St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-10-14
History Of the Infamous Cir
cular Sent Out to Defeat
Judge Wilson.
Democrats and All Other Good
Citizens Should Watch for
Roorbacks.


certain defeat. Two years ago the de-
feat OF Merriam was so certain that two
weeks before election day the Republic
cans were sending up Macedonian cry
for help. Although an almost unlimited
eXchequer had been placed at the dis
posal of the state committee, they found
themselves in need of more money, and
were eXerting every means OF eXtortIng
1t from any and every source. They
were successful in getting the money,
but that did not ailay their alarm. The
democrats were pretty we'll aware of
the situation on the Republican side,
and knew that nothing but calamity
could defeat Wilson. Yet they never
dreamed of the outrage which was in
store for them.
On Nov. l, which was the Saturday
before election day. the Democratic
state committee happened upon cir
cular, which was addressed to the Irish
American voters of the state and signed
by Order or the Committee" and
winch informed the IriSh-American
voters that Thomas Wilson was an
OraDgeman. 1t gave purported in
stances of what Mr.. Wilson had done in
years past as an Orangeman, and gave
alleged statements of his which were
very bitter against Catholics. The cir
GUAR had been sent all over the state by
TINS time and was in the hands OF every
1rlSn-Amerlcan voter. 1t was ingeni-
ouSly written and worded so as to stir
up the blood of every Irish Catholic who
was not in position to know that it was
a falsehood from beginning to end. The
Democratic committee laid the blame OF
the talsehood at the doors of. the Re
publican committee, where it belonged
ana the latter committee at once denied
any knowledge OF the existence of the
circular. and then had the effrontery to
charge that the circular was issued by
the Democratic committee. Joel Heat
wole, chairman of the Republican COM
mittee, used this language in his letter
to the Pioneer Press denying that the
republican committee had anything to
do with it:
ut is my opinion that the circular in
question is as likely to be the invention
of the enemy as any one else."-
Pioneer Press, Nov. 3, 1890.
What possible object could the Dem
ocrats (tle enemy have in issuing and
circulating such circular? None in
the world. Mr.. HeatwoIe. if he means
anything by the language used intends
TO convey the impression that the Dem
ocrats issued it for the sole and only
purpose Of giving out the impression
that the Republicans were guilty of cir
culating a roorback. What rot
But this is not the extent of the out
rageous etfronterv. In that same issue
Tams BiXby, secretary of the Repub-
lIcan committee, published letter, in
which he denied that the Republican
state central committee, or any member
OF it, had anything to do with the issue
or circulation of the circular. Imme-
diately under this letter of MIR. BiXby's
the Pioneer Press says:
IF any person can produce evidence
proving cOncluSively that the Repub-
lIcan state central committee, either in
dlYldually or as body. were aware that
Sucn circular was printed before the
TACT was announced by Chairman Will
lam NJ. Campbell, of the Democratic
state central committee, or that the Re-
publican state central committee or any
OF Its officers or assistants aided in the
circulation Or printing of any such circu-
lar, or that such circular was seen OF re-
. ceived or handled for mailing purposes
or for circ ulation in the Republican
state central committee rooms, the per-
son Offering and furnishing such proof
will receive S25, 600 reward upon plac-
ing such proof and evidence in the
hands of Secretary Tams Bixby, of the
Republican state central committee.
This offer was authorized by Mr.. Blk
by. fact which can be proved. But, if
it were not auth orized by him, so much
the worse for the Pioneer Press; its in
tegrity is at a discount. However. here
is the most of the thing: These publ
cations were on the Sd of Novem oer
M nIn .tpxr {,faH
Pioneer Press would be circulated all
over the state, and the offer of Bixby to
give $4,000 for any evidence that the
Republican committee had anything to
do with the circular would be read by
every lrlSh-American voter. and no offer
on the part of the Democrats to cover
the S25, 600 or furnish the proof could
reach these people until after they had
cast their vote the next day. Michael
DOran, as soon as he read the offer in
the Pionaer Press, went at once to the
headquarters of the Republican COM
mittee and offered to cover the so, 900.
shaking a certified check for that
amount in the face of Mr.. BiXby, and
informed him that he stood ready at
once to furnish the proof. But it was
too late to get this offer out before the
people. The thing went just as the
Republican committee planned it should
go. But the Republican committee felt
that for the sake of its credit j t should
square itself before the people, and SO
Mr.. Heatwole published in the next
mornings issue of the Pioneer Press an
open letter to Michael Dorian, inv hich
he denied that the committee had ever
offered the $4,000. This is the LAM
guage of the letter upon this feature of
tue case:
AS chairman of the Republican state
central committee L desire to say that
neither Mr.. BiXby or any other member
of the committee authorized the offer of
$4,000 or any other sum for proof that
that certain circular addressed TO the
iriSh-American voters was genuine
and authorized by this committee
Just think of the hole the Pioneer
Press is placed in by this assertion of
Mr.. Heatwole. This dignified and highly
moral sheet is in effect accused of hay
ing lied, and with the intent to defraud
Mr.. Wilson out of his election. But,
worse than all, the Pioneer Press took
the medicine and said never word.
Not line appeared in that paper after
ward maintaining that Mr.. Bixby au-
thoriZed the publication.
Nov. is election day. What form
will the Republican roorback assume
this year? And can the people of Min
nesOta he gulled a second time by the
Pioneer Press and the Republican com
mittee?
The effect of the roorback was Just
what the Republicans expected it would
be. The Instantaneous were enraged
at Mr.. Wilson Tor what they supposed
he said against them and their religion.
Many thousands of them voted the Re-
publican ticket for the first time in their
lives.
In this connection it is in order to call
attention 10 another circumstance plac-
ing the Pioneer Press in peculiar sit
uatIon. Ia Yesterday mornings issue
of that paper it prints in full Gov.
Austin's findings IN the proceedings for
the renewal of Thomas Howard from
the otiica OF county commissioner. The