St. Paul daily globe., 1892-06-16
Donnelly and Fish ShreWdly
Squeeze All Their Rivals
Out Of the Party.
Like the Old-Time MaSSachu-
setts Leaders, They Pre-
fer a Weak Party.
Gen. Baker Declined to Be a
Candidate for Congress
sional Nomination,
And Speaks Of Infl uences
From Outside the District
Very Plainly.

Inc dcIlOn OF the Allla1ce Stdle CcH-
tral committee Tuesday in calling a
state convention was the main topic Of
conversation among the politicians yes
terday. Some of the Republican lead
ers took a rosy view of the situation.
and claimed that it would send the dis
affected Republicans of two years ago
back into the party in droyes. especially
in case of the nomination of ex-Con-
gresham Knute Nelson. Others held
exactly opposite opinions, and openly
said that it meant close contest be-
tween the Republicans and Democrats.
81 cannot see how this split can help
the Republicans, remarked one OF the
leaders Yesterday. lin fact, would
have preferred to see the Peoples party
given the entire field. In case OF the
latter great many of the conservative
element who voted for Owen two years
ago, and who are opposed TO the wild
theories of the Peoples party. would
have voted with US; now they VIII ioi-
low the ticket to be nominated by the
convention called yesterday. This di-
vision may help us In our congressional
fights, but not as far as the state hcKet
is concerned. L believe the Peoples
and Alliance candidates for governor
will together poll 10000 more votes than
the PEOPLES candidate would have re-
ceiyed had the other fellows fallen into
line"
The action of the old Alliance COM
mittee in calling state convention 10
protest against the subtreasury and
other ptanks so StrenuouSiy advocated
by '.Doc" Fish, and SO well used to
force all the prominent leaders out OF
the movement, thus
Leaving u Clear Field
to himself and his chief, while ending
all hope the independents may have
cherished of carrying the state. will
have a very good effect on the thinking
elements of the Peoples party, and
may yet be the means of bringing about
a compromise. The manner in which
the Alliance party is treated by the
Sage of Nininger during the next few
weeks will have great deal to do with
the effect the movement inaugurated at
the Merchants Tuesday will have on
the people of the state.
''If DOnnelly desires the success of
the Independent movement" said one
of the Alliance committee yesterday,
she will try to effect compromise. He
has declared at all times that he was
not opposed to Gen. Baker. S. NJ. Owen,
or any of the prominent anti-SuDtrea-
snry leaders. But at the same time he
was saying these. honeyed words his
man Fish was denouneing Gen. Baker,
Mr. Owen and every other man unWjll-
ing to bow down before Mr.. Donnelly.
Both Donneily and Fish spent several
months in the Second district working
up opposition to Gen. Bakers nomina-
ton for congress. Rampant subtreasury
men we're appointed organizers and
lecturers in every county, and directed
to denounce every man unfayOrable to
the subtreasury plank. 1t was made the
sole test of party fealty, and for no
other object than to defeat Gen. Baker
and make the nomination of Mr. Owen
for governor impossible"
"Gen. Baker," continued the speaker,
twas pretty we'll posted on their move
ments, and when the convention net at
Mankato last Thursday the delegates
found that he was lot candidate. He
wrote letter telling his reasons for de-
clining. which he sent to the secretary
the day before. This letter roasted the
men in control and was not read. OF
course, the Fish crowd triumphed, but
their victory was hollow one, and has
| utterly discredited the Peoples party
in the Second district
The Baker Letter.
The letter of Gen. Baker, to which
reference is made above, was published
in the Mankato Review this week, and
is reproduced. as it makes mention of
the workings of the Peoples party ma
chine. to which the GLOBE has fire.
quentiy called attention. The letter
follows:
MANKATo. Minn.. June 8, 1s92.-A. NJ. Nor
riSOu Secretary Congressional Committee
Ny Dear Sir: Having been mentioned as q
candidate for congress before the Peoples
party convention which is to convene i'll this
city tomorrow, | desire very respectfully 10
withdraw my name from the contest. 1t Is
very evident that there are influences at
work from outside of the district which rem
der it wholly undesirable for any prudent
and conservative man to be candidate
under the conditions which are pressing.
The disposition apparent to throw away the
magnificent success of two years ago and 10
toss overheard the impregnable platform
which made that success possible is only too
obvious. | sincerely hope that. when these
unhappy influences have ceased 10 rule, as
they will, the Alliance itself, with its origi-
inal principles so vital to the Interest of the
producing classes, may not be utterly sub
merged and swept away l desire. in this
connection to tender my warm thanks to the
verv excellent gentlemen who have ex-
pressed q purpose to give me their support,
and especially 10 the good friends from my
own county. Very respectfully
j. H. BAKER
To understand the situation thor
oughly the comments of Col. John c.
Wise. the veteran Mankato editor, are
necessary From his remarks il aD-
pears that all Gen. Baker had to do to
secure the nomination was to declare
himself favorable to the sub-treasury
plank, something the Fish men knew
he would not and could not do. Had he
SO far stultifed himself, however, it is
altogether likely that he would have
been treated as was Gen. E.. NJ. Pope.
who, on being brought before the con-
vention, said:
Il find nothing in your platform, and
have read it over carefully, that any
true Democrat can not subscribe to-
a ballot was taken after this speech
of the ex-senator, and Gen.SPope re-
eeived twenty-siX votes, while the Fish
man. unknown and untitled for the
honor, received almost
Three Times as Many
and was nominated. Speaking of Gen.
Bakers letter, Editor Wise said:
When the Blue Earth county Alliance
passed its resolutions last week by an unani-
nous vote to present Gen. Bakers name to
the Peoples party convention as candidate
for congress- it was generally thought, in
view of his remarkable canvass of two years
ago, that he would be made the nominee Of
that party. But il seems that Dr. Fish, i'll his
iecturing tour through the Second district,
had laid the pins Ia humiliate the general to
his way of thinking or prevent his nomina-
ton, and when the delegates gathered here it
was found that the plans were we'll laid, and
that Fish's programme was to be
a number of delegates from out
side this county and told that
if he would withdraw his past opposition TO
the subtreasury scheme and give his unquali
fed adhesion 10 that and the st. Louis plat
form they would support him. which prac-
tically meant his nomination. If he did not
ana he was nominated. he was also given to
Iaat hr 1rAI1ld hn rnd aud