St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-06-09
MIR. NEWEL's SPEECH.

STANFORD Newell does not make
many public speeches, but when he
does say something it deserves to be
listened to. The GLOBE was not pres
ent when he addressed the Minnesota
delegation yesterday, but the Dispatch
was. The intimate personal relations
between its proprietor and our genial
fellow townsman forbid any doubt as
to the accuracy of its published report
of his Grafton.
The subject under discussion was a
proposed constitutional amendment
providing that the president shall not
be elected for more tnan one term. This
had been drafted by that profound Min
neapolis jurist Mr.. Pn.LsBURY, and it
excited great interest in the delegation,
which is very much concerned about
constitutional questions. Mr.. EVANS,
who has not lived long enough in the
state to become inoculated with Mime
sofa radicalism, was opposed to the
change. Without attempting to defend
the trainers of the constitution, he
thought it would be only courteous to
give their work a little further show,
They had meant well, he argued, and
while, of course, they did not know
as much as Mr.. PILLsBURY. there
was nothing to be gained by jumping
on them with both feet so suddenly.
Mr.. Newell disagreed with him. He
was in favor of ripping the constitution
up the back, and he gave his reasons for
his opinion. Here is what he said:
1.-The situation at this convention is a very
grave one. There is friction here noticed
that feel should not exist. Something must
be done to do away with this feeling. If a
ballot had been taken on Monday | should
have felt it my duty to vote for HARRISON.
If ballot is to be taken today shall vote
for Mr. BLAINE. do not want it considered
that am for nobody except BLAINE. There
is talk of a dark horse, and if | am to back
a dark horse l want him to be a good one.
THOMAS B. REED is as good man as know
of, and he is my friend, and shall have my
vote if we cannot elect Mr.. BLAINE. there
fore say that is a grave situation, and
think that we should act in harmony and
unison on all things. l favor the amend
ment to the constitution which has bee u pro-
posed
This is what the GLOBE calls an
adroit speech. 1t leaves so much to the
Imagination. Mr.. Newell declares on
Wednesday that if a ballot had been
taken OH Monday he would have voted
for HARRISON. OF course, a ballot
could not have been taken on Monday,
except, perhaps, straw ballot on a
railway train, because the convention
did not meet until Tuesday. But the
gentleman wanted TO show his catholic
ity of spirit. His position gratified the
HARRISON men, and did not displeaSe
anybody. Yesterday Mr.. Newell was
for BLAINE, which delighted the cack-
ling WILLIAM HENNERY EUsTIs. But
he did not promise to stop there. He
limited that he might go on through the
full list of candidates, provided the
length of the convention would permit.
The idea he wished to convey was
that he was open to conviction, and the
GLOBE thinks Ire succeeded in doing
this.
The only point in these interesting
remarks which can fairly be criticised is
the allusion to THOMAS B. REED. Mr..
Newell is undoubtedly right in his
notion that the situation is grave Ole
if it requires the nomination of Mr..
REED-that Mr.. REED would be a
good candidate to select in the interest
of harmony and unison. If Mr.. REED
were nominated, he would surely make
the party harmonious and united, and
he would do it with club. This is
very effective method, and Mr.. NEwEI.
proves his political sagacity by recog-
niZing its merits. But what does he
mean when he says that REED shall
have his vote if Mr.. BLAINE cannot be
elected? Does he mean that, if Mr..
BLAINE is defeated at the polls in
November, REED should head the
ticket in '96, or does he propose
to have another little election of
his own all by himself if the
regular fall election turns out adverse
~? Mr.. NEWELL is bit too ambiguous,
a bit too Don-committal here. And is it
a sufficient reason under the constitu-
ton for favoring Mr.. REED to say that
''he is a good man and is my friend?''
And if it is, what about WILLIAM X.
MERRIAM, Mr.. NEWELL; is he not a
good man and your friend, and when
you were talking of dark horses would it
not have been more loyal to have re-
ferred to him? But perhaps it is your
plan to reserve him as your candidate
of tomorrow. You know best about
these things.