St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-10-19
FORCEA AND FRAUD
low the Minnesota Iron Com
pany Bulldozes It's Poor
Employees.
Methods That Are a Disgrace
to the People Of the
State.
Clerks and Bosses Act as
Judges Of Election and
Whippers-In.
The Land Office and United
States Senate Contain
Its Tools.
Little Johnnie" Spooner and
C. X. Davis Among It's
Attorneys.
Fhe Arrogant SellWood Mas
ter Of the Republicans Of
st. Louis.
kpecial TO the Globe.

special TO the Globe.
Tower, Minn., Oct. 1S.-The people
Of Minnesota have been hearing great
Zeal about intimidation, vote suppress
the present campaign, but if they de-
sire to find community near at hand
where all these crimes against free
ballot which they have mentioned have
been committed with impunlty ever
since the settlement of the country, they
should visit the two mining towns of
Tower and Ely and the "mining loca-
ton" of Soudan, two and a half miles
from Tower. Those who have never
visited ti..-s portion of Minnesota and
learned of the condition Of affairs from
people in all walks and conditions of
life can form no idea of the manner in
which that great corporation, the Min
nesota Iron company, handles its en-
plOyeS and thereby controls the politics
of the largest county in the state. This
little city is the center of the mining
industry of the great Vermillion iron
range. 1t is lively and prosperous
town, and has grown and thrIved in
spite OF influences that were calculated
to keep it q pocket borough of this pow
erful corporation. The people of the
state at large have heard very little of
either Tower OF Ely, and for very
good reason.
The Minnesota Iron company and It's
kindred corporation, the Duluth & Iron
range railroad, were given large part
of this most valuable section Of the state
c<,,. h,,.1 VA,,I,
Tower. Having SO much to start with,
desire TO possess the entire country
seized the officers of these corporations,
and they have ever since been binding
their claims upon the country. AL
though the Iron Range railroad has
been in operation for nearly ten
years, it is a fact no less startling
than true that to this day il mas never
carried carload of iron ore for any iH-
0ivldu9l or corporation save the Mime
sofa Iron company. This road is, like
all other railroads, common carrier,
but the men who found the great mines
on the MeSaba range knew that they
Would Re Worthless
until a new railroad was built, although
the Duluth dG Iron Range passes
through the new range. AS an old set
tier and leading business man of Tow
er remarked today:
"The Minnesota Iron company has
spent thousands of dollars to libel
this iron country and convince out
siders that there is nothing here. The
plans have been to secure control of the
entire range, and to this end prospect0rs
and settlers have been harrasSed and
driven out, and the man who dared to
stand up against them has been made
to feel their power. Business men who
Incurred the elality of this corporation
have been ruined and driven out of the
country. In former years they con-
srolled the vote of Tower absolutely,
and the bosses voted the men as they
pleased. Now the city is divided into
wards and Democrats are on the elec-
ton board. In SOudan they do as they
please. In Soudan and Eley there are
not less than $500 votes, and these votes
control the politics of st. Louis county,
Few miners at present reside in
Tower, as the mines are located at Sou
dan, two and half miles away, and
the miners are compelled to live in the
mining location. They are given
land at nominal ground rent
upon which to build houses, bv
signing contract to sell upon leaving
to the men who take their places in the
mines. AT Soudan there are at present
about 1,5G0 men employed in the mines.
In the past these men have been voted
by their bosses almost Solidly
as desired by the corpora
ton. In national and state
politics they have cast all these votes
for the Republican ticket, but in St
Louis cOunty's local fights they have
frequently shown the cloven hoof, and
by so doing furnished convincing proof
that the company manipulateS and casts
VntnC nj n,in
Were it not for these caperS in the
past tbs Republicans might claim thai
the miners are ali Republicans, which
is, Of course, exactly the reverse Of the
true facts. The officers OF the mining
company say iiat tbs eiSctions I'll Scu
dan anG E:y arc as feir as they are il
any other pa:a Of the state. That thi:
Is not true IS s.:nwG by the ease will
which tlis voio hag been
Thrown A@aTn.. R spnbiicans
disiiksd b. thr ,rcn cou:pany. 4 few
of the ;I.Ey i::aiaaeca ci this iirid soi
low
LII 1874 t..lr votes of the miners elected
Hen. tlIsr!es G-AitIaIhont coGnty at
torney cVeT Z. l.. Allen. the regular
RepHn:icaG nolliucc. and one Of the
ablest Sid c:eancst Republicans in St
Louis COUNTY. Mr.. Allen iii his profes-
sion as an attorney had brought suit
against tie iron company for severa
poor clients. The heavy vote of Sou
daE, east under the direction of the
mining bosses, was almost soliC
for dAutremont. TO show the
power OF the corporation, and how
thoroughly il was used, it is only neces
sary to state that out of 440 votes cas-
MIR. Cleveland received but 80, while
Allen, the Republican candidate for at
torney. had hardly that many.
Again in 1886 Charlegmague Towe
Jr., of the Minnesota Iron company
was a candidate for the Republican
nomination fUs state senator in the Du
luth district. He was defeated in con
vention by X. S. Munger. an old ard re
spected citizen of the Zenith City. Thi
Democrats nominated A. j. Whiteman
and the vote Of the iron company wa
east almost solidly for Munger
At the same time the vote Of the Son