St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-10-09
FLETCHER ON THE RUN.


His fearful Explanations That
Don't ExpIain---His Plea fer
Sympathy.
The congressional fight waging in the
Fifth district is very amusing, looking
at 1t from Democratic standpoint. Mr..
Fletcher, the nominee of the Republican
convention. is being driven about like a
defeated pugilist who is unwilling to
throw up the sponge, and only attempts
TO evade the punishment which his vic
torlous adversary is prepared and able
TO lnf1ict upon him.
Ii 1t were not known that he is in no
sense public speaker, it would be
proper to assert that he has had the
wind knocked plumb out of him by the
blow given him from his own record as
legislator. He has not attempted to
deny the charge that in his service as a
member OF the state legislature he was
wholly indifferent to the wants and the
Just demands of the wage workers; that
at all times in his public service he was
an advocate and strenuous supporter of
measures introduced in the interest of
railway corporations and other capital
lied institutions.
In referring to the assault which Mr..
Lawrence has thus made upon him, he
says that his .reeord has been attacked
by his opponent" He fails to explain
that it is his public record which is re-
ferred to by Mr.. Lawrence, leaving the
raise impression that his adversary is
Indulging in personal fight upon him,
and thus attempting to elicit sympathy
as an evaSive measure to escape the re-
sponsibility of his public career upon
questions of vitality to the Iaboring
man.
1t would be satisfactory to the wage
Garner whose demands in the legislature
in 1872 for law protecting his family
from starvation were entirely neglected
by Mr. Fletcher, if that gentleman now
soliciting his vote would explain why
he did not support that bill providing
for an exemption of his wages. 1t
would be pleasing to the laboring man
who lost his pay for hard labor per-
formed in the construction of railways
to hear Mr.. Fletcher give some plausi-
bic and truthful explanation of his fail
ur6 to vote for that bill introduced in
the legislature In 1872. which was
intended to secure him that lost pay by
giving him lien upon the property of
the railway company. These measures
were both so eminently just and so
much required in the laboring mans in
terest that it is hard to believe any man
with the slightest regard for the well
fare of the hard toller who gains his
livelihood by the sweat of his brow
could neglect TO overlook them and sup
port sthem. Tie wage-earner is not
caring how much Mr.. Fletcher has done
for Minneapolis. He is not oblivious of
the circumstance that Mr.. Fletcher was
always looking out for himself when
ever he was doing anything for Mime 4
10 10 fo
that it may have been Mr.. Fletcher's
own interest which superinduced his
faithfulnesS towards the development of
this city. Mr.. fletcher cannot blind the
gaze of the people who look into his
public record as a legislator by such an
incipient plea. Every man in the whole
city has done just as much as this con-
gressional candidate has done to build
up Minneapolis-tha is, every man has
done all he could, and Mr.. Fletcher has
done nc more. 1t is no credit to man
to make the claim that he protects his
OWL family and adds to his own wealth,
when he comes before the public as
candidate for the sutfrages of his coun-
trymen. 1t better becomes him to
be able to point to some cases in
his public life where his generous
pature-his love of his fellowmen, has
been exhibited by some act of mag
nanlmity towards them. 1t is a good
aud proper thing to be loyal to ones
home, as Mr.. Fletcher has been in try.
ing to build up Minneapolis, but it
would be much more nobler and less
selfish feature of his public life if he
could point to a single instance where
his efforts had been expended IN al
tempting to relieve the poor laboring
man from some of the burdens which
load him down. The congressman from
this district may be called upon to ex-
ercise the functions of his high office in
contending for the rights of the labor
ing man in the national congress. The
public career OF Mr.. Fletcher discloses
that in such contest he would be
against the laboring man.
This is the only assault which has
been made upon his record. If it is a
severe one. and he Is grieving and sorely
concerned by reason of it; 1t is his fault,
and he must. like the laboring man he
has wrOnged, bear the consequences of
his own misfortune