St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-10-27
MINNEAPOLIS.
JUDGE REA'S BOLT.
Republican Papers and Poll
ticians Fear That They
Have Lost Him.
He Frankly Admits That Some
Things Republican He
Doesn't Like.
But He Is Not Ready to An
nounce His Position
Definitely.
For Causing a Doubt of His
Republieanism He Is Be-
ing Traduced.

Ire republican managers and the
Republican organs are much exercised
over the announcement in Eastern
papers yesterday morning that Judge
John l.. Rea, of Minneapolis, has put
himself on the same footing with the
advanced thinkers of the day ike Judge
Walter Q. Gresham, Wayne MacVeagh,
Judge Thomas Cooley and others, and
boted the Republican ticket. Natur-
ally, in the mind of Republican
this Is the greatest crime Judge Rea
could have committed. The evening
organ of the Republican party Ill Mill
neapolis, Immediately on hearing the
news from the East. sent reporter to
interview Judge Rea. That gentleman
declined to be interviewed. He re-
fused to put himself Oh record as either
Ill favor of or opposed to the Republi-
can party as it how stands. lie did say
that he was never i'll favor of the Nc
Kinley bill and considered it an out
rage on the people of the country. He
also said this, iii regard to the old
soldier:
Il don't like party that uses the Old
soldiers as the Republican party used
them. Because il votes them pensions
it assumes that it has the right 10 own
them body and soul, and order them to
support anything that bears the name
Republican. Thirty years ago | came
Out and fought for my convictions. and
do not see why should be denied the
right 10 express my convictions now"
But he refused to say whether he
would vote for Grover Cleveland or for
Benjamin Harrison. And therein he
offended the Republican organ.
instantly its columns were thrown
open 10 villification Of Judge Rea. 1t
printed dispatch from its Washington
Judge Rea in The light of disappoint-
ed office seeker. 1t printed the sub
stance of the comments of Eastern
organs of Republicanlsm in which
Judge Rea was denounced unspar-
ingly for daring to have an opinion
OF his own. Republican papers of the
East might be pardoned for crlticisng
Judge Rea, for they do not know the
man, nor do they know how high he
STANDS among the people of Minnesota,
where he is best known. But the Jour
nal did not stop there. Knowing Judge
Rea so well as it does. knowing him to
be gentleman of the highest character
and after saying all manner of good
tHIIlSS III Tic pdSt. IL opens It's COLUMNS
TO this sort OF diatribe:
The people at the Republican head
quarters in this city and in st. Paul
point TO the fact that Judge Rea was all
ayowed candidate for congress until
Loren Fletcher's star ecllpsed him. He
would have taken the nomination and
made the race, Mckinley bill and all, if
he had been given the chance. which
cOnvinces the Republicans aforesaid
that the judge has some reason back of
the Mckinley bill to explain his present
attitude. Some are ungenerOuS enough
to say that he is a disappointed poll
tlcian, and only seeking after some no.
tUrety."
Judge Rea is gentleman of the high
est character. No man in Minneapolis
stands higher in public estimation than
he. lie occupies an envlable position
at tie bar of Minnesota. He has sat on
the bench of the district court. He is a
gentleman of culture, of character, of
ability, of ideas. But he dares to have
an opinion of his own; therefore he
must be abused and abused vulgarly.
Every man in Minneapolis or in Mill
nesOta who knows Judge Rea. and who
is familiar with the course OF events for
the past year or TWO, knows that Judge
Rea has never been a candidate for d
congressional nomination. He has been
spoken Of i'll the newspapers and else
where as possible congressional NOM
1nee. He has been spoken OF in connec-
lion with nominations to other offices in
the gift of the people of Minneapolis and
OF the state. He has been so mentioned
because Judge Rea has always been
considered one of the ablest and most
popular Republicans in the state. But,
let it be repeated, Judge Rea has not
been an active candidate for any office.
SO far as the statement that he was a
candidate for the Republican nomina-
ton for congress Until Loren Fletcher
blocked his path is concerned, it is
foolish. Any man who has gimmer-
ing conception of the feeling toward
Loren Fletcher in the Republican party,
and who has any knowledge of the feel
ing for Rea in the same party up 10
yesterday, knows that Judge Rea could
have had the Republican nomination
for congress. even against Loren
Fletcher. had he desired it. He simply
did not want it.
Judge Rea has for years been a man
whom n Minneapolis people, particularly
Minneapolis Republicans, delighted to
honor. He has held the office of COM
mander-in-chief of the Grand Army of
the Republic, and that is a position
which any man might feel honored by.
All this stamps HIM as man above the
average i'll ability and in public re-
gard. But it has been intimated
that he is not happy in
the party with which he has affiliated
in the past. Therefore. in Republican
eyes. he is to be abused The Repub-
licans o. Minneapolis, through the Jour
nal, take the same attitude toward
Judge Rea that the same party has taken
toward the old soldier, and to which
Judge Rea objects. I'VE have regard.
ed you as man always willing to swal-
low anything labeled Republican, II
you dare TO have al opinion of your OWL
you are traitor, and we deny you the
right to be treated as an American citi-
zen"
Judge Rea frankly admits that the
newspapers may drive HIM to make {
publicdeclaratiOn of his position. If he
tdecide to make public declaration
hat declaration will be uneQuivocal, i
may be depended upon. Whatever bt
the character of his declaration yhetho,