fails Of an Opportu-
nifty to Fire Off His
Speech.
Owen Decidedly Objects to
Alliances With the Old
Parties.
The Party Lash Is Generally
More Powerful Than Ar
gument.
Special to the GIoha


his face as he alighted from the train
yesterday morning and cast a glance at
lowering skies. A good old-fashioned
Democratic rain was falling to gladden.
the farmers heart by freShening the
fall pastures; but it had an awfully dis
couraging effect on the governors pO-
litical hopes. providence is fighting
against us this year." was the sage re-
mark of a prominent local Republican
politician, who formed one of the re-
ception committee to greet the govern
or. There did seem to be something
ominous about the day, so dark and
gloomy, and IN such contrast to Ovens
day at the fair. "Wednesday was the
perfection of Western weather, day
of bright skies, balmy air and genial
influences. To-day was everything
else; day of horrorssand Shlvers, and
mud and SluSh. Anybody who has ever
been at country fair when the rain
was pouring down. and a strong west
wind was driving the wet in, will know
exactly what Governors Day. at the
st. Cloud fair was.
1t was Gov. Merriam's first Knockout
in fair attendance, and that 1t should
occur at the time when he expected to
fire the opening campaign gun on the
Republican side was very well calculated
to lower the temperature of his hopes.
Yet he bore the situation with degree
of moral herosm that did him credit.
81 will go to the fair grounds if there is
not another man there" he replied,
when asked if he didn't think it Gdvis-
able to go straight to hotel from the
depot. So the carriages that were in
waiting were loaded UP .with the govern
or's party, and out to the fair grounds
they went. There was very meager
attendance on the grounds. Outside of
the exhibitors, and the official staff of
the fair association, not over fifty per-
sons were there when the gubernatorial
party arrived. Dinner was served on
the grounds, but the occasion was con-
verified into one of social hilarity instead
of a political demonstration. After
dinner the governor waded around
through the mud and the rain to take a
look at the cows and the pumpkins, and
then drove back into town, with q mil
dewed campaign speech in his pocket.
l felt sorry for Gov. Merriam, not
withstanding his reckless audacity. in
attempting to open his campaign in the
banner Democratic county Of the state.
They are old Andy jackson Democrats
up here who will get up an impromptu
rainpour every time the Republicans
invade their territory. StearnS county
is mainly populated by German CathO-
lies, who are so set i'll their religion and
their Democracy that an earthquake
couldn't shake them. They are elegant
farmers and have rich county: thus
they are wholly Independent of all out
side influences. They are an intelli-
gent class, who know that the Republi-
can party is responsible for the r0bber
tariff. They are an honest people, who
cannot be bought or sold by the politi-
clans. So that it is the poorest ground
for Republican missionary work in the
state. 1t would be Gods blessing to
Minnesota If every county in the state
were Stearns county.
During the dinner to-day it was face
tiouSly proposed and carried that Gov.
Merriam be granted leave to print his
speech. He has failed to furnish me
with copy of the manuscript, so L am
thrown upon my resources as a mind
reader. If the speech had been deliv-
cred it would have been as follows:
'FelloW Farmers: | am with you.
And hope you will be with me later
on. | am in earnest in this matter. If
you for them. But with Wilson press
ing me on one side and Owen on the
other have to hustle. | haven't given
you as much attention as [ ought to
have done because | relied on Ignatius
Donnelly to corral the farmer vote for
me. But somehow or other he has made
a mess of it and [ have to give Won nv
personal attention. This is my apology
for my supplications to-day.
''The Republican party is great party
and am its standard bearer. [ am the
lubricator, SO to speak, and it is good
thing for the Republican machine to
have lubricator who is willing to pay
the expenses. 1t relieves the agricult-
ural industry of an extra assessment.
sit is but fair to state to you that am
opposed to my party on the tariff ques-
ton. | can afford to oppose it because
it is not within the province Of the gov
ernor'S Office to administer the tariff
laws. When l get into the senate Twill
be back in line with my party.
s'TheSe are my sentiments, brother
farmers. But l want you to understand
that if they don't suit you they can be
readily changed to fit your views"
If l have failed to quote the governor
correctly it is all his fault, because of
his failure to furnish me with his man
uscript. 1t is only just to Gov. Merriam
to say that he is in better trim to make
an effective campaign than he was two
years ago. He has improved wonder
fully as a public speaker, and has ac-
CURED the methods of the campaigner
with readiness that has surprised even
his best friends. He has laid aside the
reserve and shyness of former years,
and is now as good mixer as Doc
Ames and Ed Durant. and is as plausi-
BILE talker as Charlie Gilman. He is
the aptest scholar in the school of poll
tics that | ever knew, except Gilbert
Walker, of Virginia. When Walker
was first nominated for governor. he
broke down trying to say II thank your
to the convention. Yet within two years
he could mop the earth with any poiiti-
cal stumper they could put up against
him. While Gov. Merriam is not likely
to develop into a Gilbert Walker, thew
underrate his ability who suppose that
he doesn't know how to conduct cam
paign.
With a view of giving the GLOBE
readers the benefit of my investigations.
| awaited myself of the opportunity af-
forded by a wet day to mingle with the
visitors to the fair who are stopping at
the hotels and to gather from them ex-
plCSoiVuo VI OpllilOu dS W tlie pOllClcdl
situation in their respective localities.
There are representative farmers here
from Stearns, Benton, Sherburne, Morri-
son. Otter Tail and Mile Laos counties.
and | am glad to find that all of them
have their opinions with them and are
free to express them. There is una
nimity of opinion among them that
there will be some startling revelations
in the November election. yet there are
some differences of opinion as to the
character of the revelations. There is
some division of sentiment as to Wheth-
er Wilson OF Owen will be most bene-
flied by the Republican detection in
this part of the state, but all agree that
Merriam will suffer severely. The
friends of Comstock are becoming
lest their man NAV 20
down in the Merriam wreck.
There is some discussion among
Democrats relative to the advi stability
of indorsing Halvorsen, the Alliance
nominee for congress. Some of the
local leaders here advocate it because
they think it would be good politics.
Others oppose it because of Halvorsen's
prohibition record. and because they are
Ill favor OF preserving the unity of the