St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-11-08
INTIa1lD ATING VOTERS.
Disgraceful Work of the Officers
of an Iron Company.

DlSgraCeIul w OrK Oh the OnCerS
of an Iron Company.
Special to the Globe
TOWER, Mimi, Nov. 7.-Since my ar
rival here last night have examined
into the political condition of the miners
at SOudan. The sentiment is decidedly
Democratic everywhere. and so much
SO that the Minnesota from company, as
usual, has found it necessary to resort
to intimidation in order to drive its
employees into line. There are several
miners who have been informed by
their foremen that they need not look
for work on the range again If they
ten or twelve hired heel
ers, who have for the last
week been assiduously at work among
the AustrianS and Fins here to persuade
them to vote with the company, have
freely, and as their main campaign ar
gument, asserted that those who vote
The Democratic ticket will be discharged
from work and even ousted from their
homes. In the face of all this, the Dem
oerats can do but little. People here
know what serious thing it is for them
tolncur the diSpleaSure of the Mime
sofa Iron company.
Some two months ago an officer of the
Minnesota Iron company. compelled an
old Finn, Andrew Heka, to sign settle
ment OF case brought by said Andrew
Heka as administrator for the estate of
one Westerer Kaugas, deceased. under
threat of ousting him from the lot on
which he lived, and on which he had
the houses in Soudan are built
on ground belonging to the Minnesota
Iron company under lease which giYes
the lessor the right to GUST the tenant
from the premises OH ten days notice
without cause, except the cOmpany'S
own sweet will. Mr.. Heka was old and
unable to work and all his saving he had
put into the building of this house, where
he supported himself and his wife by
keeping boarders. TO this man it was
that the officer went in person, shook
his fist to his face and told him to sign
the dismissal of the case or get of the
land forthwith. To disobey this order
meant death and GtarvatiOn to Mr.. Heka
and his wife, and with tears in his eyes
and with trembling hand he put his
signature to the document. This case
is we'll known among all the miners at
Soudan, and no one who owns house
at the place will dare to vote for Dem
ocrat unless he can mark his own ballot,
and that is something very few of the
Austrians, Italians or Firms can do.
In the four precincts Ill Soudan none
but Republican judges are appointed,
and all OF whom are also employees of
the Minnesota Iron company. l also
find that all the judges in the Fourth
precinct live in the First precinct, but
In order to put semblance of legality
on this proceeding these judges are now
said to sleep in an empty house near
the polling place III the Fourth precinct
occasionally, and thus pretend that that
is their place OF residence. This and
similar dirty work are some Of the bien-
NAL duties of the Office hands and fore
men of this ponderouS corporation,
which so long has been the pet benefi-
ciary of Republican legislatures, both
national and state.
Wherever [ have bean the sentiment
is most enthusiastically Democratic, but
nearly everybody complains that they
dare not vote the Democratic ticket if
there is any way for the company to
find out the fact. Every Austrian and
Italian has been driven up to the polls
to register, but great number have
signifed their intention to stay away if
they possibly can.
In spite of all these facts, the general
sentiment around hereiS that the whole
Vermilion range will go Democratic,
and the Mesaba range will, beyond
doubt, roll up good strong majority
for the whole Democratic ticket.