St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-01-07
NINE BIG MINNESOTANS.
FORTH STAB REPRESENTATIVES AT
The RsTI0YAL CAPITAL.
BRIEF PEN PICTURES OF ALL.

Tawney Has Little Information
for the Press-BaIdwin a Mine
ofGood Things-DavisI Inclined
TO Re SecretiVe-W ashburn the
Best in the Lot in His Treat
ment of Newspaper Rohemfans.
Special Correspondence of the Globe.
WASHINGTON. Jan. 5.-Our present
Minnesota delegation, viewed from the
press gallery, will be briefly photo
graphed for the benefit OF the GLOBE
readers. Commencing with the First
district representative, Mr.. Tawney is
so new a man to prominent public life
that he has scarcely learned how TO an
swer the newspaper men who approach
him. His apparent desire is to treat all
OF them courteOuSly and politely; but,
as a rule, a conversation with him is,
from the news standpoint, ''aS dry as
remainder biscuit after a voyage"
With the skill born OF the training of a
lawyer, he has learned not to compre-
bend what news is, and with ponderous
legal rectltude he Tesolutely declines to
know anything on earth that would add
one single ounce to the aggreg ated in
formation of mankind. But one sees at
a glance that his ignorance is real, and
not assumed for a purpose. He would
be glad to give the people of his state
and district the news if he had any to
give--but, Lord bless you, how can a
man be generous with what he does not
possess. MIR. TawDey will doubtless
improve after longer residence at the
national capital.
Prot. McCleary has devoted his entire
life to receiving and imparting Know
ledge. He Is an excellent school master,
doubtless, but quick apprehension Of
interesting current information does
not belong mutually to the trade of
the pedagOgue. Mack is patient and
pleasant with the correspondents. how
ever, and if approached Tor specific in
formation OH a given topic, gives down
readily. He also is undergoing the
apprenticeship of first term, and will
doubtless learn what the people of the
state require of him in the way of news
in time.
From the Third district 0. M. Hall is
serving his second term. lie is rapidly
developing characteristics of a most
excellent representative, but is not a
super-eXcellent mine for newspaper
workers. He is trained athlete on the
tariff question, however, and will doubt
less render valuable services to the
Minnesota newspaper colony when the
debate over the Wilson bill is in full
swing.
Col. hieter. of the Fourth, is not a
professional statesman, but was born
with all the better elements of poIiti
clan. 1t he is any special benefit to the
eEspaper men it is first because of
his infinite good nature, and secondly
because he las a good newspaper man
for his secretary. The colonel is rap
idly learning that the people who sent
him here are entitled TO know what he
IS doing, and gives up information gen.
orally 10 all who ask for it. Had he
started in journalism early in life, ano
had the good fortune to remain poor, he
would have developed into a fairly gooC
newspaper man himself, probably.
Your Uncle Loren" Fletcher is ar
all-wool, hand-woyen newspaper states
man. If it had not been for the news
papers of Minnesota he never would
have held any office in his life. He has
original ideas as 10 human government
knows how to tiatter the public while he
rails at 1t, and has warm corner in his
heart for the BOhemjans who have
largely begotten his public potency anC
prominence. He is always ready tC
talk for publicatiOn-"b for G-o-d-d-'.
sake don't make me ridiculous r'-anC
they never do; for Mr.. Eletcher'S pub
lie utteranceS may be intensely partisan
bitter or even violent, but are neve
mushy or tepd.
NO, haven't word of information
of any public interest" This is the in
variable reply of Maj. Baldwin, of the
Sixth district. And then he will si
down, light penny-grab cigar-tht
major does smUke villainous tobacco
and proceed to intelligently discuss
philosophy, poetry, history, the tariff
Hawaiian affairs, and wind up with the
most valuable sort of information con.
corning the interests of Minnesota il
w ashingt0n. He is not aware of tn
fact, but las given up news in TIN
course of an hours conversation that i
a perfect banquet to the hungry jour
nalist. He is man of affairs; know
every movement of business or polite
in his sta te; is more attentive to de
partment work than any other membe
from Minnesota, and, while abusing hi
luck III failure, or congratulating him
self on his success, gives out just wha
reporter wants. And he is not foo
ishly afraid of being ruined by thu
lyioIyc ~,
premature publication, and keeps in
hnltely goOd-natured under ADVERSE
criticism. With the single exception q
Senator Washburn, Mai. Baldwin is the
best source of news OF any Minnesota
III congress.
Now there remains, among represent