St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-04-03
KNOCKING AT KNUTE.
The Various Schemes to
Throttle Nelson's Little
Boom.
Senators Bent on Securing
His Death in Conven-
ton.
John Lind Being Groomed for
Only Temporary
Use.
A Scandinavian Warfare That
Would Kill Them
Both.


that the Mill City senator would be
found supporting the aspirations of ex-
Gov. McGill later on. if not just at pres
ent. Minneapolis was for McGIIl III
1888, and also in 1886, and Gen. Wash
burn would not be found opposing him.
The entire crowd, however, was
agreed upon one pOint-that neither
senator will allow Knute Nelson to capt
ure the gubernatorial nomination If it
can be prevented.
Since that time the United States
senators have become more excited than
ever, and for time at least the seat of
war has been transferred to the ma
tional capital. The Washington cor
respondents of the various papers are
all taking d hand, and are daily being
'filled up" by either the United States
senators or Congressman John Lind. or
by some man who stands close to or rep
resents some one or all of these men.
And these reports are all devoted
to booming John Lind in a
general way. Ills fedeIity to
the party is eXtolled, no mention Of his
position on the silver question being
made, and III some cases a direct com
parison is made between him and knute
Nelson to the manifest disadvantage of
Mr.. Nelson. A sample Of these attacks
was published in last evenings st. Paul
Dispatch. 1t was headed, San Historic
Occasion. How Knute Nelson Won the
Approval of the Democrats in Con-
gresS." This special follows:
brief and pungent editorial in the St.
Paul Dispatch of March % has excited con-
siderable comment here. A knot of promi-
nent Republicans, chiefly from Minnesota
and adjacent states were discussing the mat
ter today, and one of them, Minnesota man,
expressed himself as follows:
ut Will be interesting to see to what extent
party gratitude flows forth toward the man
who in 1883, when the celebrated Mills LII
was pending, deserted the Republican party.
The Indian appropriation bill was before the
house in committee of the whole. In that
committee any subject may be intro
duced and anything may be said. Mr..
Nelson. having made arrangements
with his Democratic friend, Speaker Carlisle,
was recognized as a member of the committee
on Indian affairs, and proceeded to deliver
free trade speech. which evoked the plaudits
Of the entire Democratic side of the house,
while it had an almost paralyzing influence
upon the Republicans, with whom he was
atfiliatng. TO the right. and in front of
Knute Nelson, on that historic occasion. sat
John Lind. loyal, true Republican from
Minnesota, and. like Nelson q scandinavian
by birth. AS Nelson drew around him the
Democratic crowd, John Lind grew pale with
anger and resentment Finally he arose, APP
parently to interrupt or make reply,
but upon second thought he walked
down the aisle and disappeared
in the cloak room With his usual conserva-
think the matter over carefully before speak
ing. and had concluded not 10 dignity Mel
sons ineXplicabe conduct with reply. For
two hours Knute Nelson. without saying
word about the Indian bill, which was be-
fore the house, stood in his place and assailed
the Republican party, of which he was osten-
sibly a member At that time Edmund Rice,
of st. Paul; John l.. Macdonald, of Shake
pee, and Thomas Wilson. OF Winona. all Min
nesota Democrats, surrounded knute Nelson
and applauded his betrayal of the Republican
party.
To-day if Nelson were in the house, he
would receive similar announcement from
the successors of those gentlemen: j n
Castle, o. M. Hall and w. II. Harries. Every
Democrat in Minnesota would applaud a free
trade speech from Knute Nelson today, as
their representatives did four years ago on
the floor of the house. l wonder if the Re
Knute Nelson the governorship as an ex-
emplifcation of the party gratitude re-
ferred TO in the Dispatch editorial"
This arraying of John Lind and Knute
Nelson against each other means great
deal for the Republican party of Mime
sofa. Mr.. LIMBS boomers, who are
really only the United States senators
and their friends, have no idea that he
will be given the nomination. All they
desire and expect is to secure the defeat
of Mr.. Nelson, and they do not care how
it is done. In the event of one of these
two men being nominated after a hard
fight against the other would lead to
grave complications, and certainly i'm
peril the Republican cause.
MIR. Lind IS native of Sweden and
Mr Nalc n I,n ,t
time there is much jealousy and bad
feeling between these nationalitieS, and
a direct contest between these men
would lose the successful one many
votes III the other nationality.
For long time past it has been an
open secret that MeSSrS. Lind and Mel
son have no great amount of love and
admiration the one for the other. The
Second district man was given no end
of trouble in his district because of the
fact that he represented a district sim
liar TO Nelson's, voted against the Mills
bill and tariff reduction while Mr.. Mel
son broke over party lines and voted as
his constituents regardless of party de-
sires. Animated by this feeling it prob
ably did not take a great deal Of per-
suading to induce Mr.. Lind to enter the
field against MI. Nelson.
While neither Senator Davis nor his
colleague seem TO realize it, they are
really helping Mr.. Nelson's cause. The
people of Minnesota will hardly fancy
the idea of the United States senators
presuming to interfere in the guberna-
torial contest, and rebuke may be adj
miniStered to both of item. Senator
Davis is the more uneasy of the two
senators, realizing as he does that he
has done nothing to endear him to the
people or upon which to ask a re-elec-
ton during his entire term. More than
this, he has not even kept in favor with
his party. His action on the Pacific
railroad finding scheme has angered
the farmers, without whose sup
port no man can be elected
TO the United States senate in Mime
sofa. Mr.. WaShDulniS case reSembied
that of his colleague in many ways,
although he entered the senate under q
cloud at home, and had all to gain ana
nothing to lose. He remembered all
who aided him III his election, and, as a
consequence, has a large following
among the active party workers. But
just as Mr.. Davis sees the Little Nor
wegian" next year, and both are ac-
cOrdingly decidedly restless.
The announcement is made that a
number of the friends and ofiiceholders
under eX-Gov. McGill during his term
as governor met the other evening and
decided to make a fight for the Ramsey
county delegation. This movement is
said to have received the Endorsement
Of the ex-governor, who is at all times
ready to lay down the cares of private
business and assume political Office,
and so the McGill canvass may be said
to be commenced. This is Mr..
McGill's home county, but there
are few politicians who have any idea
that he can secure more than three
wards in the city. The local organic
alton is against him, many of the ''boys"
now at the head OF the machine having
forgotten that there ever was a gov
ernor named McGill. The last contest