St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-01-07

dtiHCS, olilS Dull, vi lLe OeNtnCu. BOeH
is peculiar. He has one love-only one
the people. Ask him what ''the peo-
pie" concretely considered, consists of.
and he will promptly answer "the ma
JOrityo' Well, who are the majority?
The answer is prompt, concise, enegetic
1.-THE far-rum-ers" Ergo-Boen loves
the farmers. Every other interest may
die. That is nothing. Agriculture must
live. Mr.. Boon has one gigantic fear
a spectre that never sleeps. 1t is
DOnnelly. That talented American
OF Celtic blood is his hogie,
his incubus. his Puck and Asmo-
deus all rolled into one. The demons of
the night take for him the cherubc
shape of grinnlng Donnelly.
chattering DOnnelly, demOniac Dom
nelly. 1t will be well understood that
Mr.. Boon is entirely useless TO the news
paper fraternity SO long as this aw III
nightmare broOds over and CnveIops
him.
1t is doubtful if the evolution of any
public man in Minnesota's history has
ever been as signallY aided by the news
papers as that of Senator G. K. Davis.
Who among the old settlers of the state
fails to remember the pre-conventiOn
campaign of twenty years ago-hoW one
independent daily newspaper of St.
Paul Che young aud Yirile DiSpatch)
threw itself into the fight against the
oldeStablished Republican journals !;
and. indorsed and backed by large
proportion Of the country press, carried
! the nomination of young Mr.. Davis for
governor against the old WheelhorseS
of the party?
From that day to the present the
| newspapers of the state have been loyal
| to Mr.. Davis in all his ambitions. Has
| he made an able or telling speech?
nimble fingers have thrown it into type
before its chaSte and vigorous eloquence
had cooled. and city and country jour
mails have We'd with each other in carry
ing cOmmendatOry editorials into every
. home i'll the state. Has he won diff
! cult case at the bar? the verdict of the
jury or the decision Of the conrt must
/ necessarily be right; because they
! adopted the view of Mr.. Davis. Thus,
| hammering upon one spot, the press of
Minnesota has convinced the people
! that Mr. Davis was the most distinct
| lively representative man of the COM
monwealth, made him once governor.
| and twice sent him to the senate of the
! United States.
/ Yet Senator Davis today is the most
retlcent man in congress in his dealings
with members of the press. He is more
I difficult to interview, more sensitive to
I current newspaper comment, more res
! luctant to give his views for publication
upon any important question than any
, other public man known to the writer
in congress. No man has less to fear
from the press than Senator DAVIS. His
entire public life has been free from re-
| hn hoC haH dajl iD,,
that even the most vfrulently partisan
journalists were personally friendly to
him; the virtues for which he has been
celebrated have for two decades formed
the texts for editorials that have made
him the best known public man in the
North Star state.
1t is a singular bias that so able man
should miStruSt the class of men who
have demonstrated their partially fol
him during all the days of his public
life.
Senator WaShburn is the most cheer
ful and generous man i'll congress from
Minnesota in giving information to The
reporters at the capital. He rarely fail.
to respond to the cards sent to him by
an army of reporters, and. as rule, i:
perfectly free and unrestrained in the
expression of opinion or in giving The
information asked for. On the anti
option measure he not only appealed tC
the senate III set speech, but talked
almost daily to reporters and CORE
spondents representing all section.
OF the country. Many of these
correspondents would misrepresen
and miSquote him most cruelty
but this injustice did not cause
him to change his course. He said Il
the writer once: This is a question o
the most vital Importance to the people
of the whole country. 1t is also new
question. L am as anxious to learn a!
To its merits and elements as any one
| frequently get valuable pointers iron
those newspapers opposed to the meas
ure. What l want is the widest anC
fullest discussion, and | am alway.
ready 10 express my views freely to any
newspaper that cares to ask for them
Misrepresentation may annoy. but doe:
not brighten me-"
, On the silver question at the specia
session he followed the same genera
course. Every newspaper worker whC
approached him gathered something t
telegraph to his Notwithstanding Oh
which TO found the article or the gossip
the readers of the newspapers were
looking for.
The Lord lOveth a cheerful giver'' =
and SO does the news gatherer. hi
is generation that demands and has
right to demand from its public mel
not only information concerning publi
events, but the machinery that lies con
cealed behind them. Any failure t
recognize this fact is liable to resuI
diSastrouslv to the public maj
who would neglect or lgnor
the journals of his state or the country
The newspaper is the schoolmaster TO
grown men. 1t may be imperfect, un
! fair, crude or sensational; but through
, the columns of the daily and week.,
press of America men and women hav
learned to read current history.
; A conqueror may be as great as Casa
or Napoleon; statesman the equal o
Bismarck or Gladstone; a scientist TIL
superior of Won HumboIt; an inventor
! the peer of Edison. No matter-unles
he is proclaimed by the newspapers t
. be the ruler of his realm, he is tn
merest Liiiputian, and strives in vail
, TO perform the tasks of Hercules wit
the filmSy broom of a housewife.
The statesman is greatest who ha
power 10 make the newspaper press O
The world his servant or his enemy: TO
truly great man is like Diety in thi
that he makes even the wrath of hi
haterS SubSeryient to his upbuilding.
FRANK j. MEAD.