St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-03-23
HIS BIGGEST BLUFF
Uncle Loren Fletcher Lowers
His Record Several Points
This Time.
WHAT HAS HE EVER DONE
Got Himself Elected to Con-
gress Twice for One
Thing.
WHAT HAS HE EVER DONE
SOME OF UNCLE'S FRIENDS
The Requisite Number, but
All Of Them a Little
Shy.

Hon. Loren Fletcher is the willy
and astute member of congress from
the Fifth congressional district of
Minnesota. He is a man who knows
when to hop on and when to hop off.
He arrived in the city a few days
ago, and, his eye ever hungering
for the main chance, observed the
trend of local sentiment on the cap
itoI removal scheme. Thereupon
your Uncle Loren hoped on. He
had himself interviewed, and, like
the fellow who wanted to be one
of 10000 men to lynch a chicken
thief, he announced that he would
be one of twenty men to raise 81, 000,-
GOO for capitol building. In other
words, your, Uncle Loren will give
$4,000 of his hard-earned money IF
nineteen other men can be found
anxious to do the same thing. Your
Uncle Loren is not joking. He is
merely bluffing. He knows that he
is perfectly safe in making such an
offer else he would not have hoped
on. The more this politician is ex-
amined the funnier his magnanimous
utterance becomes. He never gave
any money to a Minneapolis enter
prise. He may own a little exposi-
ton stock, and possibly have a few
dollars invested in Labor Temple,
but Loren Fletcher is not a phil
anthropist. AT no time in his ca
reer has his right hand pulled
strings that his left major maxillary
did not wot well of. Has that great
and beneficent institution of learn
ing, the state university, ever seen
the color of his coin? Not that any,
body is aware of. Has he ever been
active in bringing factories and en-
terprises of various kinds to Mime
apolis? Has he, in fact, ever be-
stirred himself on any occasion that
there was not selfish motives prompt
ing him from behind the scenes? Not
he He Is as cold as a Mobile oyster.
and much it rejoiceth him to make
a front.
But 1T is not so very long ago that
Mr.. Fletcher hoped off. That was
last winter when he saw the sena-
toria1 bark of his friend Washburn
dashed to pieces on the coast of
Norway, so to speak. He did not
wait to deliver a funeral Grafton.
He saw and he fed. He had bust
ness in Washington before Wash
burn was inferred The fact that
this man was politically dead was
enough for him
Now for a fayu Of Mr.
friends who might be induced to
join him in his $1,OOO,0OO bluff. What,
indeed, Of the other nineteen?
First, there is George A. Bracket,
who owes the city $4,000 on it's hos
pital site. Then there is Bill King.
full of sound and fury, but signify
ing little in dollars. c. A. Pillsbury?
But he would rather put the $4,000
In senatorship. United States
Senator Washburn might give Fair
Oaks. John S. Pillsbury-"sacred
compact in the way. e. S. Corser-
might borrow it from A. J. Board
man: Harvey Brown-but no, he is
Henry Eustis-not until the electric
elevators are IN and he has got his
fees from the Sprague-Pratt people.
L. T. Menage-O. K; could be count
ed on to send c. o. D. John De
Laittre-hands too big for his pock-
cts. David Clough-not until after
'96, anyway.
Yet there are others" There is
Axtel Tod, Winslow M. Bracket,
Col. Charlie Johnson and five Iegis-
lative reporters. These last men
toned gentlemen might be induced
to chip in with Uncle Loren. but
while they are very efficient thew
are not sufficient. So it appears
that the bluff of Tom Reeds friend
is about as valuable and enduring
as soap bubble and as insecure as
seat in congress.