St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-01-28

W. SHOW ny llle rec
ords that the
-, Sage of Mining
JOHN b. FoMeE-. er alone is to
blame for the
failure of the last legislature to meet
the expectations of the people. The
first of the series as it will appear
in the Advocate tomorrow follows:
The outcome of the late Alliance con-
ventfOn has filled with alarm many true
friends of reform throughout the state
of Minnesota. 1t is one illustration
that would prove the old saying. THAT
lie well stuck to is as good as the truth"
For more than two years Messrs. Don
nelly and Fish (and | consider the two
identieaD have, by a system of false
hood and SANDER that has rarely been
eQualed. sought to make themselves the
autOcratS of the reform movement.
Every man who would not bend the
knee to them was
Marked for Slaughter
until there was not prominent man in
the Alliance that has not been assaiIed
by them. Many have remained silent,
| thinking the storm would spend itself
| or that the good sense of the people
would relegate them to oblivion. 1t is
because we loved the Alliance and the
| noble work upon which it is entered
eildb we nave HSSltdlcu W oIIC up JilG
| strife that would result from an expos
| ure of these men. But our forbearance
| has been treated with contempt; our
| silence as all evidence of guilt; hence
| we will lay few facts before the people
| ana let them judge who are traitors to
| our noble cause. Let us begin with the
last session of the legislature,
more particularly the senate. When
| it assembled in st. Paul the party
divisions were as follows: Senate-Re-
publicans, 26; Democrats, IS; Alliance,
Ii. neutrality-suspicious., Al; Demo
Gratis, 46; Alliance, %.
Donnelly at once set himself about the
task of organizing both bodies; he was
so kind that to save us trouble he had
selected from among his friends those
who were to fill the subordinate posi-
tions in both branches of the legislature,
from chief clerk to doorkeeper. He
called a meeting of the Alliance MEM
bers to be held in the reading room of
the Merchants hotel Jan. 3, where he
outlined the programme, to put up the
men he had selected and vote for them
until the others came to them.
Played the Dictator.
He acted so dictatorial that the men
bers of the house voted the sen ators out
OF the caucus, telling us to attend to our
business as senators and they would try
| to attend to theirs in the house. The
| Alliance senators met in caucus the
| same evening; some favored a combi-
| nation with the Democrats, but Mr.. Don
nelly would not bear to that; he de-
| nounced the Democratic party in I'M
measured terms, taking up their history
| before the war and ending with Jim
Hill. in language which, for violence
of invective, l have never heard
eaualed; he said, as for him
he would never, never consent.
to union with them. He, however,
took different position from his in the
afternoon, and favored a combine with
the Republicans. On motion made by
Mr.. Donnelly two committees were APP
pointed, one of which was to confer
with the Republican senators, the other
with Lieut.. Gov. Ives over the division
of SpOilS. l was appointed on one of
the committees but refused to have any
thing to do with it. The Democratic
senators had met IN room near by,and
had voted in favor of acting with the
Alliance members on organization.
spurned by Republicans.
The next day, which was the day for
the session to begin, Mr.. Donnelly and
his committee went to see the Repub-
iicans, when 10, they told him they did
not need him. in short. that they could
organize the senate without his help. 1t
soon leaked out that two senators, one
Democrat and one Alliance, had agreed
to act with the Republicans in consid-
Grafton of their friends being taken care
of. After Mr.. Donnelly was thus
Snubbed, he came into the senate rail-
road committee room, where number
of Alliance and Democratic senators
were talking over the situation, in
towering rage and at once favored a
combine of the Alliance and Demo-
cratic senators to fight the wicked
monopolstlc Republicans; he SAID he
had always entertained the kindest
feelings for Democrats, and expressed
the belief and hope that we might act in
conjunction
Against the Common Enemy.
The poor Democrats who had not
heard this opinion he had previously
expressed of them fell into his arms at
once. l could see amazement plainly
written OH the faces of our Alliance
senators. who had listened to his speech
the previous evening. As for my
self l was not surprised. l had seen
some of these sudden flops by this same
party. The next thing to be done was
to get back the two recalcitrantS. The
Democrats said they would see their
man. Mr.. Donnelly wished me to see
the Alliance Sanat0r; was to tell him
that we would do as much for him as
the Republicans could. Matters were
successfully arranged, and few min
utes before the opening of the session a
complete agreement was reached to Or
game the senate, for which Mr.. ID. has
received great deal of credit. Then
came
A Scramble for the Spells.
One of the curses of a legislature is
the number OF hangers-on. all drawing
pay from the state. Being of reform
party, it was my ambition to have the
Alliance make good record on this
question. We made an attempt TO stem
the tide: but Mr.. Donnelly was all
powerful, at this time. See Senate
Journal, 14-15. In order to be con-
Sistent although, as chairman of the
finance committee, L was entitled to a
clerk, told the senate we could do
without; but on page So will be found
resolution directing the finance commit
tee to find out why the amount of
money raised by taxation had increased
from 100000 in 1885 to 81, 500. 900 in 1890.
We were directed TO investigate, and
this extra work imade it necessary to
have clerk; appointed Il. j. Hall;
see page II. Mr.. Donnelly secured the
following positions for his friends:
Sergeant at arms, Ii. Gillett, of Dakota
,txy. larl- raft II