St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-02-25
Senator Hompe Tells Of a Gu
rious Proposition Made
by the Sage.
His Way to Congress Would
Be Made Easy if He
Voted Right.
LiAu the Dakota Man Wanted
Was q Soft Place for
His Son.
"A CauStic Review OF Senator
D0nnelly'S Votes on Sew
eral Occasions.

Special TO the Globe
I HENNING, Mimi. Feb. Ex-senator
7 Hompe's letter in tomorrow's Advocate
is largely devoted to showing the posi-
ton OF Senator Donnelly on the cele-
DRAFTED lunacy bill that took up so much
OF the time of the senate at the last ses-
sion. The Otter Tail senator charges
that the Sage supported this measure
because his son, DIR. lgnatius Donnelly,
of st. Paul, had been promised an APP
pointment to place OH the commission.
When the bill came up, Senator Hompe
charges that Mr.. Donnelly offered to
support him, Hompe. for congress in
return for his vote. The position OF Mr..
Donnelly on the national guard and In
dian claims measures is also criticised.
The letter is rather more spicy than it's
predecessors. 1t follows:
A number of old Indian claims that
had been rejected by previous legisIat-
ors were also added until the bill was
raised about 100000. and this extra
amount had to be provided for by an
increase of the tax levy. See page lO4S
One of the hardest fights was over the
increase to the soldiers home. The
committee report was in favor of s25, 900
for that institution Chat is for the new
building). The amendment was to
make 100000; demonstrated by actual
/ figures that it would be much cheaper
to board the old veterans at the Ryan
or West hotels, taking into ac-
count the expense of putting up
the buildings, and the old boys
would much prefer to do so. The most
of these men could be taken care of
among their friends, as is now being
done in large number of cases at
m fr tI0c fofa FL,
the home with such improvements as
were necessary was ample. There is
such sentiment on this soldier QueS-
ton that the
Ordinary Politician
asked for. They seem to think that to
get the old soldiers vote money with
out stint must be voted away whether it
is necessary or not; they must regard
the old soldiers as necessary wretch
whose only cry is give, give. This may
be the case with those whose patri-
otism had to be qulckened by the pay
ment of large bounties toward the close
of the war. but in behalf of those of the
crop of '61-2 we protest against such an
imputatiOn. Also, too many of our COM
that knows no waking" l am afraid,
however. that we have given the most
; positive proof that as politicians we are
a failure. / he office seeker never makes
such breaks as this. So incensed did
some of the senators become at my Op-
position that, to rub it into me, as they
termed it, they raised the appropria-
ton to Sl05.000. In Justice to Mr..
Donnelly, l would say that he
defended me against the attacks
of some of the members, but he
voted with the other fellows. See page
I 9S5. This item of the bill was adopted
5by vote of so to II, the IL were Re-
publican, Crandall; 3 Democrats, Brown,
/ Craig and Leayitt; Alliance. Borcher,
Crate, HOmpe, Lommen, Mott, Nelson.
Probstfield and Wood. In Justice to
other senators who stood by me in my
attempt to prevent the bill being raised
as it was. am glad to make honorable
mention of Senator CaneSrorp. Repub-
county; Craven, McHale, Geissel. Dem
ocrats, and Senators Erickson, Dedon
and SevatsOn, Alliance. L have often
thought what we were drifting to
with
Billion Dollar Congress.
expensive state and county govern
ment. We are today the heaviest taxed
nation on the globe. and every year it is
getting worse. 1t is true that we have
unequaled resources; but that in time
will become exhausted, while politi-
clans like Mr.. Donnelly, who has been
bewailing the condition of the tax-rid-
den farmer for the past thirty years, is
foremost in voting extra burdens on the
people. What will the end be?
One of the bills that created great in
to regulate the admission of patients into
the insane hospitals; the commission was
to appoint two resident physicians in
each county of the state, to examine pa
tlents before being admitted to the hos
pitfalls. 1t was claimed that persons
were incarcerated who were not insane,
and that the passage of this bill would
tend to remove this evil, but from the
fact that our Republican friends seemed
SO much interested in the measure our
suspicious were aroused. 1t looked to
us as though it might be made gigan-
tic machine with paid officials in every
county to look after Republican inter
ests; nor did we think the need very
urgent, as each of the hospitals has
corps of well qualified physicians who
ought to be as we'll able to judge
| the mental condition of those under
their daily supervision as a coun-
| try doctor after few mo-
mentS examination. The bill was con-
SiuClCu III - VI III. SCC DdSG
| 965, and after close contest was re-
! ferred to special committee. 1t was
| almost party fight; the Republicans
| in favor of the bill ana the Democratic
| and Alliance senators against it; Mr..
|. Donnelly, as usual, voting with the Re-
| pubicans. lie made stroug appeal to
| his Alliance friends to stand by HIM,
| but not one would respond. The cor
porations must have got in their work.
| 1t was the next day. 1 think, April
| II, at noon, that the combine
Clifton hotel, during which Mr..
iDOnnelly made an argument in favor of
| the d. IL w. land grant, that Mr.. Don
nelly called me to one side and accosted
| me in this manner: Senator, you
| wish to go to congress-" i looked up
somewhat surprised. and asked him
| how he knew. He said that was all
right and that he could help me, as he
had many friends in the Seventh dis
| want favor of you. You can get the
I Alliance senators to help me pass the
Elunacy bill. The reason / want it
/ passed is because
s My Son. DR. DOnnelly,
Isis to be one Of the commission" There
was fine chance for me to make DEAL
Only few thousands more on the dear
people, and the one Donneliy who had
been left in the cold would be taken
into the ark of safety and provided with
government teat. No matter if Mr..
Donnelly was a delegate to the late
Democratic convention and made one of
the speeches, nominating Thomas Will
son. Was not Mr.. Donnelly's son-iE-
law, also Democrt, on the grain
force in st. Paul at s1,sOC year,
and nothing to do; and his son.