St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-09-11
Rather Than Give Donnelly q
Chance to Work for
Gov. Merriam,
The Secretary Of the Farms
erS' Alliance Preferred to
Resign His Office.
History Of the Persecution
Leading to This Remark
able Action.
AS the Sage Treated Gen.
Averill, So He Treated
John Lathrop.

ers' Alliance, resigned last evening.
With the facts that have led up to this
act on the part Of Mr.. Lathrop most
people are fully aware, but a brief
resume may be interesting. AS will b<
remembered, Mr.. Lathrop was nomE
mated and elected secretary through the
influence of the Sage of Nininger, who
withdrew his man Fish when he found
the latter could not be elected. Fol
many yearssMr.. Lathrop had been
warm friend of Mr.. Donnelly, and the
latter confidently counted on being abls
to control him in his scheme of turning
the farmers of the state over to Gov.
Merriam.
But John Lathrop, poor as he was and
is, proved to be stronger in his devO-
tion to the cause of the Alliance than
to the schemes of even his friend Dom
nelly.
When the sage realized this he lost nd
time in opening fire on Mr.. Lathrop
through the columns of his paper, tho
Great West. Charges rejecting on the
integrity of Mr.. Lathrop were made;
and, as a member of the executive COM
mittee, Mr.. Donndlly demanded an in.
yestlgation of the secretary's accounts.
This was had several months ago, and
Mr.. Lathrop was fully exOnerated
by the Alliance committee, bar
ring Mr.. Donnelly,
Failing in this previous attempt, Mr..
Donnelly, still determined to have some
excuse for bolting the Alliance cause,
brought up this fight at the meeting of
the executive committe at the Claren-
in his purpose. for Mr.. La
throp, although certain of the support
of seven out of the nine members of the
executive committee, made up his mind
that MIR. Donnelly should not on his ac-
count be given an excuse for bolting the
Alliance cause, and accordingly present.
ed his resignation. with the following let
ter, to President Hall last evening:
r. j. Hall, President State Farmers ALL
ance: Owing to divisions in the exeeutive
committee, and being persuaded that matters
may be arranged, and that longer association
In the capacity OF secretary may De detri-
mental to the cause OF independent political
acton, and for no other reason, hereby
place my resignation in your hands to take
effect as further business is concerned at
once, and all relations to cease on the 10th
day OF october proximo, at which time
shall be ready to turn over all business in nv
once to my successor. l am very respect
fully, JOHN LArHRop. !
SC. Paul. Mimi, Sept 10.
This meeting of the executive cOm..
committee was held for the purpose OF
comforting with the state central COM
mittee. and at O'Clock Messrs. Hall.
Hompe. Bj0rge, PO0re, Stromberg,
Furlong and Lathrop met at the head
quarters in the Merchants, and after
talking over the campaign adjourned to
meet at the Clarendon at 10 o'clock last
evening. At this time Mr.. LathrOp re-
signed after holding a short but forcibIe
conversation with the Sage of
Nininger, who is reported to
have declared that he would have the
secretary arrested, previously having
purchased revolver with which to pro-
tect himself against so fierce a man as
Secretary I4athrop. A. l.. Stromberg,
of Forest Lake,wa appointed secretary
and the meeting adjourned.
"lgnatius Donnelly has faculty of
standing by his friends" was the way
an Alliance leader prefaced a ter
rible arraignment of the Sage
at the Clarendon last evening".
"Al old citizens of Minnesota
known how he stood by his friend Gen.
Averill. Yesterday he served John
Lathrop the same as he did Gen. Aver
Ill in the legislature of 1859. John
Lathrop, then member of the leglsla-
ture, stood by Ignatius Donnelly for
United States senator to the end after
all others. When Mr.. Donnelly thought
he would be elected he asked John
LathrOp what Office he wanted. or to
name his wish. Lathrop said: ALI I
want is to elect you United States
senator Twenty-one years later
IgnatiuS Donnelly nominated John
Lathrop for secretary of the
state Alliance of Minnesota, know
ing his fidelity. John Lathrop
went East to investigate the twinc bust
ness and proved the idea that it would
cost 81, ZOO, 900 or more to put in a twine
plant at the Saltwater prison was er-
roneous, and that $4,000 or less would
do 1t. Gov. Merriam ordered his Aili-
ance organizer, Ignatius Donnelly, to
kill of Lathrop, and Ignatius, with his
man Friday. formed a combine to
do it, which eliminated in a request by
six members of the executive
committee yesterday for Mr.. Lathrop to
resign his Office. At 6o'clock last even
ing Messrs. IIathrop and Donnelly met
in the room of the committee at the
Clarendon hotel. and Mr.. Lathrop then
told Mr.. DOnnelly what an unmitigated
liar and hypocrite he was in a ten-min-
ute talk. Ignatius, being an Irishman
in wit but not in bravery, cowed down
in his seat and took it all with the single
remark: II will have you arrested"
Mr.. Lathrop then wrote out his resigna-
ton.
What tack will Donnelly, Fish and
the Great West take next to disrupt the
Alliance in the interests of Gov. Mer-
riam?