St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-10-31
BAKER AND LONG.
The Latter IndiSes a Letter to the
General,

Ihe Latter lnd1Ges Letter to the
General.
The controversy between Gen. j. 81.
Baker and L. c. Long resulted yester-
day in an open letter from the latter,
In which he scores the venerable gen.
eral. Mr.. Long says:
Gen. j. II. Baker-My Dear Sir: My
attention has been called to your open
letter to me in the Daily Review. In re-
ply will say: consider your PROPOSE
ton an insult. not only to me, but to
every true Populist in the district. The
egotism displayed in your letter would
be laughable if it were not so sad to
note how the mighty have fallen. You
say you are fighting McKinleyism, and
were first to advocate Populism In thi
district. In this you claim too much.
Long years ago, when you were hold
ing a fat office under a Republican ad-
ADMINISTRATION, preaching McKinleyism
and abusing the Democrats on good
salary, | was advocating the one great
fundamental principle of the Popuiist
party, viz: The abolition Of national
bank currency and the substitution of
United States legal tender greenbacks.
My dear general, let me call your at
tention to few facts in regard to our
past political relations. Nearly thirty
years ago, in the city of st. Louis, you
nearly caused my death by compelling
me, one bleak, cold night, to tramp my
beat in front Of your headquarters at
leading hotel, and threatened to send
me to the guard house when l stepped
in the hall a moment to keep from
freezing. Four years ago, when you
were nominated by the Alliance (and at
your own re quest, as we can prOve). re-
ceiyed the Endorsement of the Demo-
cratic machine, |, believing you to be
true to the principles which | had SO
long cherished, forgot my resentment
towards you. and did all within my
power for your election.
During that campaign you made a
speech in Adrian. in which you said:
II made you speech here two years
ago in favor of the Mckinley bill. L
was paid for that speech. Now am
going to tell you what actually be-
lieye in regard to the tariff" You then
Your former speech, and. although YOU
stood there confessed hlreling of pIut-
Ocracy, |, to my shame aud disgrace be
it said, stood by you.
Two years ago, when, against my
wishes and protestations, was noml-
mated, you could have laid the founda-
ton for future fame and power for your
self by supporting me fOr would have
been defeated. and in '94 you would
have received the nomination and elec-
tiUn). But instead, yoa denounced the
convention, and though the daily papers
informed the people that my nomina-
tion was calamity, and that the Dem.
ocrats were highly indignant, you were
q fu iyNS
Paul for governor, which nomination
you threw up and ran for the legisla-
ture on the Democratic ticket.
Aud now you ask me to turn over the
patriotic vote of the Peoples party to
your rplutOcratic, mugwumpian machine.
No, sir. The universal opinion among
POpulists is that you are running in the
interest of McCleary; that your ex-
penses are paid by the Republicans, and
your open letter is the last card in the
game. The impudence of your request
equals the cowardice of MIR. McCleary
iii refusing to meet me III public dis
cussion, as per agreement signed by the
chairman of the Republican and Peo-
ple'S party committees.
General, thirty years ago you rode at
the head of the procession, while |
trudged in the rear guard. Conditions
have changed. Now the ''little school,
master" and the ''old farmer" are neck
and neck in the lead. while the "gen-
eral' is not even in the rear guard, but
a mere straggler In the rear of the
mighty forces which are struggling for
supremacy.
No, general, cannot entertain your
proposals. l want my monument to he
in the memory of my countrymen, that
l never strayed near the dismal swamp
of political corruption and pollution
where piutOcracy matches and breeds
traders, tricksters, fusionists and
schemers; where chicanery and devil
try are born and liberty slaughtered;
where plutocratic tyrants train hire.
lings to block the wheels Of progress on
the great highway of political destiny.
Yours respectfully, but not obediently,
L. G. IONc