The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-12-17


one-fifth Of the tobacco tax. daughter
and applause. Surely if there is any
man who ought to be pleased with the
result, ought to be. Renewed
laughter and applause.]
These extract from the two speeches
show how groundless the charge of in
consistency is. Those who in the inter-
est Of truth and fair play care to peruse
Mr.. Nelson's bill and the two speeches
at length, as we have done, can not but
be convinced that he has been entirely
honest and consistent.
But when all else fails and
downright meanness is wanted,
Mr.. Nelson is charged with
Stimulating drowning, in the fall OF 1886,
to escape campaign work for McGill.
In the convention of that year Mr.. Nell
son ardently supported Gilman. But
he was no bolter and Loyalty supported
the ticket, as McGill himself will
attest. About the middle of October,
after he had been billed for some
speeches, Mr.. Nelson, who was out fish
ing on one of the beautiful lakes near
his home at Alexandria, had the mis-
fortune to fall overheard and came
within hairsbreadth Of drowning. He
was saved by almost a miracle, as all
know who are conversant with the
facts. This misfortune was seized upon.
not by Democrats, not even by Mug
wumps, but by prominent Republicans,
who affected to be alarmed at Mr.. Mel
sons growing popularity, and by SIMS
ter insinuations, at first privately and in
whispers, but afterwards publicly and
in print, the malignant SANDER was set
afoat Senator Daniels, in his speech
nominating Senator Davis, in January,
1887, first voiced the baseless accusa-
tion. But he had the manhood, of his
own accord, to write Mr.. Nelson the
following March: ......-
Permit me to say, I am satisfied
now that in my talk nominating
Hon. @. K. Davis, some portions
OF my remarks might be construed SO
as to reflect on you, and thereby do you
great injustice, which I now regret
very much. From information at hand
since that time, I am sure great inius-
tice has been done you, and you have
been misrepresented to the friends of
Mr.. Davis. I beg to assure
you if had known at that
time the facts that I, have since
learned I should not have taken the
Liberty to allude to you and the 5th dis
trlct IN words OF condemnation. x y
None of the men from whom Senator
Daniels drew his inspiration have had
the manhood either in public or in
private to disavow the libel of his
speech, and the illomened innuendo
has since been Haunted time and again.
In June, 1887, Senator Dean, of Ramsey
county,: in his letter in the Pioneer
Press, commenting on Mr.. Nelson's
Mankato speech, said:
I do not know whether in his political
aspirations these two cities have ever
crossed the path of this sapient states
man who in a time of political uncer-
tainty SO providentially escaped the
waters of the dangerous Alexandian
lakes. i "a. go. :~.
On October 1, 1888, the Minneapolis
Journal said:
Mayor Ames' hunting expeditions
are as convenient in this campaign as
Knute Nelson s lake bath two years ago.
i More recently, within the last four
months, since Mr.. Nelson's name has
been prominently mentioned as an
available candidate for governor, the
St. Peter Herald and the Anoka Union,
have revamped and re-echoed the false
and cruel charge, which to a man who
came SO near perishing in watery
grave, seems in malignity almost like
lbelling the dead. This is a charge
that has cut deep and all the deeper
because Mr.. Nelson has had to bear the
same in silence. But he has outlived
and falsified the libel with all honest
and fair-minded men, and to-day. not
withstanding all attacks, he is by
nearly common consent regarded as
one of the fttest and most prominent
candidates for the governorship. And
with this public opinion, we believe, he
is entirely content, and is without any
yearning or desire for the office, and
with fixed purpose to make no can
vass for the nomination If the Repub-
licans see fit to select another standard
bearer, he is quite content. So there
is no occasion to attack or traduce him
for the purpose of defeating his nom
nation. In 1882 he was accorded the
privilege Of running against Mr.. Kin
dred when no one else cared for the
job. It seems now as though he would
be accorded the privilege of running
against the Democracy and the ALI
ance when no one else cares for or
dares the ARRAY.
The UNION believes Knute Nelson
has "a heart for every fate,''
and that if the party, by
common consent, sees fit to nomi-
nate him he will make the race, but
- &c, - Il