St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-06-01
POKER IN POLITICS.
South Dakota Republicans
Demoralized by a Little
Game.
Senator PettigpeW Was the
Chief Figure in the
Play,
And His Losses Said to Have
Resulted in Moody's
Defeat.
Why Democrats Believe They
Will Carry the New Com
mOnWealth.


attracted attention to this state last
winter, says the Sioux Falls CORE
spondent of the New York World, but
the extraordinary fact has not before
| been noted that the turnover was
| brought about by game of draw poker.
| Such, however, is the case. The chief
| figure in the contest, and the chief
| sufferer afterwards, was Senator B. f.
Pettigrew, the tall, angular. bushy-
bearded Western rustler who has held
his position in the politics of this COM
monWealth for no other reason than
| that he has been eminently successful
as boomer" The senator is known
there as a lawyer without practice,
Prohibitionist who favors the rum
traffic, tariff reformer in protection
ranks, and capitalist without a dol
lar.
The game of poker, which is destined
to make MIN famous, took place at John
Chamberlain'S club rooms in Washing
ton. There were some lively spirits
around the board that evening. Some
did not hail from the West and were
supposed to be poor players, and yet
they proved themselves quite equal to
the scheming genius who imagined he
knew more about the game than any
Eastern statesman. Finally the man
out money or bank account.
Then it was that his mas
terly mind conceived financial
scheme which would have made Ferdi-
nand Ward turn an enviouS green. He
drew $1,000 draft on his friend and
political chum, Joseph NJ. Bailey Jr., a
wealthy banker of this city. Even the
money so obtained was soon absorbed
in the fascinating play, and when Mr..
Pettigrew hurried home his pockets
were again empty. A few days later he
found to his utter dismay that payment
of the draft had been refused by Mr..
Bailey. This indignity the genial sena-
tor pretended not to notice, but he was
only Initiating Brer Fox.
1t was soon discovered that Mr.. Bal
ley had political aspirations also, and at
the state convention last fall he was a
prominent candidate for treasurer on
the Republican ticket. The contest was
hot one, but he received one and a
hall votes more than were necessary to
nominate, to the surprise of many, for
it was openly charged that Pettigrew
was eXerting every power at his COM
mand to defeat the man who refused to
cash the famous poker draft. When it
was discovered that Bailey'S vote was
large enough to nominate, the dele
gates from Senator MoOdy's own c0un-
ty, some of whom had voted for Bailey,
announced change to the opposing
candidate, thus nominating him.
This. of c0use, was Ipre-arranged,
and was the revenge that PettigreW
wanted. But Mr.. Bailey was not to be
nv ~ Otar / ~,
pie the senator in every way possible
financially, and it is said by those who
knew that he not only succeeded to a
large extent in that particular, but he
has extended his operations into politics
also with good effect.
The first evidence of determination
ID wreSt the senatorship from Petit
crews friend, Moody, was made mani
fest when several Republicans refused
to So bmit to caucus dictatIOn. 1t was
long and bitter fight, but they never
combination of Democrats and In
dependents elected Kyle. 1t is an open
secret that Moody would have received
the support of enough men outside of
his own party to elect him, had he re-
ceived a full Republican vote early in
the session. The man at the back of
the whole plan which resulted in Moo
dy's extinction was no other than Jo-
seph NJ, Bailey ST.. His revenge for the
stiletto act at the Mitchell convention
was complete, for with the defeat of
strength went down, and the senator
himself. He is as dead politically as the
proyerblal salt mackerel." Nothing
can resurrect him, and with his over
throw it is safe 10 assume that the Re-
publican party in South Dakota will not
cut much of figure for some time to
come.
The late legislature assembled about
the middle of January, and while the
Republicans had votes enough to keep
the Democrats from electing senator
they were very glad to agree upon
candidate who was satisfactory to both
sides. Kyle is looked upon by those
who are acquainted with him as honest,
broad-minded and liberal. He Is in
truth Democrat and in full accord
with that party on every prominent is
sue, although he has lately affiliated
with the Independents. But there can
be no mistake about the position he will
take when the question of tariff reform
comes up, for no more earnest opponent
of McKinleyism lives. His election to
the senate gave the Independents the
confidence they needed to go ahead and
organize. In consequence they are
growing steadily, and have undoubtedly
much larger following here now than
either of the old parties.
Of course the major portion of the
Alliance comes from the party of high
tariff ideas. The people are, like those
OF all Western states, overwhelmingly
opposed to protection, So strong is this
feeling that the last Republican con-
vention lodged Mckinley entirely. A
rQCnlntinr0 in ;.,+ III
form to the effect that protection of
some sort was needed upon some articles
OF American manufactured blank so
indefinite that it excited the Iidicule of
the delegates who were forced to listen
to It's reading. 1t was a peculiar strad-
die, but they were forced 10 do it by the
sentiment OF the agricultural element
There IS no care for the overworked
| reciprocity idea. All want tariff reform:
| nothing else will answer.
By far the ablest man in this state is
Bartlett Trip, of Yankton, a lawyer of
wide experience and wise Judgment; an
orator with few peers in the West, and
politician honored alike by party
friends and political foes. He was the
Democratic caucus nominee for senator
IN the late contest, and it was thought
that some of the Republicans might
vote for him before they would see an
independent elected. Mr.. Trip does
| not believe that the Farmers Alliance
will be able to carry this state in 1892
although he acknowledges that it will
be material factor in that contest.
ut may be possible" he said, in con-
versation on that subject, shat the
Democrats will agree to fuse with the
Independents in 1892, in which case
the combination will be assured of the
| electoral vote. There is little or no diff
| ference in the principles enunciated by
| the Democrats and those how said to be
held by the Independents. These Al
| lance people are very carefully led. In
truth, there is considerable contrast be-
tween them and their brethren further
south. The great cry here is tariff re-
form, and the other issues are prscti-
cally in the background, On that alone
| we can make a campaign that will