St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-08-31
THE BANQUET ISSUE.

The amusable public is getting into
state of composites confusion over this
banquet question. Did OF did not
KNUTE NELSON dine with JAMES j.
Hill at the Minnesota club, in st. Paul,
on the day that he was nominated for
governor of Minnesota by the Repub-
iican party? This promises to be at
once leading issue. and the most un-
fathomable mystery Of the pending
campaign.
The st. Paul Dispatch, q Republican
newspaper of this city. says that he did.
1t has exceptional facilities for getting
on to information about the move
ments of the aristocracy, and it got
on to this. 1t had the names of the en-
tire party. and it published them. They
were Mr.. NELSON, the hOrny-handed
farmer of Douglas county. as the guest
of honor, and Mr.. HILL. Judge SEARLE
and Banker MENDENHALL as his COM
radeS. The GLOBE had no reason to
question the truth of the paragraph
1t has great confidence in the Dispatches
accuracy Ill such matters. Like an en-
terpriSing journal, the GLOBE repeated
the news, and like an honest journal,
credited it to its proper source. The
people of the state thus learned about
it, and were generally gratified to learn
that Mr.. NELSON had enjoyed himself
The Republican Press was not at all
gratifed. however, by the paragraph.
Some of them said that their candidate
had made donkey Of himself to adver-
tise his intimacy with the president of
the Great Northern railroad at such
time, aid others blamed the Dispatch
for telling about 1t. Finally the Red
Wing Republican came out with an
elaborate explanation. 1t said that the
banquet was not social affair at all,
but business conference; that Mr..
HILL had an action pending in Judge
SEARLE's court. and that they two,
along with Mr.. NELSON. who presuma-
bly, was Mr.. HILLS attorney, and
LUTHER MENDENHALL, whose part in
the drama is not satisfactorily eX-
planned, adjourned to the dining room
of the Minnesota club to make up the
findings in the case.
This was still more entertaining than
the original paragraph. and so the
GLOBE, with pure ambition to let its
readers know what was going on, copied
it also, being careful again to credit it
to the proper source. This paper could
not see why on earth the Republican
press was so agitated about the matter,
unless its tremors were indicative of a
guilty conscience; but, as 1t is part of its
duty to reflect the spirit of contemporary
thought, it held up a mirror to the gen.
eral comments, adverse and comnenda-
tory, which Were'maklng on this episode
in Mr.. NELSON'S career.
Whoever has any appreciation of
humor will appreciate its rare sensa-
tons when it took up yesterday morn
lng's Pioneer Press, and found that
Journals leading editorial devoted to a
learned discussion of this question. 1t
appears to quote its own words that ait
has taken great pains to ascertain the
exact truth OF the matter" And the
exact truth it finds to be that on the
goth of July, 1892, Mr.. NELSON and
Judge SEARLE lunched at the Mime
sofa club, as did also Mr.. HILL, but that
their respective meals were served at
different tables. The GLOBE again takes
pleasure in repeating this information,
as it has the other Republican contribu-
tons to the solution of this modern
mystery.
AS the matter now stands, the Dis
patch says he did; the Red Wing Re-
publican says he did, but without I'M
proper motives; and the Pioneer Press
says ne did, but not at the same table.
The public can take its choice among
these conflicting statements for the
present. After while, no doubt, if he
can, with any respect for his conscience,
Mr.. NELSON will come out with an aft
davit on the subject. lie may deny the
report fatty. as he has some of the
charges which lave been brougb,
against him; or he may say that he die
not eat very much at the banquet, ius-
as he says he is not very much of &
Norwegian. But he is sure to reply t.
it. because he has replied to everything
which is to his discredit; and the Re
publican press of the state, with tn;
solitary exception of the contrite Dis
patch, seems 10 be unanimous in til.
opinion that it is to Mr.. Nelson's dis
credit to have dined with Mr. HILL.
What is there in Mr.. NELSON'S caree
which makes the publicity given t,
ihis event so alarming to his com
yatriots ?
cHAuScEY can come back now. The strik