The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-02-12
WASHINGTON LETTER.

!
| Old Political Warehouses Of Min
nesOta at the. National Capital
| The Railroads After the
| Odd Sections in the Mile
Laos Reservation. iii
Union Special Correspondence. ~
WASHINGTON, Feb. 7, 1891.
The Minnesota delegation, and
expressly the United States sena-
tors, have been having consider
able controversy, or rather to
contend with objections to the ap-
pointment of Hon. G. B. Buchanan
as surveyor general of that State.
1t was known two years ago that
Buchanan was to receive the ap-
pointment of surveyor-general, and
and that he would have the en-
dorsement of Senators Washburn
and Davis. He assisted materially
in the election of Senator Davis
four years ago, being his staunch,
firm friend from the first. Two
years ago, after making a long,
hard fight for Sabin, he accepted
the result of the caucus and voted
for Washburn, although he was
asked by a number to bolt the
action Of the caucus, and make a
fight when the charges of corrup-
ton we're preferred. This he de-
clined to do, and the matter
dropped. Senator Washburn felt
very grateful to Buchanan for his
action in this matter, and when he
found out that he wanted to be
surveyor-general, he was very glad
to recommend him. Now when
the time for the appointment ar
rives other citizens of Minnesota
join in a fight to prevent Buck
mans appointment, and the sena-
tors from Minnesota have been
kept quite busy looking after the
case. Both are standing out for
Buckman's appointment, and it is
alleged that they will not with
draw from their position. =.
just why the fight is made on
Buchanan is. hard to understand,
but it seems to be more in the
nature of personal fight, and the
old political deals that Buchanan
was in years ago have arisen to
block him in this contest he is
making for the Surveyor general
ship. The president is an easy
! man to work on when any object
ion, or anything in the nature of
charges are filed against man, as
it is great hobby with him to ap-
point no man to Office who is not
PERSONAL pure in every way.
The ambition of the president is to
have his administration pure, not
only from moral standpoint, but
also in an official light, and he
would not care to appoint any man
who had ever done anything upon
which charges could be broug ht,
and would be liable in any way
to cause a discussion based on
either dishonesty or immortality.
Of course, the charges so far as
Buchanan is concerned have been
more in the nature Of protests and
of a political nature, and are not
liable to do him any particular
harm except as to influencing the
president. The charges or pro-
tests are nothing that would affect
Buckman's standing in Minnesota,
but might affect his appointment
as encouragement.
The old Duluth e Winnipeg
fight which waged in the legisla-
ture in 1889 has been a factor in
the opposition to Buchanan, and
his position in favor of the Duluth
& Winnipeg road has been made
the foundation of the principal OBJ
LECTION to his appointment. The
history of that fight has been re-
hearsed here in Washington, and
some of the disagreeable details
which we're current in the legisla-
ture at that time have been re-
vamped and circulated here and
probably carried to the president,
It would not be strange if there
was a complete history Of all the
scandals that were circulated about
the Minnesota legislature brought
to Washington in the interest of
defeating Buchanan for surveyor
general. So far the opponents
of Buchanan have failed to score
the point they expected, but they
may succeed in the next two weeks
in doing something that will dam
age his chances.
| Quite number of old time poll
ticians of Minnesota are in Wash
ington now. Some of them have
been prominent in official life. Elk
i Senator S. j. r. Mcmillan, ex-
Governor McGill, Ex-Governor
i Marshall and Loren Fletcher.
4 These men have all been prominent