St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-03-22
GIDEON sPKAGUE IVES.

The Republican party of Minnesota
at the present time is generally con-
coded to be handicapped by its leaders.
Many, if not the greater number, OF the
prominent men of the party have gained
their prominence, and still hold 1t, by
the worst machine methods. On every
hand the self-Seeking politician is
found. He runs the county, congress
siOnal and state conventions of the
party, and the rank and file of the Re-
publicans of the state have nothing to
say as to whom the party shall nom
mate for the most important offices
within the gift of the people of the
commonwealth of Minnesota. But IN
this enlightened and progressive age,
when nearly every voter reads and
thinks, such methods cannot forever OBJ
tain, and bosses, machines and machine
methods will have to go even in the ring
ridden Republican party of Minnesota.
Modesty, honesty and ability are
three qualities that in themselves ought
to recommend a man for the highest
public stations. The upper house of
the state legislature during its last two
sessions bOasted a young Republican
from Southern Minnesota who possesses
these three qualities in an eminent de-
gree. His name is Gideon S. Ives, and,
judging from his pass record, Senator
Ives would make an honest and credit
able chief executive of the North Star
state.
Gideon Sprague Ives was born in
Dickinson. Franklin county, N. Y, i'll
1916, and is consequently barely forty
four years of age. Mr.. Ives comes of a
family we'll known in New York, ana is
a younger brother of Dairy Commits
siOner Warren j. Ives, of Hutchinson.
Young Ives attended the public schools
of his home until he was eighteen years
of age-the time when most young men
of his calber go to college. This was
in 1864, and the stirring events of
the three previous years had fired
the patriotic youth of New York to such
an extent that, instead of pursuing his
education further, Mr.. Ives made up his
mind that he would go the front and
take hand in putting down the re-
bellion. Early in 1864 he enlisted in
Company II, Fifteenth New York, and
served until the close of the war. He
then returned home, and, after two
years study, entered the University of
Michigan law school at Ann ArbOr,
September of the same year Mr.. Ives
came West, and located at st. Peter,
where he has ever since resided.
During the tWentyyears of Maj. Ives
residence in st. Peter he has held nu-
merous positions of trust, making
good and conscientious record in each.
In 1874 he was elected county attorney
of NieOllet county, and, on being re-
elected, held the office until 1878. He
has also been city clerk of st. Peter, as
well as the attorney for the latter city
during the past eight years. In 1856
Mr.. Ives succeeded Maj. Sackett, of st.
Peter, in the state senate, and made an
enviable record at both the session of
1887 and that of 1889. He is an able
lawyer, and, on account Of the paucity
of attorneys in the last senate, vast
amount of work fell upon Mr.. Ives and
the late Senator Goodrich, who were
members OF the judiciary commit
tee No amount of labor was too
great for him to undertake if he
believed measure ought not to be
passed and no man in that body in re-
cent years surpassed him in demon
strating the legal aspects of measures
and bills. The time and energy eX-
pended by him in attending to the ar
duOuS duties he felt impelled to perform
in the sessions of 'S7 and 'S9 greatly inn
paired his health, aud the state of the
latter would be one of the greatest OBJ
jections urged against his nomination
for governor this year.
Senator Ives is one OF the most public
spirited men in his city. As far as his
time and health have permitted he has
always been found willing to take
hand in everything from the state guard
down to city, county and state politics.
He is now commissioned officer of the
Second regiment, holding the position
of major in that division OF the state
troops. His quiet and unobtruSive
ways are pleasing to the peo-
pie, and succeed in making
him many warm friends and few
enemies. His mind is of a judicial
order, and whenever he makes state
ment one can always rest assured that
any opinion it may contain has been
well considered before being uttered.
He is able to look at a question on all
sides and in all lights. This extreme
carefulness and precision have built up
for him an extensive law practice in
Southern Minnesota, which he is natur-
ally 10th to leave or neglect for the un-
certainties of politics.
While Senator Ives is no politician,
he is just the kind of man the people
like to honor, and who reach the higher
public positions because they possess
the confidence of the people. The peo-
pie tire OF the man or men who are al
ways seeking public Office, and while
not at all frequent, the office does some
times seek the man. If such an cpl
demic should ever strike Minnesota, the
Republican party would be very likely
to pick up just such man
as Senator Ives, of st. Peter, and place
him in the executive chair. AS South
ern Minnesotian remarked day or two
ago. You always know where to find
Cid Ives. He's about the only pOliti-
clan IN that part of the Second district
upon whose integrity l would not have
the least hesitation in banking"
Should Senator Ives receive the Re-
publican nomination for governor this
year, he would make campaign on the
high ground of principle, and no one
would need feel like apOlogizing for
either candidate or campaign. Such
nomination would in measure be a
recognition of the younger element of
the party, and would inaugurate new
era in the management of state affairs.
1t would show the young Republicans
of the state that all nominations are not
controlled by a half-dozen men, and
that all the honors of public life are
open, and are subject to honest and fair
competition in contest where ability
and integrity count for something.
CURRENCY OF THE CITY.