St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-04-14
CUSTOMS DISTRICT FIGHT,
KIEFsR AND BALDWIN LOCK H0HN
IN EARNEST.
81. PAUL AGAINST DULUTH

Collector Geraghty Writes a Let.
ter in Which He Takes Up the
Cudgels for the District K
Baldwin and Kiercr Ready ia
Fight 1t Out if 1t Takes All
Summer.
Special to the Globe.
WASHINGTON, April 1S.-The matter
of the amendment of the Duluth GUS
toms district and the consequent emas,
cuiation of the st. Paul customs district
is kicking up quite shindy between
Col. Kiefer and Ma. Baldwin. The time
mas now come when the Duluth man
insists Oh the settlement of matters,
and so he demands to know what is to
be the attitude of the st. Paul man. In
reply. Col. Kiefer states empha.icaJly
that he proposes to fight the Duluth
mans bill to the bitter end.
Some talk has been INDUCED in
that the question is to be
submitted to the whole delegation in
caucus assembled, and efforts have been
made by both the belIigerent Mime.
solans looking to that end Each of
them, however. is somewhat disingen.
uous on this mode of settlement. If the
majority of the delegation should decide
with Baldwin. Kiefer would still kick:
while If the decision should be favorable
to klefer, Baldwin would drop this bill
(Which only proposes to take the north
western corner of the state into the Du-
luth dlstricO and draw new bill taking
all that portion of the state north of the
Northern Pacific railroad and east of
the Red River of the North.
Speaking of the measure, Col. Kiefel
says: II only ask what is fair to my
city and my district. st. Paul and Mill
neapoIis are, or should be. practically OF
one mind in this matter. as they are
both mutually interested as against Du,
lath. The mails center at the Twin
Cities, and the customs of the entire
northern border can be more easily
handled from the capital of the state
than from a city in the extreme north
eastern extremity. My views are quite
fully expressed by the Democratic col
lector. Mr.. Geraghty, and here is his
letter."
MIR. GERAGHTY's LETTER.
st. Paul. April l. 1S94.-Hon. A. R.
Kiefer. Washington. ID. C.-My Dear
Sir: Yours Of late date. with copy of
Baldwn's bill enlarging Duluth Gus
toms district. to hand. Now. as to NV
view of the bill: must say MIR. Bald.
win has not the benefit of the public
service i'll contemplation when he de-
.sires measure of this kind. The Gus.
toms service cannot be improved by.
detaching this territory from ST. Panl,
the chief point of Minnesota, because
ST. Paul is q more direct mail commune
cation with the supports of Rainey
River and st. Francis, all of the year,
than Duluth. Even the SUPPORT of
Gunflint Lake. except during the sum-
mer months. receives its Duluth mail
by wav of st. Paul.
st. Paul being the chief port of Gus
toms district of Minnesota all the 'front.'
ier stations report to this Office. and the
fact of having all the supports on the
frontier under supervision of this office
renders better service to the govern.
ment because the deputies can work in
harmony for the prevention of SNUG.
Cling, etc. In the making of Duluth
separate and independent port for col.
lection of customs it was never intended
that Duluth should have jurisdiction
over other than the lake shore harbor
points in minnesota, such as Two I1ar.
bors, Grand Marias. and glance at the
map will show the justice and proprlety
of this. If this strip of territory cover.
ing almost 800 miles in length is given
over to the Duluth Office, later on Du-
luth will lay claim to all the territory
along the border, and III time Duluth in
importance would be the chief port, at
the expense of st. Paul and Minneapolis
port.
Now. my dear Mr.. Kiefer. allow me
to say that as collector of customs of
this port care not one fig whether Mr..
BaIdwin's bill passes or not: but as a
citizen Of st. Paul. the capital of Min
nesota. l have a decided objection to
have Duluth gain this additional ter
ritory at the expense of st. Paul. and l
feel sure voice the sentiments of every
citizen of st. Paul, be his politics what
they will, i'll saying so. Sincerely yours.
JOHN e. GERAGHTY,
Collector.
MP. BALDwIN's REJoINDER.
Asked to give his statement. Mai.
BALDWIN said:
This is no new matter. The inten-
ton of the trainers Of the original law,
under which the Duluth district was
created, was to give TO Duluth all the
country naturally tributary to that city.
The bill was faulty in construction. and
so our district is practically confined to
the city limits of Duluth. | insist that
Tower, for instance. shall not be COM
PEELED to report to and be a part of the
st. Paul district. l demand. and the
treasury authorities sanction the de-
lnand, that all territory naturally tribu-
tary to Duluth shall he part and parcel
of our district. 1t is moderate demand
to ask that from Duluth west to the
AJrcp 81 rIxy oil 1f
river and north to the British line, shall
be the Duluth district. If Kiefer refuses
to concede this, L shall demand all the
territory north of the Northern Pacific
and west of the Red. If Kiefer nsists
upon fight to a finish OH this little
matter, he can have it, but l want tha
st. Paul people to understand that it is
their representative who is forcing the
fight, not l."
Here the matter stands. There has
been extreme harmony in the Minnesota
delegation up to this time. but both
kiefer and Baldwin are veterans of the
late war, and are known to be marvel.
ously spunky in asserting the rights,
privileges and immunitieS of their cons
stituents.
Favorable to Great Northern.
Special to the Globe
WASHINGTON, April 13. - Senator
Davis secured a favorable report on the
bill allowing the Great Northern rail-
road right of way across the White
Earth Indian reservation. This line
when built will shorten the distance
between Duluth and Fosston about
forty miles. Tie bill goes onthe calen.
lar, and may be called up and passed
through the senate any day.
Minnesota Pensions.
Special to the Globe.
WASHINGTON. April 13.-Minnesota
pensions: Original Robert G. Charles,