The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-09-29
RIVER AT 8 A. NJ.
NOT A NEGRO OUTRAGE:

The Dispatch says that the removal
of Fred L. McGhee from the Re.)ubli-
can electoral ticket in 1892 and the sub
stitution of Mr.. Carlson in his stead
was mot a Negro Outrage" because
he was removed for refusal to Lay the
$50 tax imposed by the state on nom
inees for that office. The writer of that
editorial had to sit down hard on his
personal knowledge, for no man in the
state knows better than he that what
the G b stated was true, and that
Mr.. McGhee was unceremoniously WIp-
ed off the ticket because he was lie
gro, and for no other reason. A brief
statement of the history IF that Incl
dent, now that the Dispatch has un-
charity invited it's resurrection, VIII
demonstrate this.
The negro voters Of the two cities
wished in view of the location of the
Republican convention at Miunca pods
that year and the consequent co-.uag
from the South of 200 or 500 negro de-
egates, to send Mr.. 4fcGhee to TINT
convention as a deieg;tte-at-!arsse, as
recognition of the loyalty Of that class
to that party. IN the convention this
was defeated by shr9wd parliamentary
tactics but McGhee was narned us al
ternate-at-large to ;he proprietor of
the Dispatch, which he promptly de-
clined
Then when the selection Of psrsiden-
tial electors was the order of business,
John Lind moved the nomination of
MIR. McGhee and he was chosen Very
soon afterward it was discovered that
no Swede had been put on the resi-
Dental electoral ticket, and there was
alarm in the camp. There came {. par
tial fusion of the Democrats ana Fonu-
lists that promised to defeat three Re
publican electors, aud the national
prospect was getting threatening. The
selection of a negro and the omission
OF a SWede was regarded as a stupen-
dous blunder that must be corrected at
once, as the loss Of even one presi len
tial elector might endan9er the pl esi-
dercy. There were autter;n2s amoDm
-NNt'tt''-iNSAAS Gi-o litI'SetIS litdI Ou6y
wouldn't vote fer a ni45Ser for that Of
flee or any other The result was that
Mr.. Lamb, secretary of the state
committee, called on Mr.. McGhee soon
after the convention ana said he had
been instructed hy The committee 70
ask him for the $50 nomination fee. Mr..
8IcGhee said that he would pay It IN
time, but as no one else had paid, a
fact Mr.. Lamb admitted, he would pay
it before the twenty-eight days before
the election, the limit tixel N he law.
At Lambs request NJ ;(2he,4 M:ote Il e
committee a letter stating that he
would pay within the time
The next intinfation he had was that
the committee had met and declared
his nomination vacant but made no
appointment. He thereupon wrote
again Offering to pay and, if demand
ed, tG pay at once, and asked to be
heard at the adjourned meeting He
was there, but was kept cooling his
heels in the ante-room until adjourn
ment when he was told that the va
caHCy HdQ De6n HllGu by the appoint
ment Of the Swede, Carlson. He went
to the secretary of states office the
next day and rendered the 500, but IT
was refused because the se2-etary had
received notice Of the .:haaGe At hat
time no one of me other electors had
paid his fee. Later he had a request
from Mr. Nelson to call on him ard
was told by him that he r1Ist rot feel
hurt ard must do what he could to
placate the coiored vote. The fact v as,
Nelson told him, the Swedes were very
angry because thy had ben left u0f
the presidential t:ckat anu {: negro rut
on, ard that he, Nelson, would ,cse
thousands CT votes if McGhee had stay
ed on. These are the facts of that case,
and the writer of the Dispatches edi-
torial knows it.
If this was not an outrage, il it did