St. Paul daily globe., 1892-11-06
KNUrE NELSON'S CAMPAIGN.

out precisely the results Mr. CARTEL
desires.
KNUTE NELSON'S CAMPAIGN
The GLOBE seriously disclaims any
intention of doing KNUTE NELSON ar
injustice in the vigorous efforts 1T has
made during the past two weeks tt
spread before its readers the exact
| truth about the Elbow Lake episode. A
newspaper owes certain duty 10 its
| patrons, and it cannot afford to deny
them the information for which it
knows they are eager. 1t will be re-
membered that earlier in the campaign
very profound interest was excited i'll
the rural districts of the state over an
alleged banquet given to the Repub-
| liean candidate at the Minnesota club
i'll st. Paul by certain rich and en- ter
tanning gentlemen. On that occasion
the GLOBE undertook to crafty public
| curiosity by printing all the facts which
could be ELECTED by a very patient in
| veStigatiOD. And so now, When the
same rich and entertaining gentle
l-men who banqueted Mr.. NELSON at the
Minnesota club are every morning scan-
ming the Ielegraphlc dispatches TO learn
whether their quOndam guest was
really guilty of the breach of etiquette
at Elbow Lake with which he has been
charged. the GLOBE has not had the
heart to disappoiuU them with stony
silence.
The evidence on this matter, it
will have to be admitted. is hardly
more satisfactory than that which
was obtainabIe about the Mime
sofa club banquet. The most skill
full expert was not equal to an in
telligent journey through the mazes of
that question. and when on the same
morning the Pioneer Press announced
in its editorial columns on its word of
honor that KNUTE NELSON had never
eaten d meal i'll his life with JAMES j..
HILL, and in its news columns pub
lished an interview with Judge SEARLE
admitting the banquet, but denying
that it had any political signifi-
canoe. the confusion became too con-
founded to permit its farther c0nsidera-
ton by any one who cared for the pres
ervatiOn Of his sanity. In the same
manner the most extraordinary degree
of mystery attaches to the Elbow Lake
episode, and either there are some un-
considerable liars at the scene of the al
legged fight, or their atfidavits have been
sadly iuggled with on their way to the
press.
One point is settled, and one point
only. All authorities agree that Mr..
NELSON "sIugged" TOBIAS SAUBY
at Republican rally, but on every
other issue there is the gravest conflict
of testimony. The witnesses on the one
side say that he was justified in ''slug-
ging" him because he was disorderly;
that he ''slugged" him temperately and
with much courtesy and self-reStraint;
that SAUBY was bigger man than
he, and that it is greatly to his credit
that he was able to slug him at all;
that the ''slugging" has kindled the
widest popular enthusiasm throughout
the adjoining counties; that all the
Democrats and Populists are going over
to NELSON because he has proved HIM
self such fine "Slugger," and in gen.
eral that the 'slugging" match of Elbow
Lake is by all odds the most important
event of the pending campaign, that it
will land NELSON in the state capitol,
and that if it were not for his constitu-
tional disabilities it would carry him to
the presidency.
The witnesses on the other side say
- ic arl
tleman with frame enfeebled by too
active intellectual eXertion, with an in
quiring mind and with very domestic
habits. He lives in town called Pota-
to, and according to their evidence is as
mild and inoffenSive in his manners as
the name of his place of residence
would suggest. If all they report is
true, but small audience greeted Mr..
NELSON on the evening in question, and
he was evidently irritated by its mat
tention and Indifference to his most
telling points. 1t chanced that TOBIAS
SAUBY had brought in his arms to the
meeting his dear young child. without
whom he is never seen in public. The
sight of the happy father peacefully
and contentedly fondling his offspring
enraged the Republican standard
bearer beyond his powers Of endurance,
and to the amazement of the assem-
bled crowd he leaped down from
the platform, in absolute wanton-
ness of spirit 'slugged' the gentle
SAUBY real hard, and then at once re-
sumed his speech as though nothing
had happened. So terrible an exhibit
ton of human malignity had never be-
fore been witnessed by the people who
give this account of the episode, and it
is unnecessary to add that none of them
will vote the Republican ticket this
fall
1t would be utterly useless to attempt
a reconciliation of these conflicting sto-
ries, or OF the many others between
them which are told about the occasion.
The GLOBE wishes that the same uncer-
taintY surrounded the main incident
which characterizes its details, and that
the fact of the "slugging" itself were
open to some doubt. But unfortunately
this is not the case. Friends and foes
alike declare that NELSON "licked' his
man. and the only matter about which
a difference OF opinion is possible is as
to how he did it. The GLOBE wishes
that il were otherwise not for its own
sake. There are many attractive feat
ures in the chance that Minnesota may
have a governor of violent and pugi-
listic temperament. The columns of the
local newspapers will not lack for in
teresting material, should every clashing
of views at the capitol during the COM
ing two years be accompanied by clash
ing of fists. The GLOBE cannot forget
its newspaper instincts even in its par
tiSan zeal.
But it regrets the Elbow Lake Incl
dent, whatever its actual character, be-
cause of the disappointment and grief
it has brought to the aristocratic gentle
men with whom MI. NELSON aspired to
oceooiota in tho nariOd immadiataIv