The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-10-28
ONLY FACT UPON WHICH ALL IN
THE SEVENTH ARE
AGREED.
OPINIONS LACK coNeRUITY.
REPUBLICAN NOMINEE HIMSELF
BELIEVES HE HAS CHANCE
TO WIN.
LoMMEN HAS SOME STRENGTH.
Chairman of His Committee Satis-
fed That the silver Nominee Will
Easily Carry the District.

Special to the Globe.
FERGUS FALLS. MINI. Oct. 27.-
AS one enters the Seventh district Of
Minnesota there is said to be a slight
jar in the well-cushiened railway
coaches, and perceptible jolting con,
tinues until the western boundary OF
the state Is reached-all owing to the
alleged fact that railroads ride lit
tie rougher in Populist neighborhoods
than elsewhere. This district is the
center Of the Peoples party movement
in Minnesota. When Mrs. Lease feels
that the world, the flesh and other un-
worthy things are pressing her toe
hard she turns her face to the Seventh
Minnesota district and there finds the
applause that will smooth her ruff1ed
plumage. Up to 1890@the counties now
forming the Seventh district were the
stronghold Of the Republicans. Any
thing labeled with the magic label
&c. o. P" was accepted with the
avidity that goat shows for cam
paign poster. Then came the great
revolution. The Scandinavians, who
had been long suffering, realized that
they were Of Importance to the poll
ticians only during campaign. 1t
took many years of neglect and many
Sights to convince them of this, but
when the knowledge came 1t came
with the power and irresistibleness of
a tidal wave. A rugged Norwegian
groceryman with whom talked yes
graphically that I cannot refrain from
quoting what he said. st was a Re
publican as soon .as I came here. like
all of u.s. said he, land I was a hot
one. 1t hurt me when anybody said
anything against the party. 1t made
me mad. People would tell me of acts
of the party leaders that did not seem
right, but 1 would not hear to any
charge Of wrong-doing or bad inten-
tions. / had the same confidence in
the party that I have-that I have in
my wife. But could not help think
ing and many things / could not un-
derstand, except on the grounds that
they were mistakes. Then I went to
Minneapolis and saw the people wild
for Blaine, and saw the leaders steer
the nomination for Harrison. and It
came into my head that a party that
could so easily ride over the wishes of
the majority was not good party,
and I came home a changed man.
Since that I have been in the same
position that a wife is in when she
finds her husband has deceived her. L
cannot believe anything good of that
party. Everything that 1t does seems
to me to be suspicious"
LEARNED THEIR POWER.
It was in that same eventful year
Of 1890 that the old Fifth district farm
ers first learned their power. The al
lance had drifted into the Peoples
party and 8 congressional convention
was held. The nomination went beg
ging. 1t was offered to have a dozen,
mostly the politicians who had already
begun to hang about edges of the
in the hope that some time
It might land them In office; but none
of them saw that the time was ripe, and
they all declined with profuse expla-
nations. At last Kittle Halvorson, of
Stearns county, sturdy and honest
farmer who had about as much idea Of
going to congress as he had of remov-
ing to Patagonia, was fixed on as the
altar. He vainly expostulated and de-
clined The convention, nominated him
with a rush and adjourned in the mid
die Of his plea to be excused. He was
elected by an Overwhelming majority.
Two years later the same people elect
I'd Haldor E. Boen. very different sort
OF man-an Otter Tail county politician
who had always regarded himself as
q manifest son Of destiny, and played
Il considerable part in county politics.
He went in with small majority, for,
E Though the district had been reap
portioned, and the new Seventh district
was expected to include all the Popu-
list strongholds, Mr.. Boen was not
strong campaigner, and he had many
enemies at home. He tried 1t again In
1894 and Frank M. Eddy, of Glenwood,
found enough people tired of Boen to
give him small majority, the Demo-
Gratis assisting to beat the man they
had elected in 1892. And here history
reaches 1895 and pauses. Now, while
the farmers were not satisfied with
Boen, they are by no
means through with Populism, and the
this year has assumed a
character which resembles somewhat
the stampede Of 1890. The distrust of
Republicanism which burst forth In
that campaign is as active and wide
government loans on real estate ideas
have retired into the BACKGROUND, and
the Populists center their hopes and
lonSings on free silver. But the
Seventh is a rapidly growing section
of the state. The 1900 odd voters
of 1894 will be increased by 10000 new
vot.s this year. There is much uncer-
tainty as to what proportion of the
1000 Democrats will vote for free sill
yer. Here are II 900 votes which are
an unknown quantity. There is lati-
tude for any amount of speculation.
The political investigator who wants
to find "how things are going" has no
trouble in doing so in Fergus Falls.
which may be fairly regarded as the
political center of the Seventh district.
Every man he meets can tell him all
about it. The only difficulty is that
each prophet takes different view
and is willing to bet-that final touch
stone Of sincerity--that his Judgment
$ correct. So. after good deal of in
vestigating, the conclusion is forced
upon the inquirer that the people of
Fergus Falls themselves do not know