St. Paul daily globe., 1894-10-26

In utter desperation at the prospect
of losing the solid vote OF Rameey coun-
ty, the managers of Gov. Nelson's CAM
paign are making quiet canvass of the
city to see how many votes can be
traded off in general way in order to
hold the head of the ticket up to some
where near the normal Republican vote
of the city. Everywhere they 20 they
meet with the most discouraging fail
ure, and those of them who are willing
to talk at all admit that Mr.. Nelson will
lose 5000 votes III Ramsey county by
reason of his action in forcing the in
famous fee bill through the legislature
of 1898. The Republican newspapers
decline to discuss the matter. On the
day the exposure was made the Dis
patch mentioned the matter only in
casual way, and even the Pioneer Press
knew enough not to go into defense OF
the governors course in this matter,
since it could only make matters worse.
However, the governors managers
have to make some kind Of showing,
and. following the example of Mr.. Nell
son himself. they try to shift the re-
sponsibi!lty on some one else. First 1t
is Senator Sanborn, and again 1t is
Sheriff Chapel, just as it is convenient
or advisable to the party addressed.
That there may be no evasion, no de-
eeption and 10 chance
For the Governor
20 write another letter and date it back
to some time during the session of '93,
the GLOBE herewith furnishes some
matters of official record which it omit
ted from its account of the passage OF
the fee bill in recent issue. In the
case of the following official correspond
ence the governors clerk cannot say
that ''the governor wrote 1t himself and
mailed 1t himself. and there is no copy"
for the correspondence is taken from
the Journal of the senate of the date of
April l2, 1898. The senate journal of
this date, detailing the work of the
previous day, has this to say:
The following communication was
received from his eXcellency the gov
ernor:
STATE OF MINNESOTA, EXECUTIVE
DEPARTMENT, ST. PAUL, April II.
1S93.-Hon. D. NJ. Clough. President of
the Sepate-Dear Sir: l respectfully
request of your honorable body that
Senator Sanborn be permitted to intro
duce bill. entitled "a bill for an act
to repeal chapter four hundred and
forty 440) of the Special Laws of the
nj Minnesota a
thousand eight hundred and ninety -one
QS9D.
This request is made under and in &C.
cordance with the provisions OF section
one (D Of article four ~ OF the consti-
tuition of this state. Yours respectfully,
KNUTE NELSON, Governor.
The constitutional provision under
which this request is made is as fol-
lows: And no new bill shall be
introduced in either branch, except
upon written request of the governor,
during the last twenty (20) days of such
sessions, except the attention of the
legislature shall be called to some i'm
portant matter of general interest by
especial message from the governor"
The meaning of this constitutional
act is clear. The last twenty days of
the session mnst be devoted to the con-
sideration of bills already introduced,
except in case of
Sudden Emergency
involving matters of a sufficient impor-
tance to justify special message from
the governor to the legislature.
By no other possible means could
this bill have become a law, and the
pretense of the Nelson managers that
the governor simply performed a per.
functory official duty in signing the bill
after 1t was passed becomes roaring
farce in the face of this indisputable
evidence that the governor not only
signed, but introduced the bill. No
law that has ever been passed by any
legislature in Minnesota is so oppress-
I've, so unjust and 50 utterly without
excuse for existence as this. The Off
cials for whose benefit it was passed
we're provided with annual salaries OF
$1,000, together with all clerk hire, sta.
tionery, office rent. heat and light, and
this sum was more than double what
they could have earned at any le0iti-
mate business outside of officeholding.
But this was not enough for them. and,
with the aid of plant governor, whom
they could lntimidate by threats OF
u: :ure political opposition they multi,