St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-11-21
How He Came to Take the
Stump for Merriam in the
Campaign.
His Whilom Law Partner Put
Him In a Hole With the
Governor.
The Only Way to Square Him
self Was to Take a Hand
in the Fight
Republican Minority In the
House Being Organized
By Corporations.

Why did ex-Congressman Knute Mel
son commit the objectionable folly of
turning in and taking the stump for
Gov. Merriam III the last days of the
late campaign?
This is question that has been asked
\ by thousands of the voters Of Minnesota
| ever since the speech the Little Nor
wegian" delivered at Glenwood for the
| governor was published in all the Re-
| publican organs of the state. To it
| many answers have been made, and
numberless theories have been evolved
by way of explanation. By some Mr..
| Nelson's peculiar action was attributed
| to the Influence of great railway
corporation, which desired the Ie-
election of both Congressman Com
| stock and Gov. Merriam, and
in whose employ Mr.. Nelson is said to
be. Others again have gone on record
with the declaration that Mr.. Nelson
| found that the fortunes Of both Gov.
| Merriam and Congressman Comstock
were so closely united that Mr.. Com
| stock could only be aided by Mr. Mel
sons working for the straight ticket.
But new and more reasonable
theory has been found for Mr.. Nelson's
| change Of heart in the contest just past
1t seems that until recently Mr.. Nell
| son had law partner named Gupder-
son. who had an ambition to figure in
| politics, and, indeed. is quite generally
| given the credit for securing the adopt
ton of tine tariff for revenue only"
| platform adopted at the Little Falls
/ convention, and upon which Mr.. Com
| stock stood for reelection.
As the campaign progressed, how
| ever. Mr.. GnnderSOn saw hat the Alll-
| ance was very strongly entrenched in
Douglas county and he made up his
mind that it would take considerable
ready cash to carry the head of the
! state ticket in the county. Accordingly,
| when the governor and Senator Davis
started out to make their tour OF the
Fifth district Mr.. GunderSon, accom-
panied by political striker, whose
| appearance is said to have been dead
| give-awaY, called on Gov. Merriam and
| demanded quite large amount.
"What do you want with so much
| money?' his eXcellency is said to have
| asked.
'Knute Nelson is working against you
| in the county and it is needed to coun-
| teracG his influence" was the substance
of the answer returned to the governors
query. Whether Gunderson and his ally
| secured any money from the governor
| is not known. but few days later the
| gubernatorial party reached Glenwood.
| Pope county, and there the governor
CHANGED to meet Mr.. Nelson, who hap
| pened to be in Gienwood on business.
! He at once told Mr.. Nelson the report
F! that had reached him and the eX-con-
gresham grew very indignant over the
| report and to demonstrate that he was
not working against the governor vol
! unteered to take seat on the platform
! at the mass meeting in the evening.
| Even at this time, Mr.. Nelson had no
| intention Of taking the stump for Gov.
Merriam.
Several of the speakers finished their
| efforts, the governor among them, when
| the audience commenced to cry, Mel
son! Nelsonw Under the circum-
stan-eS the Douglass county statesman
| could do but one thing-,nake a speech
and this he did. The lea was then
| broken and the Minneapolis speech was
! arranged for at once. Mr.. Nelson
didn't want to talk in the campaign"
said close friend of his yesterday;
''bnt he dT1 not propose to allow any
one to make money ont of his indiffer-
ence. Had not the report reached the
governor that Nelson was working
against him and the governor FORUM
natelv met him neither the Gienwood
or Minneapolis speeches would have
been made"
Knute Nelson. regardless of any ex-
plantations which may be made of his
actions in the late campaign, is no
longer a power in the Fifth district
The people of that district, who are
largely farmers, feel that he went back
on them in the late election by working
against both Halv3rsen and Whiteman,
low tariff men, and as enc of the lead
ing Norwegian politicians of the great
Fifth district put it the other day:
The people of the Fifth district will
never forgive Knute Nelson for his
course this year"
While Mr.. Nelson, OF course. will re-
fuse 10 believe this he realizes that he
had no influence worth mentioning dur
ing the late campaign, when he tried to
work for ComStock and Merriam. A
few days ago, in speaking to friend
about the defeat of COmStock, Mr.. Mel
son remarked that he never saw any
thing like the late election. The people
seemed to have made up their minds
long before the day of election, and no
one could reverse them.
why" said he, 81 could do abso-
luteiy nothing for Comstock. | sent
out tickets with his name on them to
men who have always been my friends,
but to my surprise they refused to work
or distribute the Comstock tickets, and
L could do absolutely nothing"
The attempts which many of Mr..
Nelson's friends are making to dispar-
age Congressman-elect HalvorSen," re-
marked Fifth district man yeste rday,
will not help Nelson or the Repubii-
can party. 10 be sure. Mr. Haivol sen
is not a polished orator or fine gentle
man, but he is an honest man. and that
is lust what the farmers of the Fifth
district wanted. He will ALWAYS be
found on hand when the interests of the
people need looking after. and this will
please the people better than
if he were working some right
of-way scheme for the benefit
of some railway corporation through
congress. Another thing. Kittel Hal
vorSOn is too honest man to SIT down
and vote, at the dietation of any one.
to unSeat man elected to congress by |
the people, as did S. G. Comstock in |
half-dozen or more instances.
1t does look as though eX-CongresS- |
man Knute Nelson had made his last |
political flop of consequence.
Nelson 0. Foss, editor of the Orion |
vile Headlight, has announced himself |
candidate for the position of engros-
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