St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-10-26
BERG AuDHIS PALS
WHOLE REPUBLICAN PARTY
AFTER HIM WITH A
STICK.
He MUST DROP WILDV
AND LET GO OF lIRUsH-wORIsa
STEVENS AG
WELL,
OR THEY WILL DROP HI5k
His Action Has Stirred Up the
Whole State of Minne-
He MUST DROP WILDT
OR THEY WILL DROP HIsL

The political firm of Berg, Wildt &
Stevens is about to be dissolved.
That is what the Minneapolis Jour-
nal says and the Journal is sup
posed to know a thing or two about
Republican politics. Wildt, accord
ing to the report, has got to be sac
rIficed, Stevens will have to seek a.
JOB with some of the firms who have
been increasing their bank account
through rush work." and Berg will
spend his spare time singing a new
song, the chorus of which runs as
follows:
Dear old pals, proper old pals,
Chnglng together in all kinds Of
Dear cid pals, jolly old pals,
On, give me the friendship Of dear
old pals"
1t has taken all kinds of pressure
to get Secretary Berg up to the stick
ing point, and the people who are
most interested in the Republican
party are still doubtful if Berg will
really act when it comes to the point.
He has, however, been told that the
Republican party will pass him up
the salary-drawing Wildt and Rush
Work" Stevens.
1t is said that a hint is as good as
a kick in some cases. Sometimes
people will not tumble when struck
with a. brick. A whole house falls
upon other people and yet they
do not know it.. A row of modern
flats has been known to strike a
man without effect All these things
and more have happened to Secre-
tary of State Berg, but he still con-
tinues to murmur that he will do as
he pleases. TamS Bixby has rea-
soned with him, Gov. Clough has
cajoled him, Auditor Dunn has sworn
at him and afterwards passed him
up, State Treasurer Koerner has
pleaded with him, a delegation of
Hennepin county Republicans has
told him few things, and a delega-
ton Of Ramsey county Republicans
has told him a few more. All this
and more, and yet Berg thinks he
knows more than all of them, and
that the popularity that he enjoys
in his own office extends to the en-
tire state of Minnesota
1t is probable that at no time in
the history of the Republican party
in Minnesota has just such a condi-
ton of things existed at the capitol
as exists at the present time. And
the G O b e is. unintentionally, the
cause of the whole trouble. If the
G o e had been induced by Berg,
Wildt & Stevens to refrain from
publishing certain printing bills there
never would have been any trouble.
But as soon as those bills were put
before the public, a howl went up
through the country press that star
tied the entire force of office-holders
at the capitol. Such enormous
charges and such seeming waste
of public money was too much even
for the Republican editors of the
state. Then the G o b exposed the
salary-drawing propensities of Wildt
which so heartily met with the ap-
probation of Berg, and the newspa-
pers resumed their criticism of mat
ters. Auditor Dunn and Treasurer
Koerner were wise enough to repudi-
ate the doings of Berg and Mr..
Rush Work" Stevens. and that
started the GOODNESS. Berg threat
ened to get back at Dunn and Koer-
ner, but saw no way to do 1t, and
got no encouragement from the 9TH
er state officials. On the other hand,
they united in a request to get rid
of Wildt and Stevens as soon as
possible.
Then with the salary question
came a chance for Berg to cut down
the list of people who condemned
him, but he would not take it. In
fact. he took immediate advantage
of an opportunity to get the attor-
ney generals Office down ON him.
He did more real harm TO Mr.. Ed
gerton and his ambitions than the
whole Democratic party could have
done. 1t all came about easily, too.
Mr. Koerner, as will be remembered,
refused to pay one of Wildt's many
salaries. and asked for an opinion
on the subject from the attorney
generals Office. The attorney gen.
eraI could not give an intelligent
answer without knowing something
about what Wildt's duties were.
He wrote to Berg, so 1t is said. and
asked for some information, so as
to be able to give a proper answer
to Mr.. Koerner. But Berg kept si-
lent. Assistant Attorney General
Edgerton had to write the opinion,
and, as Berg would not tell the office
what 1t wanted to know, Mr.. Edger-
which Treasurer Koerner received.
The public, Judging from the opin-
ion. supposed that the attorney gen.
erals office, and Mr.. Edgerton in
particular, were trying to help Berg
out, and thus was called down the
wrath of the country press on Mr..
Edgerton. Had Mr.. Berg given up
the information asked for Mr.. Edg-
erton would not have been compelled
to write the 'straddle' which he
did, and he would not have hurt
himself in the eyes of the party in
general as much as he is said to
have done. He is ambitious to sue
ceed Attorney. General Childs, and
appreciates the fact that that one
opinion is apt to do more to upset
his ambitions than anything that
has happened since he has been in
office So Mr.. Edgerton at once all
lied himself with the foes of Mr..
Berg. 1t has gone on that way so
Il,at to Haror 6c